Four years of racing brought rising ninth-grader Billy Loftus to the top of the hill at the Soap Box Derby World Championships, where he was perched among some of the fastest competitors in the world. In less than 30 seconds, he would fly down the track, landing in the top 20 in his division.
Loftus was among approximately 150 racers in his group, including participants from Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, France, and across the United States. They all traveled to Akron, Ohio, to compete. Some of his fellow competitors had been brought up in families that had been building and racing for generations, said Martha Loftus, Billy’s mom.
Though this wasn’t the case for Loftus, throughout his childhood, he had developed a passion for learning about cars and their mechanics, in part inspired by his father’s tow truck company.
When Loftus was 11, his technology education teacher at Chenery Middle School, Leon Dyer, offered students an opportunity to build and race their own cars with the school’s Soap Box Derby Club.
Within a week, Dyer had students building from kits provided by the club.
“It’s a lot of work,” said Loftus’ mother. “[The cars] are heavy; he has two trailers [and] there’s a lot of tools … this is physically complicated, and Mr. Dyer just does it.”
A Hands-on Experience
After the students competed in their first race — a statewide competition — they readjusted their cars to increase their speed. The process involved placing weights strategically throughout the car, as well as adjusting the angle of the axle that holds the wheels in place.
Loftus competed in about 20 races over four years with the support of Dyer, his teammates at Belmont Middle School, and the mentorship of Wendy and Joe Barr, who run the Arlington Soap Box Derby.
Loftus loves the thrill of controlling his car as it speeds down the track, and it is this control that is key. A millisecond can make the difference between winning and losing a race.
Between his races, Loftus intently studies other drivers, learning from their successes and mistakes.
“He’s sort of a student of racing,” said Martha Loftus. “He’s really analyzing what the drivers are doing … are they going to the left or the right? When they hit the pothole, did they go to the right, so therefore [he has] to overcorrect to the left?”
In Ohio, Loftus spent hours watching his competitors between his first race at 9 a.m. and his second race in the late afternoon.
“It’s definitely helped my patience a lot,” said Loftus.
In preparation for the competition, Loftus also studied several YouTube videos of previous years’ races.
A Growing Passion
Loftus and his mother were surprised by the prominence of the soap box derby culture they encountered in Akron, Ohio, a far cry from the niche soap box derby communities of New England.
“I didn’t actually realize until we got to Akron how big of a deal it was,” said Martha Loftus. “People [were] like, ‘Oh, my God, congratulations. You made it to Akron.’ One person said, ‘I’ve been racing at home for eight years, and this is my first time.’”
The regulations of the international race were stricter than any of Loftus’ previous races.
“You can only adjust [your car] the day before you race … you [also] can’t use power tools,” said Loftus.
Loftus was also struck by the inclusivity of the race, with this 87th year being marked by more female drivers than male drivers and opportunities for drivers with disabilities to also ride down the track.
For Loftus, building and driving allows him to test and refine his engineering knowledge.
“If your kid is a kid that’s wired to learn by doing, this is the thing,” said Martha Loftus.
“This is the one thing that we’ve seen so far that [allows him to] really use his intellect in a really hands-on, relevant way, and I think that has been a great benefit.”
Loftus said he’ll keep racing as long as he fits in the car. Today, Loftus stretches before his races, and wears special shoes to ensure he can fit his feet on the brakes.
“I will still definitely be racing,” he said. “Even if I can’t fit in the car, I’ll still definitely be there to cheer [my teammates] on.”
More information about the International Soap Box Derby can be found at soapboxderby.org.