About Houlton's Derby Hill

Looking for a local sponsorship that involves, kids, racing, the "thrill of the hill"?

Soap box derby racing has been around since 1934 with the big World Series of downhill side by side car competition in Akron Ohio.

The Houlton Maine race, the nation's largest local soap box derby in the country for five straight years.

On top of Derby Hill, an engineered, built from scratch it's noisy.

With tons of local labor, boat loads of free donations of materials and services, there is now hammering going on.

The new launch/storage of derby hill racing materials garage is under construction.

Now just waiting for exterior siding.

A big check from the Houlton Maine Rotary Club was the spark for all the activity on the top of Derby Hill by volunteer carpenters. All working hard for the latest Maine soap box derby race program improvement to keep the down hill youth car racing program growing, a fun experience. If you are a business, service or civic club, consider sponsoring a Soap Box Derby stock, superstock or masters race car.

Climb In, Hang On, Maine Soap Box Derby Racing Video

All American Soap Box Derby Video

No matter what the weather, Northern Maine kids soap box derby race on Derby Hill and now have a covered launch.

For five years, the Houlton Maine race was the nation's largest.

And the derby program has produced lots of winners in the stock, superstock, master, rally racing program too!

With one Houlton Maine derby racer, Jeff Holmes pulling down a second place trophy at the big kahuna Akron Ohio's All America World Series of racing.

Our local Houlton Maine race and rallies held on a specially engineered derby hill made from scratch. 

With tons of donations, plenty of volunteer hours boatloads of local pride in Houlton Maine, Aroostook County.

There is nothing stronger than the heart of a Houlton Maine volunteer when there is a kid's sporting event like kit car racing being the goal, target.

Here are some images from this afternoon's work on Derby Hill's Topside new garage.

Used to improved setting up the Houlton Maine derby race course experience.

For storage and weather beater launches for boys and girls itching to feel the "thrill of the hill".

Gravity racing kit car racing, where your engine is the hill.

Finding the line, the straightest, faster line to the bottom to cross pass the electronic timer first. Here are some new construction images to show the process on the over 930' foot long Derby Hill.

Maine Soap Box Derby Race On Derby Hill Video.

The Houlton Maine area lost a good soul this week in Billy Weber. Despite being a hat wearing, card caring New York Yankees fan in the heart of Red Sox Baseball Nation, Billy had a heart of gold.

Especially if the local Maine event you needed help with involved kids, youth sports.

Since 1996, the first year of the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby program, Bill was one of the anchors of the highly important "Zoo Crew".

A rag tag looking bunch with the appearance of someone from the chain gang, work release from a local correctional center.

But workers extreme.

Bill would intercept derby cars at the bottom of the engineered hill we race on.

Make sure the drivers shook hands, showed good sportsmanship win or lose.

Then Bill along with John Benn, Terry Wallace, Ricky Tidd, Donny McGary, Mitch or Chris Holmes, Danny Emerson, Dave Harbison, Leigh Dow, John Skehan and a crew of young bucks not so long ago derby racers would give the big heave ho.

Lift the car on to a specially designed trailer to change wheels, insert the cotter pins and get those Nascar like gravity for an engine racers back up to topside to load in the gates.

To start a new heat, to finish a "B" phase to determine the winner in this electric eye timed racing event.

The cars of the little drivers are very heavy weighted. Good luck getting the car in Lane One before Bill who would shoo you away. Lifting each and every car in that lane personal, on one end.

Our Houlton Maine race was the largest in the country five years in a row with close to 200 racers and hundreds of heats to determine the top eight in each division and the ultimate winners of stock, super stock, master division racers to head to Akron Ohio.

Watch a Maine soap box derby video and see Bill in the always interesting, unpredictable head kerchief.

Get In, Hang On, Gravity Racing Maine Soap Box Derby Cars Are Topside In The Gates, Have A Green Light To Launch Video.

Rain or shine, blistering sun or rip the shingles off your roof gale force winds, it did not matter. Bill Weber was there. And the kind of guy if you only had one phone call to make and found yourself in a pickle, no matter where, Bill would be one of the people you knew would show up. Give you a hand.

But the Maine Soap Box Derby was not his only passion. To be around the kids and see the initial terror the first time racing down that big 900 foot plus vertical incline. And also the ear to ear grinning as the racers advanced up the heat sheet brackets.

Bill also loved hockey.

Was a coach of the local Southern Aroostook Minor Hockey Association. Long after his own son Christopher went up through the ranks of SAMHA and eventually hung up the jersey as a Houlton Hodgdon Hockey Blackhawks defense-man.

