Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 5, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 8, 1954 Page: 38 of 48
forty eight pages : ill. ; page 21 x 16 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
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KXTHILE AUTOMOBILES get bigger, faster, and
W fancier each year, there's one type of car that has
changed little in the last two decades. Yet its popularity
has grown steadily. It’s the homemade motorless “soap
box" racer, perennial favorite of America's youth.
Again this unusual craft will command the attention
of the nation’s sports fans, at the 17th running of the
All-American Soap Box Derby next Sunday in Akron.
Ohio. There 151 young boys, each of whom made his
vehicle himself, will compete for $15,000 in college
scholarships
Every boy is a champion; to reach the big race he had
to win the local contest in his home town. These were
held during the past two months in cities throughout
.the United States as well as in Alaska, Canada, and
Western Germany. Nearly 50,000 boys competed and
3,000,000 persons watched them. Millions more will be
following the All-American next Sunday.
Considered one of today's greatest amateur racing
events, the Soap Box Derby grew out of the idea of a
Dayton, Ohio, newspaper photographer. While on a
photo assignment one summer day in 1933, Myron Scott
came across a group of small boys racing homemade
coasting cars on a hill. He snapped pictures of the race
and reported the incident to his editor. Scott was so en-
thusiastic about the new sport that the editor allowed
him to conduct a city-wide race, which he called the
“Soap Box Derby.”
The original derby in 1933 attracted keen interest,
and Scott held the first All-American Soap Box Derby
The boys take great pride in their rac-
ers, which they must build themselves.
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This will be the scene at the Soap Boz Derby next Sunday in Akron, Ohio, as 151 boys compete for $15,000 in prizes.
in Dayton in August, 1934. The following year the
Chevrolet division of General Motors assumed sponsor-
ship of the derby, and the contest was moved to Akron.
Today the soap-box classic is co-sponsored by Chevrolet
and leading newspapers and civic organizations of the
participating cities. Scott, now a Chevrolet executive,
is still managing director of the derby _
Strict rules govern all derby races to insure each con-
testant an equal opportunity. A boy must be between 11 .
and 15 years of age and must build his car himself. The
combined weight of the car and driver cannot exceed
250 pounds. Other rules cover safety features and con-
struction materials used.
The 151 winners of the local contests receive all-ex-
pense trips to Akron to compete in the All-American.
During their stay they live at Derbytown, a lake-shore
YMCA summer camp turned over to them. Each boy is
allowed a day to tune up his car and make a test run
on Derby Downs.
Then comes the big race. The cars are brightly painted
and lettered with the names of the newspapers they
represent. Some 60,000 spectators line both sides of the
runway from top to bottom. Sports reporters, feature
writers, photographers, and newsreel cameramen are
all on hand to record the race.
For the boy who streaks across the finish line first,
there’s a $5,000 college scholarship waiting. He's a home-
town hero and the idol of every youngster in America.
But to every boy who takes part, win or lose, the Soap
Box Derby is the thrill of a lifetime.
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Derby officials check to see that each
car and boy total less than 250 pounds.
"EARGO FORT,
Before the big race goes off, the con-
struction of each entry is inspected.
AUGUST •. 1954 FAMILY WEEKLY MAGAZINE
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Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 52, No. 5, Ed. 1 Sunday, August 8, 1954, newspaper, August 8, 1954; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1430861/m1/38/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Denton Public Library.