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FLINT, MI — Racing through the streets of Flint usually is frowned upon due to safety issues and noise concerns.
Taking away the engine and letting gravity do the work would solve those problems, but it may leave some scratching their heads.
For those competing in the Fifth Annual Flint Soap Box Derby on Saturday, May 31, there was no confusion, only strategies on how best to use their speed provided by gravity and avoid any unnecessary resistance.
Sixteen drivers from 12 different schools tried their luck with their soap box derby cars traveling over 900 feet at speeds up to 25 miles per hour.
As the gates dropped on Chevrolet Avenue, cars slowly began to roll at the top of a hill near the Genesee Valley Trail.
With their eyes fractions of an inch above the nose of their cars for aerodynamics, drivers began to make micro-steering adjustments as they gained speed and crossed the Chevrolet Avenue bridge.
Drivers factored in wind and which groove would provide them with the most speed to cross the finish line just before the entrance to Kettering University’s GM Mobility Research Center.
Wyatt Rohlman, 10, a student at McGrath Elementary in Grand Blanc, piloting the Ideal Setech car did that to near perfection in walking away with first place and winning nearly every one of his heats.
His strategy, like most Michigan drivers: avoid the potholes.
“My coaches told me that there were some potholes, so I tried to go around them,” Rohlman said. “So that’s how I won.”
The win gives Rohlman a chance to represent Southeast Michigan at the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships in Akron, Ohio this July.
Related: Winner of Flint Soap Box Derby to compete in World Championships
Most drivers at Saturday’s event were from elementary or middle schools but for the model the Flint derby runs, competitors can range from 9-18 years old, so long as the car and driver combined weigh between 238-240 pounds.
Rounding out the podium spots were Bendle Middle School student Bonnie Moore, piloting the Goyette Mechanical car, in second place and Peyton Hummel from Hazel Park United Oaks behind the wheel of the UWSEM and GM car finishing in third place.
A first-time derby competitor, Rohlman wasn’t confident even after winning early heats, but he got used to the feeling by the end and has a simple goal for the future: “Try to win more and have fun.”
Kevin Cronin, president and CEO of the Flint Soap Box Derby, said he hopes the fun can provide more opportunities for students to learn.
“It is so important to me that we have opportunities and awareness and availability for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programming,” he said. “I mean that’s where our future is and you can’t tell me that we don’t have future leaders here too.”
Over the derby’s recent history, Cronin has seen the combination of nostalgic love the Vehicle City has for the derby with offerings it provides for young students in the area leading to the Flint Racing and STEM’s motto: “Build something bigger.”
Flint Racing offers workshops to schools who want to learn how to build a car giving students hands-on STEM learning.
The derby’s reach has only grown as it now features schools from across Southeast Michigan.
Cronin attributes the growth to the community and sponsorship support since day one.
He plans for the momentum to continue as Flint Racing hopes to bring the derby back to the historic Cronin Derby Downs next year which began its historic derby run in 1969 and slowly fazed out in the 90s.
The Soap Box Derby started in 1936 on Cadillac Street near Kettering University and later moved to its permanent location at the Downs, named after Cronin’s grandfather who was mayor at the time.
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