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Local Sports

Local sports in the Panhandle are not just a game, they are a lifestyle. Our community eats, sleeps and breathes cheering on our local athletes.
News13 is On Your “Sidelines” bringing you more than the score.
News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Soap Box Derby

MARIANNA - Soap box racing is one of the fastest growing sports for area boy scouts.

Every year the Marianna Optimists Club sponsors a scout event. This year, it was the soap box derby.

The wolves Troup 339 took the title this year, proving that they might be the toughest troop around.

“They’re really fun to drive,” boy scout Tyler Hobby said.  “My first time doing it, I crashed.  But I ain’t scared to do it again.”

Hobby is one of the many second grade soap box champions of troop 339; a troop that won the title two years in a row.  But there’s more to it than racing.

“You also get one special trophy,” troup leader Jeff Massey said.  “If you represent scouts like they should be represented well-manned, enthusiastic, cheering for everybody and we’ve been lucky enough the last two years to win that trophy.”

Once the cars get going, they’ll go about 25 to 30 miles per hour.

“It’s very fun and you can crash on your first day,” boy scout Logan McEanear said. 

This has to be the coolest thing for these kids.  Not only do they get to build a car and race it fast down this hill.  But they get to emulate one of their favorite drivers.

“Going for number eight!” Hobby said.

“Yeah, just a number eight fan,” McEanear said

They might all be Dale Earnhardt, Jr. fans, but not one of these kids get scared.

“I only crashed one time” boy scout Gideon Massey said.  “I skinned my pinky but now it’s healed up.”

These kids not only drive their cars but they also serve as a pit crew.  They build, paint and fix anything that gets damaged if they take a nasty spill.

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