|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
It wasn’t a flawless soap box derby in Woodside on Sunday, May 4, but what car race is? Front wheels occasionally lost their alignment. Some cars rolled down the hill with their brakes on. Occasionally, a car rolled to a stop after running into the very forgiving orange plastic pylons set out to mark the lanes. Each race released two cars simultaneously, but rarely did they arrive at the finish line together.
Hurtling down the Independence Hall parking lot at speeds up to 10 mph in a handmade plywood car seemed a serious matter for some and a joy ride for others, but there were no injuries and no tears, at least not where they could be seen. The weather could not have been better.
To the accompaniment of recorded reggae music, with free refreshments and barbecue provided by the town’s Recreation Committee, the second annual Woodside Soapbox Derby began at noon with an hour of practice runs followed by an hour or so of racing. This being Woodside, elapsed times were accurate to within thousands of a second.
Among the real-world entities informally represented on the decorated cars were NASA, Ferrari, BMW, the Boston Red Sox, the colors red and pink, pizza and a butterfly. One girl’s car flew a flag that said, “I love fishing.”
-
Sebbi Sechi in his red soap box Ferrari makes his way down the course at Woodside’s second annual soap box derby, held Sunday, May 4, in the parking lot outside Independence Hall. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
Adam Zwaanstra gets a little help from Colt Saletta. Front-wheel alignment, a tricky business even on real cars, was an issue occasionally for these homemade vehicles. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
Two cars were released simultaneously as the forces of gravity carried them down the hill. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
Ava Bouthillette and her car’s butterfly motif finished a close second for the prize for the coolest car among the 45 or so registered for the race. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
A gleeful Emma Zwaanstra cruises down the hill on Sunday, May 4, at the Woodside Soapbox Derby. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
If wishes were cars, this scene would have more sparkle and shine and more touches of German automotive design, though the logo would carry through unaltered. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
Red paint and chrome exhaust pipes adorn this derby vehicle headed down the parking lot hill under the control of Romy Szeszkowski. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
This unidentified young man going down the hill at the 2014 soap box derby had to have known that his left front wheel had gone sideways, but it did not appear to dim his spirits. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac) -
Jack Sculley gives his daughter Sophia a hand to get the wheels in motion at the 2014 Woodside Soapbox Derby held in the parking lot outside Independence Hall. (Photo by Dave Boyce/The Almanac)
