Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 29, 1995 TAG: 9506290119
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MAURICE A. WILLIAMS III STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"He put me to work in the basement on soapbox cars," Thacker said. "That's how I got started."
The punishment proved rewarding as Thacker won Roanoke Valley's soapbox derby four years later in 1963. Thacker's father eventually threw out his winning car while cleaning the garage, but that didn't end Thacker's interest in soapbox derbys. For the past 10 years, he's been the regional director for the All-American Soapbox Derby, representing Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and portions of Tennessee.
He also has helped the Virginia Museum of Transportation with its exhibit, "The Soapbox Derby Then and Now," which opens Saturday.
The exhibit's opening day will feature a workshop on how to build a soapbox car and a model showing the mechanics of a derby car. Past derby winners will be on hand as will this year's participants, who will show their cars.
The exhibit also will include cars from as far back as 1954.
"The toughest task we face is to draw in local residents," said David Bird, director of exhibits. He said the museum saw the Soapbox Derby as a good opportunity to do this.
The timing couldn't be better. The exhibit coincides with this year's Roanoke Valley Soapbox Derby, part of the Virginia Commonwealth Games, on July 15. Winners advance to the All-American Soapbox Derby in Akron, Ohio, in August. This year's All-American competition will feature more than 260 racers from the United States, Canada, Germany, Mexico and the Philippines.
The Roanoke race will be held in Walrond Park, which has the state's only track for derby races. Other localities hold races anywhere possible. In Florida, for example, races are held on drawbridges.
Thacker said soapbox racers can gain speeds up to 35 mph but officials try to hold the speed to 28 mph. He's seen racers crash, tape their cars together and still finish a race.
Thacker said technology has had an impact on soapbox cars but in recent years the designs have gone back to basic models.
"It's part of the evolution," he said. Despite all the advances in materials and epoxy glues, "driving skills usually win the race."
To level the field, the derby has three divisions. The stock and kit divisions give first-time builders, ages 9-16, a start using kits and shells made by the All-American. Advanced racers, ages 11-16, can compete in the masters' division. They build their cars from scratch or purchase advanced kits. Kit cars from the All-American cost about $220.
"The new kit car has really increased the numbers," Thacker said.
Another development that has given more children an opportunity to race is sponsorships. Similar to NASCAR drivers, Soapbox Derby participants receive sponsors who either buy the child's kit or pay the entry fee.
Area sponsors this year include the Roanoke Times & World News, WDBJ Channel 7 TV, and the Bell Atlantic Telephone Pioneers, a group of active and retired volunteers. They will sponsor racers in the disabled racers division, where the cars are two-seated and feature dual-steering and braking mechanisms. The two-seater also is in the exhibit.
Lee Hartman and Sons Inc. will award prizes to handicapped division winners at the museum July 16. The exhibit will also feature a car the company sponsored in 1954.
Keywords:
SOAP BOX
Memo: Also ran in July 11, 1995 Current.