Evening star., 1946-08-19
Capital S Entry Loses
Soap Box Derby. but
Beats Winning Time
BY Chris Mothisen
Ct c4xf

Soap Box Derby finals, was bac
In the Nations Capital today with
new wrist watch and the satisfac
tion of knowing he had covered tn
Derby Downs course in faster tim
than the eventual winner, GilbeI
Klecan, IA, of San Diego, Calf
made in the final race.
Paul lost to Richard E. Zoller. /.
Of Cleveland in the third round b
a close margin after winning hi
first two heats. However, youn
Boudrot's Second-round time wa
OPT 03 seconds fastest in tina
round-as against 0:27.13 recorde,
by the electric timer for the Sal
Diego entrant in the final race o
the day which decided the cham
pionship.
Paul's first-heat time was 0:27 q
seconds. Winning time of the third
round heat in which he lost to tn,
Clevelander was 0:27.16.
After defeating Washington
hope. young Zoller went on to wiz
in the fourth round and finished
second to the national champion
in the title round.
Third place was taken by Jane.
Haney, IS, of Beloit, Wis.
Six Winners Listed.
For the first time in derby his.
tory, a colored boy finished amone
the six major prize winners. HI
was Harold Hayes. II, of Durham
N. c., who took fourth place. Jerry
Aulick, IA. of ScottSbluff, Nebr.
was fifth and Ted Garland, IA, Of
White Plains, N. Y, was sixth.
Paul took his loss with gooc
grace, but expressed the opinion 8
jarring he said his racer received
in handling Immediately before his
third trip down the strip might
have affected speed of the car.
In his initial win, Paul defeated
entrants from Des Moines. Iowa
and Wichita, Kans. In the mex,
round, his fast time knocked out
boys from Chicago, H., and Terre
Haute, Ind. On the basis of second
heat time, he was favored to beat
the Cleveland boy in the third
round race. The Ohio youngster
Paul's lone opponent in that heat
nosed ahead, however, as the little
cars approached the finish line.
100000 Crowd Course.
Nearly 100000 spectators crowded
grandstands and covered adjacent
hlllsides for the first derby on the
permanent national finals course
since 1941.
Young Klecan, first West Coast
entrant to win the title. earned a
four-year college scholarship by
finishing first in five trips over
the smooth 975-foot slope. He also
received a trophy and diamond
set gold medal. In addition. he took
home another trophy for the fastest
time Of the day 1851 seconds
registered not in the championship
heat but IN his preceding fourth
round win.
The Cleveland boy was awarded
q Chevrolet automobile for second
place as we'll as medal and trophy.
Medals and trophies also went to the
other youngsters in the first six
placings.
The new national derby champion
Is a high-school freshman who
dabbies in~oil painting, cookery and
amateur radio work His father is
a machinist in an aircraft factory.
He used official wheels with gra-
phite for fabrication. Young Klecan
also applied graphite literally to the
sides of his racer ito cut down wind
resistance" After his final win,
the body of his racer was smeared
with the lubricant, and Gilbert's
face, arms and clothing were thor
oughly blackened in the manner of
racing.
Paul used No. 10 engine OIL
Dopesters who looked to first
heat time figures for a hint of the
eventual victor were disappointed
Best for the initial round was the
0:26.91 seconds hung up by Wayne
n. Young, l3, of Indianapolis, Ind
The Beloit entrant eliminated him
In the second go-round with slower
time-0; ;2705 seconds.
Virginia Entrants Eliminated.
Leroy F. White. Winchester tVa.)
representative, was eliminated in the
first round, as were the other Vir-
einia entrants who came from Roa-
noke and Charlottesville. There
were no contestants from Maryland.
1t was an ideal day for the big
event-warm with a gentle
breeze across Derby Downs and scat
tered clouds.
The program opened with a pa
rade in which 16 bands took part.
The colorful column included con-
tingents representing armed serv-
Ices. veterans organizations, civic
groups and youth organizations.
The big crowd was thrilled shortly
before commencement of the racing
by jet-propelled P-80 Shooting
Star plane which ''buzzed" Derby
Downs several times at speeds ap-
preaching 500 miles per hour after
a special run from Wright Field,
Dayton, Ohio.
Newsreel and still cameramen
and radio announcers crowded the
bridge across the finish line, and
several hundred newspaper and news
service reporters were in the press
box as the l12 contestants prepared
for the first postwar running of the
national event.
Although its members were not
seated together, an enthusiastic lit
tie band OF rooters was on hand to
cheer for the pride of the Nation S
Capital, winner of the washington
race July 20, sponsored by The Star
ano the District Department of the
American Legion, in association with
Chevrolet dealers.
Mother Seated Near Finish.
Paul's mother, Mrs. w. j. Boudrot.
was in favored position near the
finish line, and other relatives were
seated elsewhere along the course.
j. S. Haldenstein, representative
OF Cooley Mccullough Post of the
Legion, which, with Maj. Gen. u. s.
Grant III, chairman of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission. sponsored Paul In the
Capital race, also was present.
After the races Mr. EaJdopeta;n