Akron Set To Welcome 360 Champions for the 63rd All-American Soap Box Derby.

Sports Editors/Lifestyle & Educations Writers

AKRON, Ohio--(BW SportsWire)--July 12, 2000

Volunteers and staff members are making final preparations for Monday's arrival of 360 boys and girls from throughout the United States and from the Philippines and Germany who will be competing in the 63rd All-American Soap Box Derby next Saturday, July 22, at Derby Downs here.

Beginning on Monday, July 17, at 9:00 a.m., each of the youngsters will receive a police escort to the Derby welcoming ceremonies on the campus of the University of Akron.

The boys and girls will spend the week at a nearby camp. During the week, they will be at Derby Downs for safety checks of their racers, as well as trial runs down the track.

At Derby Downs, work was completed this summer on a new two-deck finish line bridge, replacing a 63-year-old bridge. The new bridge was funded by a $250,000-grant from Summit County and provides space for race control, judging, record-keeping and for media covering the race.

As part of the installation of the new bridge, the finish line was moved 35 feet, seven inches past its former location. The official track length is now 989 feet, four inches. This is the first time the track length has changed since 1971, when officials shortened it by some 20 feet at the top to slow the cars for safety reasons.

The new bridge comes after the $1.3 million-project completed last year to install new metal bleachers and to repave the entire track surface. The City of Akron funded that renovation.

"We now can be tremendously proud of the physical plant at Derby Downs, thanks to the support of the city and county," said Roy Hartz, chairman of the Derby organization. "When visitors come to Akron next week, they will see a first class racing facility."

Race Day activities on Saturday, July 22, begin with a track parade at 10:00 a.m., followed by a celebrity Oil Can Trophy Race at 11:00. The first official heat of Derby racing will be at 11:30. The day's racing events should conclude by 4:00 p.m.

Celebrities scheduled to participate in Race Day events are Samantha Becker and Lindsey J. McKeon of NBC-TV's "Saved by the Bell;" astronaut Michael J. Foreman; Kara Vargo, Miss Wheelchair Ohio, and NASCAR driver Bobby Allison.

There are three divisions in Soap Box Derby racing. The Stock Car category features ready-to-assemble race cars similar to ready-to-assemble furniture; the Super Stock cars are similar but larger, and the Masters division cars are the sleeker, more sophisticated cars. Derby contestants are nine to 16 years old.

The youngsters will be competing for a share of more than $50,000 in college scholarships. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is the national title sponsor of the All-American Soap Box Derby.