Bill told the team my son was on that boys, this locker room here and on the road on away games is our living room. Your players are like a family. Stuck together and will win working as a team or lose as individuals.

I don't care what the score is, how close to the end of the third period it is, dig deeper.

Play harder and find something inside you did not know you had.

Bring that out on to the sheet of ice and have fun pushing to be your best.

To make your Maine home town proud.

Never back down, also skate a half step or more ahead and control the puck, playing up the weak side as you swivel your head.

Seeing the ice and the changing combinations of what is going to happen next.

And be at that open space in the ice to receive the pass.

Bill Weber died this week.

The entire town will miss him. So will our furnaces. He worked as a home heating professional and he was.

A one man show and you knew when you called, Bill would be there in the middle of the night if your furnace when out. Bill Weber was dependable, a fierce competitor, yes a Yankees fan. And a good husband, family man. On behalf of the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Association, The Houlton Maine hockey program, our deepest condolences for the Weber (Rush) family in this time of deep grieving and personal loss. We all were shocked, sorry to hear of the news of his death at 60 years of age.

What is your local real estate market all about...just a bunch of property listings and pretty much like any other GPS coordinate on the planet? NOOOooo.

The area you list, market, sell real estate is so much more than the sticks and bricks, the properties you carefully put on line for the world to see. Where the property is means their is a local community flavor. Ever had someone from far away who has never been to your home town ask you "what is your area like?" Real estate is fixed, does not move and where it is usually comes first in a real estate buyer's mind than what it is.

So as a local real estate agent, broker, REALTOR to answer the question what is your area like, you should be involved in those local community events. So you can relay everything about the area, to experience all that is unique and special about where you live, work and play.

One local event that is family based, competitive and shows how many folks come our to support a youth event, is the Maine soap box derby program.

This past weekend, a little water did not dampen the spirits of the Maine boys and girls who climbed in and out of derby race cars to learn the thrill of the hill.

Watch a local derby race and see if this does not give you an idea of what the Northern Maine area is all about.

If you were a family relocating to Houlton Maine, you would wonder about how are my kids going to do?

What is there to keep them from being bored and what goes on there for family events that we can all participate in?

This Northern Maine Soap Box Derby program is one such event. There are many more. Watch the race results of the 2011 Maine State Soap Box Derby running on Derby Hill in Houlton Maine.

Maine, kids, families are everything, the outdoor four season setting is a place for serious fun and enjoyment too.

I'm Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker

The Northern Maine Soap Box Derby group is again host to the state race on Derby Hill. Racers from around Maine can enjoy "the thrill of the hill" on Houlton Maine's Derby Hill at Community Park.

The specially engineered hill is being set up this morning for the start of the Maine State Soap Box Derby Race.

Never gravity raced, been involved with a boy or girl that did with a kit car put together by the driver?

Watch last year's Maine Soap Box Derby Race 2010 video.

The Soap Box Derby Program started in 1934 and is a very worthwhile local event to put your volunteer time in to. The Houlton Maine race program has 60 volunteers that show up year after year to help set up the hill, tech the cars for safety, handle the awards and food for the party afterwards and tear down of the track.

The winner of the Houlton Maine soap box derby race heads to Akron Ohio for the All American Race next month.

Here are some pictures of yesterday's Houlton Maine Soap Box Derby State race tech day.

We worked from noon to 8pm to get the derby racers and their families, driver thru the process of a total car check over.

Safety is the number one concern.

Competitive fun the second mission.

I am checking in this morning early to upload a few images and head for the hill. My four kids all derby raced, two went to Akron Ohio in 1998 and again in 2001 to represent Northern Maine in the big Akron Ohio All American.

If you are looking for a very rewarding, fun event that is youth oriented.

And a heck of a good work out lifting lots of pretty heavy cars on and off trailers.

This good sportsmanship event is hard to beat.

The cars are like NASCAR personality without the gas fumes and high RPM blue printed, punched and ported engines.

Gravity is your engine, the shortest line to the bottom and the winner of two phases of each heat is what kids master to be able to work their way up the brackets.

Will have another Maine soap box derby video to post.

And it will be a long day with the rain clouds overhead adding to the intrigue and mystery on today's race getting completed.

Rain or shine or snow, the race will be run.

And we remind parents, drivers to prepare for any kind of weather.

Bring rain gear, sunscreen, keep hydrated for a long day of derby car racing.

We live in Maine.

I would love to share my family's experiences with soap box derby and to help you get a local race going in your area.