LMCS Derby racers prepare cars

By Anahi Rodriguez | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – It’s all downhill from here, but not for Livingston Manor Central School racers in this year’s Soap Box Derby!

The Derby is a youth-oriented racing program where participants design and build gravity-powered cars, known as soapboxes, and race them down a hill. The event began in Dayton, Ohio, in 1934, with a group of friends building cars from scrap lumber and racing them. They offer various racing divisions, including Stock, Super Stock and Masters.

The LMCS Technology Club first participated in the derby in 2011, and has continued every year since. Manor Ink interviewed shop teacher Dave Hubert and two of his fifth grade students about their preparation for this year’s race.

Caleb Buck and Brayden Owen have just joined this year. “Our favorite part is being able to race our cars,” said the two boys. They have been working on their cars for four months, and are looking forward to participating in the Stock Division.

Hubert, the club’s advisor, thinks the hardest part about the race is that everybody has the same parts and it is hard to change things about the car. “When you build a car, it’s how many things you can eliminate that slow you down as you try to make the car absolutely perfect,” he said. Hubert’s favorite part is the challenge that it provides his students while giving them the opportunity to learn and have a chance to race. His students have improved greatly in their willingness to learn and grow, and take on any challenge that this race throws at them.

“The new group of fifth graders we have this year are very detail-oriented, and are ready to do anything they have to in order to improve,” said Hubert “They’re ready to go.”

This year’s local race, on North Main Street in Liberty, was scheduled to take place on May 31. Results were not available at press time.