Evening star., 1940-07-11
Tension Grips
Derby Entrants
As Race Nears
FinoI Inspection
Of Cars Being Made
At RundIe School

The jitters of anticipa ton reached
a new high among Washington boys
today as the third running of the
annual Soap Box Derby came closer.
With the final inspection of
Washington fastest field of home
made coaster cars being made at
Randle Heights School, the boy
builders of the miniature coaster
cars we're trying to settle down and
wait for Saturday-1940 Derby
Day-but without much success.
For on Saturday, a new Washing
ton Derby champion will be thrust
up above the crowd of more than
200 boys between IL and Is years of
age who have labored for weeks in
Easements, garages and in school
shops to building their racers.
Must Be on Course at $3.50.
Around pm. on Saturday one of
these youngsters will succeed Carl
Cederstrand. jr., the 1899 winner,
as the city champion, and will rep
resent Washington at the national
Derby final at Akron, Ohio, next
month.
The young race drivers-each of
whom has built car according to
rigid dimensional restrictions, for
total cost of no more than SO
have been instructed to be at the
race course on Pennsylvania avenue
Sc. at $50 am. Saturday. But,
utilizing the experience gained in
the city's two previous Derby races,
officials will be at the track at $50
to help control the crowd of eager
boys that is sure to be on hand.
The first cars will roll off the
special wooden starting ramp on
Pennsylvania avenue Sc. at IL am.
Approximately three minutes later
the second heat will start, and sue
ceeding elimination heats will con-
tinue throughout the day until
new champion has been chosen.
Heats of Three Cars Each.
The boys will race in heats of
three cars each Their racers will
leave the starting ramp together
and roll downhill approximately
1000 feet to the finish line, which
has been marked across the 50-foot
thoroughfare, at Carpenter street
and Pennsylvania avenue. Each
boy will race in a lane 10 feet wide,
and when the cars have crossed the
finish line, they will Immediately
begin rolling uphill toward Branch
avenue.
officials have announced that the
section of Pennsylvania avenue Sc.
between Branch and Alabama ave-
nues will be closed to traffic on Sat-
urday. Vehicles will be routed
around the Derby site via Branch
avenue.
Thus, the whole section of hill will
be thrown open to Derby fans.
Ample space has been provided for
spectators along the sides of the
course, and public conveniences will
be made available. Parking will be
possible on streets adjacent to the
area. A map of the neighborhood. to
be published in tomorrow's Evening
Star, will show the site of the course,
and available parking facilities.
Transportation to Site.
Public transportation to the Derby
site may be obtained by taking a
streetcar marked Seventeenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue Sc, and
transferring at Fifteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue Sc. From
that point to the course, transporta-
tion will be via bus marked Hill
crest, No. c g. Capital Transit Co.
officials said today the regular bus
service would be augmented to
handle Derby crowds.
Derby Director Zeb T. Hamilton
yesterday reviewed the final instruc-
tions sent each entrant on the reg
ular Derby radio program over Sta
ton WMAL. He complimented the
boys on their workmanship and re-
minded them to follow their instruc-
tions on Saturday. Interviewed by
Bill Coyle, radio director of The
Star and a member of the Derby
General Committee, were Noel
White and Howard Hill. two boys
VINO hope to win the city champion
| ship.
The races will be broadcast over
WMAL throughout the day.
| Watch The Star for Derbu Mems. J