Category: Maine Soap Box Derby Racers

State Of Maine Soap Box Derby Race Houlton ME

The state of Maine soap box derby race is held in Houlton ME and this year’s running is June 16th, 2018.

June 2nd the derby crew held a tech day and hands on session for new drivers and their support team. The trail runs, the yearly state of Maine soap box derby race, any spring or fall rallies are held on Derby Hill at Community Park. Families looking to gain experience and points for their derby racers flock to the Maine rallies for spirited competition. Some rally races are held under the lights too!

Soap Box Derby Racing! On Tech Day, New Racers Learn How To Set Their Cars Up, To Take A Few Trail Runs Down Derby Hill!

The Derby Hill is a specially built over 800′ paved two lane course with guardrails, a garage topside in case of rain and designed for an electronic eye timer at the bottom run out.

This soap box derby race course is 8 to 17 years of age drivers who build a kit car and want to compete.

The winner of heats from brackets outlining who races who advances up the pairings to determine who will represent the local and our state in the big World Series of racing out at Derby Downs. The site for the All American Soap Box Derby started by in 1934 in Akron Ohio.

Here are some past videos for soap box derby racing to show how each year the weather, the size of he field, everything is a little big different.

It is a lot of fun, every racer shakes hands after each heat to keep it a good sportsmanship lesson. Kids learn about the mechanics of the derby race car and there is nothing I am told like “The Thrill Of The Hill!”

Like to race or know of someone that should be in this neat derby program?

The Houlton Maine soap box derby program started back in 1996 and is still going strong! It was the largest race city in the country five years running! And having our own engineered hill helps the derby keep from burning out the support team that is getting older!

Questions? Here to help! Reach out and will do my best as a past director of the race and with a few trips out to Akron under our family belt to be able to share the experience and tips. Get in, stay low, hang on and we have a green light up on topside. That means if drivers are ready, the launch lets the gate open up and the cars to roll with the help of gravity. Gravity, running the quickest line to the bottom, weights, alignment, a lot more goes into who wins the derby heat in soap box derby racing.

Learn more about the Maine State Race for soap box derby in Houlton ME.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton ME 04730

June 3, 2018
State Of Maine National Soap Box Derby Champion

There was a time when five soap box derby racing cities in Maine put on locals.

Recruited the parents and support from strong arms and backs to wallets opening wide to fund the soap box derby program. The five venues grew, peaked and eventually only the Houlton Maine Derby Hill program was the one race city to survive.

Maine Soap Derby Racing Produced A National Winner In Akron Ohio AASBD Run!

Why? Putting up a hill, tearing down the race track used to qualify the winning soap box derby field of boys and girls is one of the main reasons. (Ouch, the L3 and L4 crack thinking about it for many grabbing their back.)

Hard work, long hours and logistics of taking over a neighborhood, a public street and adding the hay bales, safety barriers, the launch, the run out on the end when everyone screams “BBbrrrrake! ‘

All the effort put into the race track creation and dismantling is why a program for soap box derby survives or dwindles down to peter out to no more program.

Staying abreast of all the car modifications, regulation changes made mandatory by the AASBD part of expense and education to keeping the momentum going. Kids grow up too.

The All American Soap Box Derby First Place Trophy Taller Than Most!

Have other family events, employment and recreational, sporting, etc pastimes to keep up with as well.

Besides just down hill gravity racing with kit cars that win or lose by a hundredth of a second in races divided into heats.

The Houlton Maine race site history at this link.

And the up to date website for Maine soap box derby racing.

Watch the race videos salt and pepper through the derby site and on line around the social media circuit.

This past Sunday, the parents, family members of Mallory Bruin of Hampden Maine were honored in fine fashion at the Millar Civic Center. Video of the recognition for winning the top spot in soap box derby racing.

Town officials, the press, lots of well wishers and drivers especially that wanted to hear about the five heats after the winning the first one to advance.

Something two thirds of the racers don’t do in the three lanes, one trip down the hill that started the tradition back in 1934.

Check out the middle honey bee bright yellow jacket wearer with hands held high on the All America Soap Box Derby site lead in photo array. That’s Mallory Bruin from Maine.

