Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-08-08
Moore Ready
For Soap Box
Race Tomorrow
Washington Entry
Finishes Trials With
$50 Others at Akron
THE EVENING STAR
Washington, D. C.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1858
Bye. Steed Evans
Sior Sfoff Correspondent

Bye. Steed Evans
Siar Stoff Correspondent
AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 8.-Last-
minute repairs and a day Of time
trials behind him, Johnnie
Moore, jr., the Districts 15-year-
old Soap Box Derby champion, is
set for the 10th annual ALL
American Soap Box Derby to-
morrow.
Yesterday Johnnie and the
other $50 boys here whizzed down
the 975-foot hill in practice runs.
Unofficial timing indicated last
years record time of PITT Sec
onds set by Joe Lund. of Column
bus. Ga, may be broken.
Before the test runs were held,
the boys went through inSpec-
ton. Some of them, including
Johnnie, were turned down for
minor faults. Expert advice and
a mobile machine shop, however,
probably will guarantee all of the
entrants will race.
Car Quickly Remedied.
Johnnie was turned down for
a loose weight in the body of his
car and the way his steering
cable was attached to the front
axle. These faults were quickly
remedied.
All yesterday morning, Johnnie
waxed his black No. 146 until he
could see his peach-fuzz beard
reflected in the cars finish. His
car drew favorable comments for
its construction, particularly the
steering. He has geared the steer
ing mechanism SO that no road
shock can be felt in the wheel.
Johnnie and his car together
weighed a shade under the legal
maximum of $50 pounds.
AS he went through the various
checking stations, his mother
and father, Mr.. and Mrs. John
B. Moore, 303 Hume avenue.
Alexandria. stood at the rope
barrier around the pits with anx-
iouS looks.
Their worries disappeared
though, when their son knitted
down the green-painted, three
lane track in what looked like
near-record time. No timing de-
vices other than stop watches
were used, however.
Calls Chances Good.
cts a good course except for
the places where the road strips
are joined" Johnnie commented
afterwards. II think I've got as
good a chance as anybody of
winning"
Official times on the especially
constructed course are obtained
by an electronic device con-
nected to the starting ramp and
a photo-electric eye at the fin
ish line. Three boys race in each
heat.
When he eases up to the start
ing line tomorrow, Johnnie will
be pitted against boys from
Mount Holly, N. j., and Cleve-
land. David Durham, Is, of
Cleveland, said he made a time
of 25.4 seconds on a 900-foot hill
in his home town race. Jefferson
Stokes, Is, of Mount Holly posted
a time of 34.4 seconds on his
1.000-foot track. Johnnie won
the Washington race in 80 Sec
onds. The Pennsylvania avenue
Sc. hill is 875 feet long.
The winner of tomorrow's clas-
sic receives a SIS 900 college schol-
arship to the school he chooses.
Second through fifth places re-
spectively, will receive $4,000.
$4,000, $4,000, and $1,000 schol-
arShipS.
Swim and Ping Pong.
Yesterday. at Derbytown,
Johnnie went swimming, rode a
horse, played ping pong and ate
several dishes of ice cream.
He was looking forward last |
night to meeting celebrities, in
Guiding Captain Video, Don Anne
che, George Montgomery, Dinah |
Shore and Wilbur Shaw, race
driver. The celebrities will visit |
Derbytown, boys camp on the |
shore of a lake outside Akron.
With the other boys at Derby |
town is the champion of West |
Germany, Heinz Martin, IA. Of
Nurnberg. Heinz's car is a silver
colored, all-metal job that looks
fast just sitting still. The Ger
man youth has raced for three |
years and is very popular at the |
camp. despite language difficult !
ties.
Tips From Champ.
Also at the camp is last years |
winner, Joe Lunn. Joe has been
giving the boys tips on how he
won and what not to do while |
racing. He wore a brilliant gold
shirt with diagonal red, white
and blue strip across the front as
he made his smiling way through
the pit shed, greeting the boys.
All contestants today were pre-
sented with wrist watches at a
B. F. Goodrich science show at
the rubber company's plant.
Tonight every boy will dream
Of victory tomorrow. but with
his fingers crossed. After break
fast tomorrow, the boys will at
tend church services and then
begin the biggest day in their
young lives.