Legion makes Christmas wish come true for local gravity car club

MILESBURG — Members of American Legion Post 893 in Milesburg made a Christmas wish come true this holiday season for the youth of a local soap box derby club and its volunteers.

The post donated funds to purchase a new enclosed trailer. The local chapter of the All-American Soap Box Derby will use it to store and transport much of its equipment and race cards, primarily for families who lack a vehicle capable of transporting the cars.

“As many in Bellefonte know, the All-American Soap Box Derby has returned gravity racing to Centre County in recent years,” said Alan Uhler, race director of the DuBois Area All-American Soap Box Derby. He noted the successes of the Bellefonte races, which in 2017 saw two events on Allegheny Street. The growth of the sport in Bellefonte has turned the organizations into a more regional-friendly organization.

This growth of the DuBois Area All-American Soap Box Derby into a regional organization holding races at multiple locations each year has led to many challenges for the volunteers, particularly when transporting the many truckloads of cars and equipment to race sites. 

“The families of the local chapter of the All American Soap Box Derby … wish to thank the Milesburg American Legion, including their members and families, for their generosity of this wonderful gift,” said Uhler.

According to Uhler, soap box derby competition has grown into a very detailed type of racing using kit cars — often supplied by the club to racers — constructed to exacting standards by the youth who race them. It also requires significant work on the part of volunteers who set up a street to provide a safe race hill for the youth, who race these cars at speeds of just over 30 mph.

For more information on racing opportunities or to learn more about the sport, email Uhler at alan@uhlerandassociates.com.