Lakeside Boy Wins Soap Box Derby

Submitted by Kiwanis Club of La Mesa

Two East County boys defeated all competitors in their divisions to become champions of the Drew Ford/Kiwanis Club of La Mesa Soap Box Derby, held Saturday on Junior High Drive adjacent to La Mesa Middle School.   

Stock Division Local Champion is Brandon Stephenson of Lakeside.  Super Stock Division Local Champion is Daniel Wood of Spring Valley.  First-place winners are eligible to be sent to the National All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio, which takes place during the last week of July each year.   Sponsored by Drew Ford and conducted by the Kiwanis Club of La Mesa for the past 13 years, the Annual Local All-American Soap Box Derby is open to boys and girls ages 7 to 17 who reside in East County.  

The club conducts rally races each year as well, when competitors come from communities throughout Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. Competing in the rally races provides valuable experience and builds confidence in the drivers.  The next rally race will be November 2 and 3 – two days of racing.   Zipping down Junior High Drive on Saturday, each driver’s finish time was displayed in digital lights over their lanes, giving an extra thrill to family and friends at the top of the hill.  This was the first time the La Mesa Derby has used the digital display.  

La Mesa Kiwanis Club member and Derby Director Steve Blake said  “Having their race times in digital lights over their lanes will give the scorekeepers— as well as the families and friends — instant awareness of the times of each driver.

“Ours is a double-bracket derby,” he added.  

“This means in each heat two drivers compete, the time difference is recorded, they switch lanes, and race each other again.  The winner of the heat continues in the winner’s bracket, the loser goes to the loser’s bracket.  Eventually the winners of both brackets race each other in the final heat for the division — stock or superstock.”