Hilton’s Karlye Murphy won her third World Championship in the Rally Super Stock class at the All American Soapbox Derby held July 24 in Akron, Ohio. She also won the Rally Challange race earlier that week and placed second in the All-Star race.
Soapbox Derby racing is a family endeavor for the Murphys. Karlye and her dad, Jeff, are a dedicated and hard-working team, with him setting up the car and getting her in the blocks for the race. Her mother, Amy, works at the bottom of the hill, loading the cars onto the trailer to go back up the hill. Karlye is a skilled driver, and the wins are close, sometimes by a fraction of a second.
For her World Championship win, Karlye received a large trophy, a red jacket, a gold ring, and a scholarship. She also got an award for points won during the year and trophies for her other races.
Winning isn’t everything for Karlye. One year at the race, Karlye placed second, and her friend, Celina Murty, won the World Championship. Karlye jumped out of her car and gave Celina a big hug at the bottom of the hill, earning a Good Sportsman award. This year Celina got a trophy for the fastest time on the hill.
Jeff also helped a neighbor, Kristen Trujillo, get into racing by setting up a car for her. Her first time racing, Kristen won the local race and also got to compete in Akron. There, she placed fourth in her Local Super Stock race. Kristen lost her father a few years ago, and her mother and grandmother were happy and thankful for her win.
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