Cincinnati Mayor’s Cup

In it’s third year, neighborhoods competing in the Cincinnati Mayor’s Cup Challenge will be racing for a $10,000 prize. Second and third place prizes of $2,500 and $1,000, respectively, have also been added.

Last year 26 cars from the field of 57 raced in the first year that the prize money was awarded. Tom Clifford, of Pleasant Ridge, was the highest finisher and won a $5,000 prize for his neighborhood.

There are some restrictions in this competition.

• The total field of racers in this year’s Soap Box Derby must be at least 100 cars in order for the $10K prize to be awarded. If less than 100 cars enter and compete, the prize money is cut in half for all three places.
• The prize money goes to the neighborhood Community Council, not the race team or driver’s family.
• The driver must reside in the neighborhood that he is representing in the race.
• All drivers must attend a clinic or pre-race meeting to hear a short presentation by a Cincinnati Police DARE officer.
• The Cincinnati Mayor’s Cup competition is only open to the Stock Division, which restricts drivers to ages 8 through 13 years old.*

* Driver must be 8 years old on June 28 and must not turn 14 on or before July 25, the date of the National Championships in Akron.

In order to help and encourage neighborhoods to enter a car – or even a second car if they already have one – the City of Cincinnati, through the Cincinnati Police’ Asset Forfeiture Fund, will offer a $200 rebate to all neighborhoods purchase a Soap Box Derby kit and register for the race. That rebate represents roughly 1/3 the cost of a kit and registration.
52 rebates are available, so every city neighborhood will have the opportunity to get in.

Initial registration deadline to apply for the rebate is May 15, 2009. After that, all unclaimed rebates will be made available to any neighborhood that may want to enter an additional car. Final date to apply for a rebate is May 30, 2009 or when all 52 rebates are exhausted, whichever comes first.

The winning driver of the Mayor’s Cup competition will have his or her name along with the neighborhood name engraved on a silver cup that will be on display in the Mayor’s office. Driver and neighborhood will also each receive a smaller replica of the cup to keep for their trophy case.

Registering for the Cincinnati Mayor’s Cup competition is the same as any other driver entering the Derby. The online registration form has one extra field for you to fill in the name of the neighborhood.

If you have any questions regarding the Cincinnati Mayor’s Cup, please contact the Derby race director.
 

Click here to begin the application process for your rebate. Afterward, you will be automatically sent to the Racer Registration Form. Both of these forms will be necessary for the rebate. You can also submit the information via US Mail, instead of online.