Soap Box Derby Race History
  
 The soap box derby had its origins during the 1930s. Children in Dayton, Ohio, manufactured their own cars. They would build these cars from discarded lumber and other items and then race the autos down hills in the community. The cars were not powered by gasoline or any other type of fuel. The cars simply rolled down the hill with a child inside. The winner was the child that reached the bottom of the hill first.

Myron Scott, a Dayton reporter, covered one of these races.  He decided that children across the United States could enjoy this activity, and he began to promote it across the country. In 1934, Dayton held the first “All-American Race,” where soap box racers from across the country brought their creations to race. The following year, the race moved to Akron, Ohio due to its hillier terrain.

Since 1935, the All-American Soap Box Derby has taken place in Akron and acquired a national sponsor: Chevrolet. In 1936, Akron city officials decided to build a permanent facility for the race. With the assistance of the Works Progress Administration, one of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal programs, the city completed Derby Downs, a soap box racetrack.   Thousands of children from across the United States and from other nations have come to race their creations at Derby Downs every year since the track's completion. The only exception to this was during World War II, when many activities, including soap box derbies, came to a halt so that people could concentrate on the war effort.
 
  
 The race and sport of soap box derby racing continued to grow throughout the years. According to Derby officials, Cincinnati hosted a race every year up through 1978, except for WWII and a stretch of years in the 1950s.

On September 29, 1972, disaster struck. "Chevrolet Quits Soap Box Derby" screamed a heavy black headline of the Akron Beacon Journal. It had been rumored and feared ever since the maverick, John DeLorean had taken over as the division's general manager. The official word came through Chevy's general sales manager Robert D. Lund, who said "With today's changing life-styles, young people in America have different needs, attitudes, and interests. To keep pace with the changes, we must develop creative new programs that are responsive to modern attitudes." DeLorean's decision saddened many boys, girls, parents and Derby fans throughout the world.

With no loyal sponsors in many areas, as Chevrolet dealers and many newspapers and civic organizations dropped out of the Derby, the number of local races dropped in 1973.

Cincinnati kept the race until 1978 but that was the last time a local race was run in the Queen City until 2006, when it returned after a 28-year absence.

For a more detailed history on the Soap Box Derby, click here.