About
the FirstEnergy AASBD Championship

The FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship is held annually in Akron, Ohio at the Derby Downs Track. The Championship event features more than 350 qualifiers from 33 U.S. states and several foreign countries – with more than 1,000 volunteers and 10,000 spectators each year!

Get Involved

The Soap Box Derby season runs year-round in more than 90 race cities across the United States culminating with the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship in Akron. Each competitor builds their own gravity-powered car from kits purchased from the AASBD, typically with assistance from an adult or mentor.

Information regarding the purchasing of kits, volunteer opportunities and sponsorship options can be found at www.soapboxderby.org or by calling 330-733-8723.

Contact
Information

Address:
International Soap Box Derby
1000 George Washington Blvd.
Akron, Ohio 44312

Phone:
330-733-8723

E-Mail:
soapbox@soapboxderby.org

FirstEnergy AASBD
Championship Divisions

The All-American race is a single-elimination competition in which Stock, Super Stock and Masters division champs run in alternate heats until a champion is crowned. Competition in each Division includes heats to determine the top nine finishers.

Stock Division

Racers (7-13) compete in cars built from ready-to-assemble kits, which assist the Derby novice by providing a step-by-step layout and components for construction of a basic style car. This division is designed to give the first-time builder a learning experience.

Super Stock Division

Racers (9-18) have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and build a larger, heavier model car, also from a kit.

Masters Division

Racers (10-20) build a more sophisticated designed car in this advanced class of racing. Masters entrants purchase a Masters Kit from the International Soap Box Derby.

Legacy Division

Racers (12-20) put the STEM principles of aerodynamics and chassis design into practice.

collage of previous years soap box derby participants and racetrack

Soap Box Derby
History

The idea of the Soap Box Derby® grew out of a photographic assignment of Dayton, Ohio, newsman Myron Scott. He came across a group of boys racing their homemade cars in the summer of 1933, and was so impressed with the event that he acquired a copyright to Soap Box Derby and went in search of a corporate sponsor to establish a national program.

Chevrolet liked Scott’s proposal and agreed to sponsor the first official All-American Soap Box Derby® in Dayton in 1934. The following year, the race moved to Akron because of its central location and hilly terrain. The first race in Akron was run on Tallmadge Avenue.

In 1936, Chevrolet and Akron civic leaders – including legendary journalist John S. Knight – recognized the need for a permanent track site for the youth gravity racing classic. That year, through the efforts of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Derby Downs became a reality in the southeast section of Akron.

Now, the All-American Soap Box Derby is the Greatest Amateur Racing Event In The World® that spans nine decades. Learn more about our history by visiting the link below.

View Timeline