All children involved assembled their cars working with parents, relatives or friends.
They went to the Fells to qualify and make sure they know how to drive — and stop.
This week at Mirak, all the drivers and cars were officially weighed in and safety-checked. The cars were then impounded waiting for Saturday’s race.
The winner of each of three classes of cars will go to Akron, Ohio, for the World Championship, All America Soap Box Derby in late July. This is a weeklong event, with kids from Japan, Germany and Australia expected.
Drivers are to report to the track by 8 a.m. Racing may start by 9 a.m. and should go until 3 or 4 p.m.
After picking up a car, kids and parents work as a team to assemble, tune and decorate their gravity powered racers. Goals of the program include getting kids and parents working together, kids working with simple tools and exposing them to STEM concepts, such as moment of inertia, kinetic energy and efficiency.
Cars are being distributed now to allow time for orientation test runs in the Fells and several tuning clinics.
Contact the derby Director Cary Conrad at director[at]arlingtonsoapbox.com.
The rain date is June 7.
For more information on the derby and any future updates, visit www.arlingtonsoapbox.com.
This story was published Friday, April 24, 2015, and updated June 5, to add details.
