Soapbox smiles

“Good American, clean fun,” Kevin Clemons said at the fourth annual Waseca Masonic Lodge Soapbox races. 

Normally an August event, the races had been delayed to September 10 because of rain, and barely escaped yet another delay, with spotty rain and threatening clouds throughout the first part of the day.

In a “soap box derby,” racers pilot small, unpowered vehicles capable of building up speed while being steered down a ramp. The Masonic Lodge’s course, built by Mark Wolff and fellow members of the “pit crew,” consisted of two sloped lanes, each lined on both sides by hay bales.

About 10-15 racers aged 6-16 took part in competitive heats Saturday afternoon. Drivers alternated among 10 or so vehicles built by volunteers and sponsored by local businesses. Two racers at a time were seated in the box-shaped cars, shown where the brake was, and released down the ramp on the count of three, with keeping the vehicle rolling straight as their main objective. 

Two-year veteran racer Violet Hughes, roughly 10 years old, took home the huge grand champion trophy. Her younger sister Indie also took part in the race. 

After the competitive rounds, “fun” rides took place for another hour or so.

The annual event raises money typically earmarked for a good cause or specific local charity. This year, however, the Masonic Lodge will be using the $3,500 received from its many sponsors toward repairs of its own roof.

The 10 or so cars supplied for the race are often used for more than one year. Pantheon computers, whose vehicle has been the fastest in previous events,  unfortunately was unavailable this year.

“Such a neat thing! It gets bigger every year,” Abby Clemons, wife of volunteer Kevin, said of the event. “It’s fun for the whole family, people of all ages.”