Stephen Locher, whose daughter Addison will be racing in the Super Stock class during the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week in Akron, works to balance out the derby car. The Lochers are from Owensboro, Kentucky. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
Akron summer festivities transition this week from ribs, cannolis and gospel music to the opening events of the 86th annual FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby.
A parade will kick off Monday at noon at Canal Park downtown and then proceed to the opening ceremonies at Cascade Plaza at 1 p.m.
More than 300 kids and young adults, ages 7 to 20, along with their families from across the country, Canada and Japan will be in Akron all week for the gravity-powered competition held at Derby Downs in Ellet, just east of the Akron Fulton Airport.
Shelton Taylor tips his ear as he tries to hear his friend, Jayden Gilbert, as they pass the time topside at Derby Downs. The two boys are part of “Team Indy” from Indianapolis, Indiana and will race in the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week in Akron. Jayden is racing in the Rally Stock class, Shelton will race in Local Super Stock. “Team Indy” has 13 cars in town that will participate in race activities. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
The National SuperKids Classic, a series of races for children with disabilities who compete in two-person cars driven by veteran racers, will also be held at Derby Downs on Friday, July 19, beginning with a parade at 9 a.m. — the final race will be held July 20 in the afternoon.
The week-long race program culminates Saturday, July 20 with the World Championship races from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tickets to Saturday’s event are $10. Children 6 and under are free.
Signal Akron will be covering derby events throughout the week.
Kameron Wyant, 11, watches as his dad, Edwin Wyant, Jr., moves his car forward in the line for safety inspections at Derby Downs’ topside in Akron. Kameron, his brother Nico and stepsister, Emma Esmail, will race in the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week. The family races in Portage County. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
2024 Soap Box Derby race week schedule
Monday, July 15
Noon — Downtown Akron parade takes off from Canal Park and will proceed along Main Street to Cascade Plaza 1 p.m. — Opening ceremonies begin at Cascade Plaza 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — “Rock the Rec” champs event at the University of Akron, with opportunities for badge trading
7:30 a.m. — Local Masters 9:30 a.m. — Local Super Stock 12:30 p.m. — Local Stock
Thursday, July 18
8 a.m. — All-Star alignment – all divisions 9:30 a.m. — All-Star races 1 p.m. — Legacy race 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. — Open house
Friday, July 19
Alignment, wheel selection, weigh-in, SuperKids Parade and race
8 a.m. — Local and Rally Masters 9 a.m. — SuperKids Parade; race immediately following 9:30 a.m. — Local and Rally Super Stock 11:15 a.m. — Rally Stock Noon — Local Stock
Saturday, July 20
FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship Races
6:30 a.m. — Gates open 7 a.m. — Local Champs and car handlers check in at Starting Line Pavilion 7:20 a.m. — Rally Champs and car handlers check in at Starting Line Pavilion 8 a.m. — Parade down the track to the finish line for the National Anthem 8:30 a.m. — First heat of the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby 7 p.m. — Awards ceremony at the Akron Civic Theatre in downtown Akron
Sunday, July 21
8 a.m. to noon Car pick up (ID required), car crating for racers. The parts store will be open and vendors will be available for last-minute purchases.
Addison Locher, 15, holds her racing position as her dad, Stephen, works to balance out her derby car. Addison will be racing in the Super Stock class during the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week in Akron. At right is Addison’s mom, Felicia. The family is from Owensboro, Kentucky. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)Photographer John Konstantaras (left) takes a photo with, from left, Abbie Gibson, Peyton Brake and his mom, Amber Brake (all from West Virginia) at the top of the track topside at Derby Downs. Both kids will race in the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week in Akron — Peyton in the Super Stock Rally class and Abbie in the Super Stock Local. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)Mark Ferdinand from Clearwater, Florida, adjusts his grandson Chase Raas’ shoulders as he gets situatied for a practice run at Derby Downs. Chase, 9, willl race in the Local Stock class during the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week in Akron. Ferdinand was a 1977 world champion who now coaches kids in his Clearwater, Florida, neighborhood. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)Kasen Robinson, 10, at left, and Conner Thompson, 9, wait for their turn to go down the hill for a practice run at Derby Downs. Conner, from Moss Point, Mississippi, is competing in the Local Stock class in the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week in Akron. The boys were at topside with their grandfather, Randy Busby. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)Bailey Johnson of Athens, Tennessee, polishes her daughter Annie Maye’s (at left) derby car under a canopy tent topside at Derby Downs in Akron. Annie Maye will compete in the Super Stock class during the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week. It’s Annie Maye’s second year at the World Championships. (Susan Zake / Signal Akron)Addison Mello lays on her derby car as she waits topside for a turn to go down the hill at Derby Downs in Akron. Addison, along with four other familiy members who are competing, is in town from Ocala, Florida to compete in the 86th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships this week.(Susan Zake / Signal Akron)
Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.
