Pot Holes, Frost Heaves, And Fog Eating Away At The Maine Snow Supply...

The warmer days, stronger sun mean time to prepare for the 14th annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby race. For five years running, the Houlton Maine race was the largest in the country with close to 200 racers each year!

Race directors Danny/Leslie Emerson say its time to start looking for car sponsors, digging out older cars to do the safety updates and to start thinking derby race. "The Thrill Of The Hill" is on a specially engineered hill modeled after the world series of derby racing in Akron Ohio. It makes it so much easier to have rallies in the spring and fall and to run the annual race. This year's race is June 20th.

     Visit the NMSBD Site, All American Soap Box Derby Site and sit back..watch the highlights of the 2008 Northern Maine race below! Designed for racers 8 to 17 with three divisions..it is gravity car racing..like NASCAR but no engines. Kids are lined up with a heat sheet, two trips down the hill with an "A" and "B" phase to race for the best electric eye time. Wheels are swapped after "A" phase to keep it competitive. The 14th races is put on by roughly 60 volunteers and hundreds of racers / families that travel from up to two hours away to "Learn The Thrill Of The Hill!"Mark Bossie has a little talk with each drive to make sure they are ready when the green light turns on and he gets the clear to launch voice signal. This is a trial run for new racers the afternoon before the big race.