About as long as we’ve had wheels and hills, we’ve had soapbox derbies. It’s the first car many wannabe mechanics and their dads — or moms — ever build.
For some families, it actually becomes a way of life for parents and their children.
Much like a pinewood derby car, a soapbox car is built out of wood and weighted to specifications that can only be off by a few ounces. The cars don’t have motors; the only control a driver has over the rig is their own body weight and limited steering with a steering wheel.
Hundreds of racers gather every year on South Elati Street near Euclid Middle School in Littleton for the Mile High Soapbox Derby. The school’s parking lot becomes a hub for independent vendors and families, who stake out a prime spot for close to 12 hours of racing.
Read about a Johnstown soapbox family at .
