Historically Speaking: Soap Box Derby in Exeter
By Barbara Rimkunas
In 1951, the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Exeter sponsored the town’s first Soap Box Derby. Racing down Town Hill, eleven boys competed in the distance race: Robert Sargent, Stephen Pluff, Scott Carlisle, Dan Carlisle, Victor Rogers, John Rogers, Ralph Landry, John Anderson, Robert Lowther, Robert Taylor and Kenneth Linscott.
Lowther, Landry, and Anderson won the race, earning them $5, $3, and $2, respectively. The VFW garnered some publicity for their building fund and pledges for the Red Cross blood drive. All around, it was a fun event. The Exeter News-Letter noted, “Judging by the enthusiasm of the boys and the spectators, the committee feels that the Soap Box Derby was a success. It is hoped to have a bigger and better Soap Box Derby in the spring.”
maybe. yeah. and in this world, a top speed could be some of the guys we race with, 88 miles an hour is common. 88? yes. you can bet those weren t the kind of speeds they were reaching back in 1933 when a dayton, ohio, news photographer named myron scott came across a group of kids with ricketky race cars cobbled together from what appeared to be old soap crates. almost immediately scott started promoting soap box races and in no time major sponsors were signing on and a brand new sport was born. with the nation in the grips of the great depression, these races were a welcome diversion and in its heyday the soap box derby drew crowds in the thousands. today kids and adults can still compete in a variety of perfectly safe soap box competitions all around the country. but this is not that. what fran and fred are doing here is motivated entirely by
would approach, what maybe high 30s. maybe. maybe. yeah. and in this world, a top speed could be some of the guys we race with, 88 miles an hour is common. 88? yes. you can bet those weren t the kind of speeds they were reaching back in 1933 when a dayton, ohio, news photographer named myron scott came across a group of kids with rickety race cars cobbled together from what appeared to be old soap crates. almost immediately scott started promoting soap box races and in no time major sponsors were signing on and a brand new sport was born. with the nation in the grips of the great depression, these races were a welcome diversion and in its heyday the soap box derby drew crowds in the thousands. today kids and adults can still compete in a variety of perfectly safe soap box competitions all around the country.