Somewhere between the first automobile race, which was in 1887 in France, and NASCAR, youngsters began to build their own racing vehicles out of whatever they could find.
ALEXANDRIA – Somewhere between the first automobile race, which was in 1887 in France, and NASCAR, youngsters began to build their own racing vehicles out of whatever they could find.
Louisiana RAs are carrying on the tradition.
The year 1885 marked the introduction of gasoline-fueled internal combustion engines. Ford’s Model T made its debut in 1908, and by the mid-’20s the vehicle had become commonplace enough that “every kid wanted one.”
In addition to building clubhouses (and chasing girls away from them), half-grown lads scoured their neighborhoods for cast-off wheels and discarded lumber they could use to build gravity-powered cars, and pummeled their dads with questions about how to make their vehicles go faster than any other.
“It takes just the right combination of aerodynamics and weight,” the boys were told. Discarded Oxydol, Lux and other soap boxes – sturdy containers in which loose laundry soap was shipped – were used to go around the driver.
Neighborhood races fueled by the Lil Rascals movie shorts led to community races and in 1934, the first of what was called a national Soap Box Derby took place in Dayton, Ohio.
Twenty years later, a California Cub Scout leader had the idea of miniaturizing the soap box derby concept. He started a pinewood derby of tiny model cars and the idea spread from his chapter nationwide.
Royal Ambassadors, the missions education organization for boys in the Southern Baptist Convention, picked up on the idea some time later, and for the last several years, hundreds of boys in Louisiana churches with RA chapters participated with their leader and/or dad in building vehicles not much bigger than a Matchbox car.
Now, the pendulum swings the other way.
New this year at the April 3-4 RA Congress at Tall Timbers Baptist Conference Center in Woodworth: a full-size “soap box derby” race.
“The idea is that an RA chapter builds a soapbox car together,” said Gibbie McMillan, whose duties as LBC’s director of Disaster Relief, Men’s Ministries and Volunteers Ministries includes responsibility for overall coordination of RA chapters. “It’s a way of building teamwork.”
The Alabama Baptist Convention’s mission board sponsors an annual soap box derby at the steps of the Alabama State Capitol. They have developed plans for a soap box car, complete with instructional DVD, which are available at no cost. A basic chassis is available from them as well, for $130, which leaves $70 to complete the vehicle – sides, wheels, seat – under standard race rules’ maximum cost of $200 per vehicle.
In addition to the soapbox car derby, the RA Congress also is to offer Pinewood Derby races, campcrafts, RA Olympics, and a gospel presentation by the Power Team. Cost: $45/per boy; $38/leaders – this includes lodging and meals.
For lodging information and registration contact Tall Timbers at 318.445.6797 or go towww.lbc.org/RoyalAmbassadors/.