Young drivers learn Soap Box technique

A long, downhill block of Waseca’s Fourth Street Northeast became a racetrack the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 15, as the Waseca Freemasons invited all area youth ages 8 to 15 to take part in the organization’s eighth annual soap box races. Money raised by the event is donated to local public safety agencies for use at their discretion; past donations have been as high as $3,500.

 

Ten young drivers ages 8 to 12 heeded the call. Taking first through third places were, respectively, Patrick Bartz, Michael Berg and William Deml. Additional contenders were Parker Bartz, Osiris Riffe, Asher Johnson, Elliot Nelson, Brolin Nelson, Jack Royce, Sophie Berg, Henry Weber, and Maverick Peterson.

 

Each racer navigated the track three times, being seated at random in any of the 10 track-ready cars sponsored by area businesses. Though they went down the track in pairs, drivers were not truly racing against each other. Instead, their runs were timed. When all heats were complete, the times from the three runs were totaled up; competitors with the lowest cumulative totals were declared the winners.

 

In addition to steering their cars down the track, drivers were towed back up the hill behind a designated tow vehicle, a golf cart driven by Ryan Sexton. Also volunteering for the event were members of the Waseca Fire Department, who helped lift vehicles up onto the starting platform. Waseca County Sheriff Jay Dulas was the safety supervisor, making sure drivers got their helmets on correctly and knew how to operate the brakes–a new feature on vehicles this year.

 

Brad Kubat of KOWZ Radio narrated the races and provided live commentary. Trophies were donated by Mark and Jan Wolff of Toner’s Lake Carting.

 

Young driver Maverick Petersen, 8, reveals that he has driven bicycles, go-karts and scooters. He says that experience is not necessarily helpful when it comes to driving the soap box cars because each of the motorless vehicles handles differently, thanks to the differences in their wheels, steering mechanisms, and seats. As the cars go down the track, the road has a tendency to pull the wheels in different directions, making it a much different process to steer in a straight line than it is on the other things he rides. Still, he says staying on a straight path is one of the most important aspects of getting a good time.

 

Maverick also mentions that he likes to keep one hand on the soap box’s brake, “just in case.”

 

Second-place winner Michael Berg, 10, drove in his third soap box race on Saturday. His other experiences as a driver, he says, include both traditional and electronic bicycles and scooters. Michael took home a first-place trophy last year, and shares that one of the most important elements of a good race is “keeping the car off the rails,” in other words, being sure to get a clean exit off the ramp and onto the roadway.

 

Event organizers estimate the vehicles reach top speeds of about five miles an hour.

 

Another winner for the day was a white soap box vehicle sponsored by Suburban Furniture. It brought in the most votes in the “people’s choice” category–in which spectators were asked to vote for their favorite. Also sponsoring cars were Minnwest Bank, Edina Realty Jodie Thompson, Deml Ford, Kibble Equipment John Deere, Shoney’s Auto Body, Britton Plumbing, Troy Matz Roofing, Farm Bureau Financial Lisa Bruder, Larry Johnson Premier Mortgage, and RIC Properties.

 

Sponsoring hay bale safety cushions were Morgan’s Meats, Order of the Eastern Star Hope Chapter 34, and one in memory of Jean and Don Boyer.