Evening star., 1953-07-12
Soop Box
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did q splendid job. Well do even
better next year."
Only Five Crack Up.
The Derby course started at
Texas avenue and ended at Car
penter street on Pennsylvania
avenue Sc. AS many boys were
to learn, its 875 feet were not as
smooth as they looked.
Only five entrants cracked up,
making this the safest Washing
ton Derby to date. None Of the
drivers were more than shaken
up.
One accident caused the crowd
to roar, however. For the first
time in local Derby history, two
of three boys in one heat
smacked into the curbing. Nei-
ther was hurt but their racers
were ruined. They were Tony
OConnell, II, of Springfield, Va,
and Ralph Faust, IL, of 1905
Marlboro Pike, Prince Georges
County, Md.
The race was run in two
classes. Class A was made up
OF boys from 13 through Is years
OF age. Glass B included boys
from II through II years OF age.
Race Every 4 Minutes.
Heats Of three boys each were
run on an average of 4 minutes
apart. A red flag at the finish
line Signaled Starter Haywood
N, Saunders that the course was
clear. Mr.. Saunders, who now
has started IL Derbies, then re-
leased lever that simultaneous
ly retracted nose paddles holding
back the cars on a wooden ramp.
Three judges from the District
Department Of the Amateur Ath-
letic Union decided the finish.
They were Edward Rosenblum,
2901 Connecticut avenue NV;
Arthur Stickley, Haymarket, Va;
James Y. (Shorty) Hughes, 4314
Twelfth street NE; Joseph
Aronoh of 643 E street NE,
aided in managing the area at
the finish line.
The man with most Of the
headaches. however, was Vice
Director Louis (Jerry) .Zindel of
the Army-Air Force Post No. 81
Of the American Legion.
Mr.. Ztndel was responsible for
getting the boys to the race, of
the ramp, up the hill after the
race, lunches, etc.
Food In Quantity
The food department caused
some eyes to pop. After racing
was stopped at 11:25 for lunch,
the boys wolfed 96 pounds of hot
dogs; 20 dozen pints of milk; Is
dozen cupcakes and uncounted
gallons of soft drinks.
A bright sun and cooling
breezeS made things easier for
patient spectators for the whole
day. They stood safely behind
1000 feet of snow fence and
hemp rope. Some brought
lunches, beach chairs, dogs and
radios to pass the time between
heats.
First to arrive were Mrs.
Mickey Tarbett. 906 Langley
drive, Silver Spring, Md, and
her daughter Dianne, and Mrs.
Lea Geoghegan, GIT Langley
drive. They were roofing for Bill
Tarbett, ID, and Mike Geoghe-
gan, II.
Red Cross volunteers at the
course reported nothing more
serious than a case of poison
ivy, several blisters and one con-
testant who became woozy after
winning his heat.
WMAL. the Evening Star radio
station, covered the Derby with
five spot broadcasts. The an
nouncer was Bill Matthews. He
was assisted by William Coyle,
promotion director for The Star.
Parade After Lunch.
Pre-race activities were per-
vaded by the sound Of humming
wheels.
Anxious to get the hest from
their cars. the drivers endlessly
spun their wheels to run in the
bearings. Some used cloth
whips" fiaying the wheels un-
til they threatened to shake the
cars off their stands. The
stands, in some cases, were beer
cans or willing knees of friends.
After lunch, spectators were
treated to q parade. Two hun
dred fifty orphans from homes
In the Metropolitan area, guests
Of the American Legion, and all