Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-10
Indiana Youth Wins
Soap Box Finals as
D. {. Entry Is 10Th
Bye. Steed Evons
St1r Staff Correspondent

AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 10.-Fred
Mohler. IA, of Muncie, Ind, to-
day sped to victory in the 18th
running of the All-American
Soap Box derby here. Johnnie
Moore, Is, WaShington's Soap
Box Derby winner. placed 10th
in a field of Isl boys.
Nearly 65,0o0-the largest der
by crowd-attended the finals Of
the classic. The start Of the race
was delayed for IS minutes by
rain, a derby first" Rain fell
later in the race but did not
stop activities.
Young Mohler early was es-
tabliShed a favorite when he
flashed down the 975-foot course
In 27:89 seconds in his first
round heat. He also set the fast
est time of the day-27:78 Sec
ondS-in his third heat.
Johnnie, of 300 Hume ave-
nue.. Alexandria, won two heats
at 1851 seconds and 28:4l sec
onds before losing out in third
round competition to William
P. Thayer,. Is, of Detroit. in
28/07 seconds.
Brother Team Cheered.
A hard driving team of
brothers from Los Angeles kept
the cheering crowd on edge
throughout the race.
Jon B. King, IL. and his
brother, Dale. Is, placed third
and second respectively. 1t was
the first time a team of brothers
competed in the All-American
Derby. Another Los Angeles boy.
Ronald A. Ford, Is, captured
fourth place. So many boys
raced in separate derbieS in Los
Angeles that three representa-
tives were sent here.
The Washington champion.
who was confident of his chance
of winning, had his disappoint-
ment eaSed when he was awarded
the beautiful C. F. Kettering tro-
ply for the best designed car in
the race.
Johnnie won a similar award |
in the Washington race two !
years running and turned it down |
this year in order that some other
lad might win. He was presented |
the trophy at banquet given by
All-American Soap Box Derby |
Committee. ]
Today's race ended a gala four
days for Johnnie at Derbytown,
a boys camp located on a lake
shore outside of Akron. During
his stay, Johnnie participated in |
supervised sports, was taken on
tours Of the city's industries and |
was feted at luncheons by Akron |
businessmen. He also got a |
chance TO meet celebrities visit |
ing the contest.
Parade PrecedeS Race.
The race was preceded by a |
parade of 1,400 and the cham
pions down the derby course.
After the parade. mock derby
race called the "oil can trophy
race" was held.
Actor Andy Devine outcoasted
second place George Montgomery
and third place Don Ameche.
During the delay caused by the
rain, Dinah Shore lead the crowd
IN community singing, assisted
haltingly by Don Ameche.
The first heat got off to a start
after a salute of Is aerial bombs.
A stiff wind swept directly I'D
the course. At that, young
Mothers time was only hun
dredths of a second slower than
that of last years winer. Joe
Lunn of Columbus, Ga.
In Johnnie Moore's first heat, |
he defeated David Durhaf of
Cleveland and Jefferson Stokes
Of Mount Holly. N. j. He de-
feated Jack r. Hall of Lafayette.
Ind, and Kenneth Haggert of
Gary, Ind. in the second heat.
In his third and last race,
Johnnie was beaten by the even
tual fifth place winner, William
B. Thazel of Detroit by inches
In the fast time of 28:07 seconds. |
Johnnie's time of 28.I2 seconds
gave him tenth place.
One Accident Mars Day.
Heats were set off every 60
seconds. Only one crack-up
marred an otherwise perfectly |
run race. Jack Henderson of |
Wichita. Kans., lost control of !
his wobbling car several hum
dred feet short of the finish line
and crashed into the curb. He
was not hurt.
Each time the eventual cham
pion sped down the hill in his
orange car, the crowd got to its
feet to cheer him on. He was
never really pushed by his COM /
petitors. /
Freddy has been in racing
only two years. placing second t