Derby Downs, in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...

, has been the home

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

of the All American

Soap Box Derby The Soap Box Derby is a youth soapbox car racing program which has been run in the United States since 1933. World Championship finals are held each July at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio. Cars competing in this and related events are unpowered, ...

since it was built as a

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

project in the late 1930s. The three-lane

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...

track starts near the top of George Washington Boulevard and drops in a straight line down the wooded hill in the shadow of the

Rubber Bowl The Rubber Bowl is an abandoned and partially demolished stadium located in Akron, Ohio, that was primarily used for American football. From its opening in 1940 until 2008, it served as the home field of the Akron Zips football team of the Univ ...

, ending under final approach for runway 25 of

Akron Fulton International Airport Akron Executive Airport is in Akron, Summit County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the City of Akron; FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 called it a ''general aviation'' airport. Prior to 2018, the airport ...

. Entry to the facility is through its main gate, which is located at 41.035110, -81.458189. Many people every year come to the "Downs". Before the All American Soap Box Derby even starts they still use the track for the local competitors. During that time they only use two lanes of the three. There are three car categories (divisions) each having a different type of car: Stock, Super Stock, and Masters. They only race their own categories. Each time a competitor has to race down the hill they race twice. Each time they go down it is called a ''Phase'', and two ''Phases'' are called a ''Heat''. When going down the track just nudging the steering wheel may cost you the heat. A win is determined by a fraction of a second. Rarely do they ever get a tie or a

Dead heat A dead heat is a rare situation in various racing sports in which the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. The result is declared a tie and the competitors are awarded a joint ra ...

especially during the All American Soap Box Derby. Starting in 2014, Derby Downs will rent lights for nighttime events. The length of the track has changed multiple times since 1936. 1936–1939 (1,175 feet)
1946–1970 (975.4 feet)
1971–1999(953.75 feet)
2000–present (989.4 feet) Since 1935, the All-American Soap Box Derby has taken place in Akron, Ohio. In 1936, Akron city officials decided to build a permanent facility for the race. With the assistance of the Works Progress Administration, one of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal programs, the city completed Derby Downs, a soap box racetrack. The All-American Soap Box Derby is quite popular. Thousands of children from across the United States and from other nations have come to race their creations at Derby Downs every year since the track's completion. The race is typically held in July each year. Children build and race their own racecars either from their own designs or from prefabricated kits that can be purchased from vendors. The cars are not powered by gasoline or any other type of fuel. There are three different levels of racing at Derby Downs. There is the Stock Division for children ages 8-17 that build simplified cars from kits. Then there is the Super Stock Division for children also ages 8-17. They can build larger, faster cars from kits. The last level is the Masters Division for children ages 10-17 that build more sophisticated and faster cars from kits or using their own materials. The winner was the child that reached the bottom of the hill first.

References

External links

* Historic American Landscapes Survey in Ohio Motorsport venues in Ohio Sports in Akron, Ohio Sports venues in Ohio Works Progress Administration in Ohio Tourist attractions in Akron, Ohio {{Ohio-sports-venue-stub