The 28th annual Jamestown Area Soap Box Derby is slated to get underway on Saturday, and director Tony Purpura has been hard at work getting the John S. Sinatra Memorial Soap Box Derby Track, outside Diethrick Park, ready for racing action.
And though Purpura noted that to organize an event such as this for nearly three decades can be taxing, he is still very much looking forward to race day.
"I'm starting to feel it," he said with a laugh, "but it's still very exciting."
Thirteen-year-old Jake Tota, last year's Stock Division champion, will be racing in the Super Stock Division for Heil & Andrews Construction. He headlines the 29 racers that will be competing for a chance to earn a place the World Championships next month. Now in its 85th year, the All-American Soap Box Derby will be held in Akron, Ohio, on July 21.
The Jamestown area event starts today at 3:30 p.m. with trials where the participants will be able to take a few runs down the track in order to get better acquainted with both their cars and the track. The trials will go until sunset. Afterwards each car will be impounded at the BPU Water Department overnight.
The official races begin at 9 a.m., on Saturday with the winners being crowned by 3:30 p.m. The winner of the Stock (boys and girls ages 7 to 13) and the Super Stock (ages 10 to 17) Divisions will be awarded trophies while their parents will be given $600 to help cover the costs of the trip to Akron.
Refreshments will also be available at the track.
STOCK DIVISION
NO. NAME SPONSOR
1. Brea Tota Acu-Rite
3. Samantha Kosinski 3G's, QMS, Heil & Andrews Construction
4. Jared Coffin Sturdevant Sign Company
5. Tyler Eckman Basil Chevrolet
6. Jarrett Vincent Southern Chautauqua FCU
8. Chelsey Vincent Southern Chautauqua FCU
9. Kylee Andrews Heil & Andrews Construction
10. Garrett Fransen Heil & Andrews Construction
11. Lucas Brushingham Nationwide Ins., Baer's Autoparts
12. Kylee Jo Lindahl Geico
13. Alex Rivera Marcy Morreale Memorial Fund
14. Anthony Paterniti Casel's Auto Wrecking
15. Nathan Lewis Hoover Oil
16. Mike Ostrom Ostrom Enterprises & Windstream.net
17. Hunter Feeney Hoover Oil
18. Drew Carlson Robo Enterprises
19. Kohl Feeney Hoover Oil
SUPER STOCK
NO. NAMESPONSOR
101. Jake Tota Heil & Andrews Construction
102. Madison Vincent ALSTAR
103. Kaylee VincentHoover Oil
104. Nathaniel Paterniti South Hills
105. Benji LinkerhofHoover Oil
106. Tristen Hartman Hoover Oil
107. Alexis PiazzaHoover Oil
108. Olivia Piazza Optimist Club of Jmst., RS Motors, Home Depot
109. Bronson Rasmussen Acu-Rite, Bush & Sons
110. Bobbie Jo OstromOstrom Enterprises
111. Alejandro Reyes Lake County Dodge