Derby Downs
The 1936 and 1937 All-American Soap Box Derbies
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Mother Nature cooperated beautifully with a perfect day for racing. The race time temperature was 80 degrees with a slight breeze blowing west to east across the track. The prerace parade began as scheduled. Down the hill came the color guard, bands, guests and 116 champs, led by Norman Neumann the South African champ. At the conclusion a band played the Star Spangled Banner as the Goodyear blimp hovered overhead. With everything in place, it was time to begin the competition.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Ronald Reed was first introduced to the Soap Box Derby in 1949 when the then seven-year-old attended his first race with his uncle and father. As he excitedly watched the Akron champ win his first heat by a large margin, there was no question Reed was hooked. In this second installment of his Soap Box Derby series, Reed covers the events of 1936 and 1937 as the All-American Soap Box Derby became an American tradition and found a permanent home.
Reed, who has witnessed sixty-four of the seventy-seven All-American races, begins by chronicling world events in 1936 as a formal rule book for the Soap Box Derby was introduced, tickets and programs were printed, and the Derby found its home in a new racing facility in Akron, Ohio. As Reed details the first race announced by legends Ted Husing, Graham McNamee, and Tom Manning, he expertly captures the excitement through preliminary heats and five rounds until Herbert Muench of St. Louis, Missouri, coasted to a decisive victory. Included is a follow-up history of the winners as well as a chronicling of events of 1937 as a new race began and over one hundred boys anxiously awaited their chance at fame.
Derby Downs continues the fascinating story of the All-American Soap Box Derby during 1936 and 1937 as it became an American institution.
About the Author
Ronald Reed attended his first All-American race in 1949 at age seven. His miniature replicas of top Derby Downs’ racers are on display the derby museum in Akron. Reed was inducted into the All-American Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame in 2008 and resides in Mogadore with his wife, Sandra.