Need for speed (or fun) satisfied in Soapbox Derby

It may not have been top fuel, but the funny cars were racing in the parking lot of Elmer Thomas Park on Friday night.

OK, maybe not the hot rods you’re used to but the hand-constructed soapbox racers competing in the Inaugural Classic Chevrolet Soapbox Derby, sponsored by Ace Hardware, was an unusual sight to see to open the Lawton Fort Sill Freedom Festival this year.

That’s because it’s been ages since the last derby was held in Lawton. Joe Layton won that race and competed in Ohio at the national competition.

“It’s been 50 years since they had a soapbox derby race in Lawton,” he said.

Layton and his family competed in soapbox derby competitions in the late 1960s and early ‘70s and he’s not the only one to compete in nationals. With Jason Poudrier, administrator for the Lawton Arts & Humanities Council, making the announcement this was the beginning of an annual tradition, Layton offered the young racers a goal about eventually qualifying for nationals one year, if not this year.

“It’s a good deal and y’all should look into it,” he said.

Lead coordinator for the derby races, Nicholas Sasseen, the technical coordinator for McMahon Memorial Auditorium, said the event was something specifically for the kids. It’s to bring back that camp and summer spirit.

“We’re excited to get into the community and get the youth involved,” he said of the event’s entry into this year’s Freedom Festival. It was a community-oriented event that was made possible by local sponsors.

Sasseen noted that Classic Chevrolet made a donation for all the derby car kits, Comanche Home Center donated the wood and crafted the sloped starting positions for the racers to take off and Westside Ace Hardware hosted the kit construction through a class put on by the Great Plains Technology Center for community members to help with putting them together. It truly did take a village for it all to come together.

Racers ranging in age from 7 to 15 were ready to compete in their cars. Only gravity or a good push was allowed for propulsion. While the engines may have been cool, the competition was hot.

Races in the slalom competition involved a person of the young driver’s choosing to act as the engines. Winding around cones while starting down the incline, the toughest trek was the second half of the race, returning uphill while attempting the fastest time.

Justin Cambro was hunkered down behind the wheel of his red racer as Vince Cambro pushed from behind. Ably making it through the course, that rush to the checkered flag ended with the car making it over the finish line, even if Vince Cambro tumbled down and off to the side.

During the incline gravity race, Ethan Early, 12, matched up with Nicholas Morris, 8, who was racing for the Boy Scouts Pack No. 1 here in Lawton.

Early clearly craved more speed. After starting out a little behind, he would overtake Morris in the home stretch for the win in his heat. He said it was fun and is already working out ideas for next year’s races.

“It’s a little bit slower than I thought,” he said. “I thought it would be faster.”