Soap Lake moves to sanction annual derby
First-time drivers test their cars before the Soap Lake Soap Box Derby last May. Organizers are hoping to make the derby a nationally sanctioned event this year.
SOAP LAKE - Soap Lake Box Derby organizers are raising funds to have the event sanctioned by a national derby racing board.
"If the race is sanctioned, more people will come because they get points for it," explained Soap Lake Councilwoman Kandis Lair. "I'm hoping the community can come together so we can get this done and bring in more families."
Lair is working to raise $1,100 for sanctioning fees along with Police Chief Jim Dorris, who in 2010 helped Boy Scout Troop 44 organize the city's first soap box derby as a community involvement project.
Dorris said he's recently had discussions with national sanctioning officials, who told him a sanctioned Soap Lake Box Derby would open the city up to hosting two events each year - a race each May and another "fall blowout" race on Labor Day.
"Here in the Northwest there isn't permissible weather in the sanctioned cities for a fall blowout, which would actually be the kickoff for the next year's racing season," Dorris said. "We were originally discussing maybe becoming the host of the first sanctioned race of the year for the Pacific Northwest, covering Northern California, Oregon, Washington and parts of (British Columbia) and Idaho."
Dorris said Soap Lake would join seven other sanctioned cities in the region, a title that has the potential of attracting hundreds to town.
If the sanctioning money is raised by June or July, Dorris said the city should still have enough time to work out the details of a fall race.
"It seems like a small amount for a big, big payoff to have the whole region coming here," said Soap Lake Mayor Raymond Gravelle.
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