Evening star., 1940-08-09
Derby Champ
Packs for Trip
To Akron Finals
Bill Jennings Ready
To Make Bid for
National Title
By GEORGE HADDOCK

Relaxation is something Bill Jen-
nings, Washington's 1910 Soap Box
Derby champion, doesn't expect to
experience again until next Monday.
For Bill is living in suspense, wait
ing for Sunday and his part in the
running Of the All-American Soap
Box Derby at Akron, Ohio. Today
Bill was packing and unpacking and
packing again in preparation for to-
morrow and his departure by air.
plane for Akron.
The Washington champion and his
mother, Mrs. Marion P. Worm
houdt of Elgin lane. Bannockburn
Heights, Md, will take a Pennsyl-
vania Airlines plane at $40 a. m. to-
morrow at Washington Airport. and
land in Akron at II m, just in time
to have lunch and leave for Derby
Downs, where Bill and the other
Derby city champions are sched-
uled to make trial runs with their
homemade coaster cars.
To Race on Sunday.
Bill will race on Sunday, in COM
petition with Soap Box Derby win
ners from approximately 100 other
cities from all over the United
States, for the first prize and the
title of All-American Soap Box
Derby champion.
First prize at Akron includes
diamond-set gold medal, gold-f1n-
ish trophy, and most important OF
ali, four-year college scholarship
to the State university of the cham
pion's choosing.
Washington's champ says he Is
ready to 60" and fervently hopes
he'll win. Stuff. his ultra stream
lined white racer, is in excellent
condition, and already is in Akron,
having been shipped there week
ago.
Bill wants to be an aeronautical
engineer, so the college scholarship
looks good to him.
Auto for Second Prize.
The boy who wins second prize at
Akron will receive a new 1910 special
de luxe Chevrolet coach, gold-fin-
ish trophy and ruby-set silver
medal.
Official Soap Box Derby midget
motor cars will be awarded to the
third and fourth-place winners.
Each of them also will receive a
gold-flnish trophy and a sapphire
set bronze medal will 60 as an addi-
tional third prize and plain bronze
+ medal as fourth prize
Winners of fifth and sixth prizes
will receive gold-finish trophies and
bronze medals.
Four special awards include the
c. F. Kettering Trophy for the best
designed car and trophies for the
winner of the fastest heat during
the day, the builder of the best-up-
holstered car and the builder of the
best-designed brakes. To determine
the time on each heat, the officials
have installed a new electric-eye
camera and timing device.
Every boy who competes will re-
ceive some award at the banquet
following the race. Bill and the
other champions will receive a
dilfCI D QiPlOlild d1lu d SOlu WAL
than wrist watch bearing the Soap
Box Derby emblem. Street and
racing costumes will be provided for
each contender and will be given to
the boys as souvenirs. OF special
interest is a racing drivers safety
helmet modelled after those worn by
big-time racing champions. One will
be given to each boy.
Thousands of Derby fans watch
the coaster races every year and a
record crowd is expected this year
at the specially built course outside
of Akron. Two major radio net
works, the Columbia Broadcasting
System and the Mutual Broadcast
ing System, will broadcast a half
hour program at 4:30 pm, August
II. Ted Husing, nationally famous
radio sports commentator, will
handle the finals broadcast for C.
B. S.
Bill and his mother, who will 60
to Akron as guests of The Star, will
stay at the Mayf1ower Hotel, center
of Derby activities in the town
which annually turns over every
thing to the boy champions. The
Washington champ will return home
late Sunday night.