Evening star., 1951-08-11
By Meredith S. BueI
Stor Staff Correspondent

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 11.-ThiS
lis fun day" at Derby Town-a
day of complete relaxation for the
141 Soap Box Derby champions
who will flash down the track in
the big National finals race to-
morrow.
Race time is set for 2 pm. at
Derby Downs. There 15-year- old
Don Sheets, the Washington win
ner, will compete with champions
from the United States, Canada,
Alaska and Germany for the first
prize $4,000 college scholarship.
Second prize is a new sedan. Many
trophies and valuable merchandise
awards go to the 10 top winners.
The Weather Bureau here
promises to cooperate fully by
predicting a fair and cool day for
the 14th running of the colorful
event.
Occupy YMCA Camp.
Don and the other contestants
have had a fast-paced schedule
since arriving Thursday afternoon.
It was then that they moved into
spacious Derby Town-a 125-acre
YMCA camp nestled beside a lake
and is miles from the city.
This morning Don made spe-
cial trip to Derby Downs where
he will make his solo trial run
originally scheduled for yesterday
afternoon.
The Washington Derby ace was
one of the last to be called up for
inspection yesterday after spend
ing several hours polishing and
checking his sleek, streamlined
black racer. Finding that minor
repairs had to be made to his
steering assembly, he was told by
the inspection crew to make the
adjustments and return at II
am. today for his trial run. Sew.
eral other contestants near the
end of the inspection line also hac
to return.
Except for those minor repairs
tDon's gravity powered car was II
tip-top shape.
Elder Brother Arrives.
Derby work in the area arounc
Don yesterday was disrupted fol
several minutes when an oldel
brother, Warren, 20, and foul
companions arrived on the scene
Warren left Washington by cal
yesterday before dawn and i'm.
mediately after reaching Akron
rushed out to the race course te
find his younger brother.
The three Sheets brothers art
Iall together now. Don's Other
brother Russell, II, flew here
from Washington with him
Thursday.
| Accompanying Warren on the
"trip was cousin. Stanley Thomp-
son, "a of Vienna, Va, and three
of Don's buddies who came tc
cheer him on to victory tomorrow
and help him in any way possible
They are Allan Hawes, Is, OF
Arlington; Bobbie Yates, Is of
Takoma Park, and Charlie Buck,
IT OF Washington.
| Entered in Heat 27.
Don will have to wait until
Heat No. 81 before he races to-
morrow. He will race against
Tommie j. Jordan, jr., II, of Dar-
|lington. S, c., and Richard Johli-
son. IA. of Tacoma, Wash. There
will be 48 first-round heats in all
One of the three contestants
to pilot the course in Heat No.
will be 15-year-old Kurt Warncke,
the German champion from Ber-
lin. He is accompanied by his
father and Corpl. Fred S. Rosen-
garden of the German Youth Ac-
tivities Program.
The slender blond boy has a
snappy looking light blue racer
On the sides the words "Stars and
Stripes" are written in yellow
across two crossed American
flags. STARS and Stripes" serv-
icemen's newspaper in Germany
sponsors Kurt.
Kurt will fly to Washington
Monday evening for tour of the
city and to visit with Don and
Government officials before he
returns to Germany.
Don, who lives at 919 North
Randolph street, Arlington, is
sponsored in the race by The Star,
metropolitan area Chevrolet deal
ers and the District Department
lOf the American legion