A Maine Soap Box Derby Racer Wins The All American Top Honors, 1st Place Trophy!

After a parade and lights, siren escort through the Shiretown of Aroostook County when the family got off the Houlton Maine exit of Interstate 95, the national champ was treated to a reception with refreshments to relive the experience.

To thank the local volunteers that worked with she, her older and younger brother who were both in the Houlton Maine Soap Box Derby Race.

It is a big deal to win the state race or final game in any sport. But to go on and take the first place trophy on the national stage in Akron Ohio is something else.

Thank you parents Larry and Trisha, brothers Stephen and Chris who were on board from day one to cheer, hoot and holler.

No matter what the Maine weather that can add a whole new dimension to down hill racing with rain, wind, scorching sun, dipping low temperatures.

Kids and families are reminded we live in Maine, the weather can change every twenty minutes to keep it interesting and add to the challenges.

Like life, bundle up, get in, sit low, simmer down, hang on for the best ride. Or to just complete the challenge.

The Field Of Racers In This Years All America Soap Box Derby In Akron Ohio!

On the way to a World Championship tall trophy, a ring, all the other trappings included in the top spot honor.

No kid is raised by themselves in Maine either.

Thank you to the communities around the racers in Maine who contribute paint jobs, lettering, travel support.

And all have a helping hand in the accomplishments of one young lady who can drive, consistently win heat after heat in her red super stock car with the musical notes trailing in the wind on each side.

Congratulations Mallory Bruen and good luck to all other boys and girls who decide to rally race, to compete in the June state local event in Houlton Maine on Derby Hill.

To experience the thrill of the hill and learn about mechanics, competition, safety first and spirited soap box derby racing.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730

July 26, 2016
You Hear The Wind, No Motor | Maine Soap Box Derby Racing.

This is the 20th year for the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Racing Program.

Attended a planning meeting for this year’s race in June last night in Houlton Maine, the state race venue for any boy or girl wanting to participate in the downhill event.

The driver learns a lot about mechanics in the process of soap box derby racing.

Along with Dad, Mom, Uncle Bob or a neighbor, big brother or sister, wrenches have to be turned. Wheel pins and spindles discuss. As the build a car from an Akron Ohio kit process unfolds. The large sheet of instructions or online monitor are studied to comply with the rules of racing.

Maine’s Soap Box Derby Racing Program, The Big Race Is In June!

Years ago it was just buy your axles, then on your own with the creative design. Using whatever you had kicking around or wanted. Now to keep it as fair as possible. And to add to the competitive nature of derby racing, a strict set of parts are used by all car sponsors, drivers.

But the devil is always in the details. Of a million little things to give the driver and his or her car a little bit of an legal edge. An advantage learned over time.

With each run down lane one or two of the Houlton Maine race track hill.

When you hear the launch operator ask are you ready drivers? And each lane is reminded we have a green up here on topside. For the release on 3,2,1. But more runs down derby hill do make the difference.

That is the magic of anything worthwhile in life.

To study, practice, become more expert in the application. Derby families know from experience what works and why. What does not and to avoid. Just watch, ask them, listen and learn.

So, if you are a business looking for a new “ride” for your advertising, branding, consider buying a derby race car. Having a contest of some type to select a driver. For years of use for this marketing tool. And the goodwill it creates with one driver who sticks with derby racing. Or a series of drivers who slide behind the wheel each year for a turn of finding out. What all this “Thrill Of The Hill” business buzzing around is all about for themselves.

Become a part of the Maine derby racing program and the friendly, spirited competitive downhill gravity racing.

Watch a couple videos for Maine Soap Box Derby Racing.

Please visit the soap box derby website for Maine.

Along with lots of volunteers that have been part of derby racing in Maine for years, I look forward to another June derby event. Feeling lucky to be involved in the 20th Maine State Soap Box Derby Race program for another year.

You might consider doing the same by helping a driver, sponsoring a derby car, working on the racing committee or all three.

Reach out to me and will help explain the neat sport of youth downhill soap box derby racing.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |

MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton Maine 04730 USA

March 5, 2015