Soap Box Derby coming to Brockport

On your mark! Get set! Go! Those words will be heard in the Village of Brockport in the Smith Street bridge area on September 23 and 24 when the Kiwanis Club brings its soapbox derby to the area.

Mark Scuderi, executive director of the Rochester Soapbox Derby Association, spoke at the August 7 Brockport Village Board workshop and outlined plans and made a request to utilize the Smith Street area for the race. "We try to run the races in the local area as a way to expose youth and their parents to the sport and to give kids enough opportunities to compete and accumulate points to compete in Akron, Ohio," he said. "The Smith Street hill would be a great place for the race."

The organizers plan to use the north side of the bridge and would barricade the intersection at Clark Street with hay and straw bales. "The vehicles have brakes but we use the hay and straw, just in case," Scuderi said.

The event will likely draw 25 entries if the weather is rainy and up to 50 if the weather is sunny, Scuderi said. "The crowd and the racers come and go, no one really stays around all day to watch," he said. "And when it is all over, we have clean up crews that go around and make sure everything is back the way we found it. We teach the racers responsibility and to be respectful of the areas in which they race."

Racers build their own soapbox cars before hitting the track. "They learn how to use tools, learn sportsmanship, they learn how to drive their cars, how to prepare a car for racing, they learn essential things to be successful adults," Scuderi said.

Village officials voted unanimously to approve the request for the race. Race sponsors will provide insurance for the event.

August 13, 2006