MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- In a normal year for the Moose Jaw Soap Box Derby, handing out the Monkey Wrench and Hard Luck special awards after the day of racing isn’t too difficult a task.
Usually one or two cars have mechanical issues of some sort, and a driver might go off course into the cones after getting a little out of control, making the selections fairly easy and straightforward.
Not the case this time around.
Car after car came up with one issue or another throughout the day of racing Sunday on Alder Avenue, resulting in a few untimely mishaps on the course. The difficulties even extended to the starting rack that launches the cars, creating an all-hands-on-deck situation to create a quick repair and get things going again.
But through it all, there were plenty of smiles and a ton of fun to be had as the 10 junior racers and six senior races battled through their respective double knock-out draws to determine the best of the best.
“I don’t even know who we’re going to pick for the Monkey Wrench, because they’ve all been broken,” organizer Heather Carle said with a laugh, adding that the series of issues were the most she’s seen in 15 years of local soap box racing.
“It’s just how it goes. When we were in Swift Current (in June) I think maybe one kid might have had trouble, so things just happen. Something breaks or you hit a bump in the road and it knocks you off course…but no kids are hurt, they’re having fun racing, and that’s the most important thing.”
The race format is as simple as can be. Two drivers launch from an elevated rack that gives them initial speed, and they make their way down the three-block-long Alder Avenue straightaway to the finish line. Fastest time wins and advances in the draw.
Funny enough, even that wasn’t completely straightforward throughout the day -- one of the runs actually finished tied despite the course timers going right down to a thousandth of a second.
“We’ve had some close races before, but nothing that close,” Carle said.
While the Derby naturally has a competitive aspect, one of the most important things that organizers try and foster is camaraderie and friendship. To that end, a special barbecue is held every year prior to the event, offering everyone a chance to meet-and-greet before hitting the track the following day.
“We really like to have a family atmosphere,” Carle explained. “When we have the barbecue the night before the races, it’s for the racers, their entire families and all the volunteers and it’s just a really fun thing.”
In addition to local drivers, the event also featured a handful of competitors from Swift Current, all of whom tried to do their part to make the races go smoothly as possible despite the random issues. That included the rack breakdown, which saw folks from Swift jump in to help repair the launch mechanism and get things rolling after about a 15-minute delay.
“That’s part of it, too, we’re always trying to help each other,” Carle said. “We’ve shared timer systems, we try to help them when we can and they try and help us and it really works out well.”
With the 2024 edition of the races in the book, attention will soon turn to 2025. Carle would naturally like to see more racers become involved, and also put a call out to anyone who might have an unused Soap Box Derby car in storage.
“You just never know,” she said. “ Last year after the races, someone said ‘I have one of those in my garage’ and one of our members bought it. Lots of people don’t know what to do with them when they have them, and they sit in a garage or dusty old attic, so we’re always on the lookout for more.”
Contact Carle at (306) 690-8300 or by e-mail at moosejaw.soapbox@hotmail.com should you come across an unused car and wish to see it return to racing.
And be sure to check back soon for results from the 2024 Moose Jaw Soap Box Derby!
