Southeast Georgia Racers Turn In Strong Week At World Championships

Seven racers representing the Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby made the trip to Akron, Ohio, for the 88th First-Energy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships, held July 11-18 at Derby Downs.

The group included Local Champions and Rally qualifiers from across Georgia. Several worked their way into the top nine during the week, while two earned top-three finishes in World Championship competition.

Weston Claxton of Metter represented Southeast Georgia as its Local Stock Champion. Claxton did not get the finish he had hoped for, but reaching Akron was an accomplishment of its own. He earned his place among the field by winning in Lyons and had the opportunity to compete against Stock Champions from across the country.

Sophia “SoSo” August of Villa Rica qualified as the Southeast Georgia Local Super Stock Champion. She advanced into the top nine during the Challenge race and came close to doing the same in the World Championship. Although she fell just outside the final group, August showed she could hold her own against a deep Super Stock field.

Lyons racer Isaac Pickels returned to Akron after winning the Southeast Georgia Local Masters division, his third consecutive Local race win. Pickels reached the top nine during the Local Masters Challenge and nearly repeated that performance in the World Championship. His bid for another top-nine finish ended by only .016 of a second, a narrow margin even by Soap Box Derby standards.

Henry Warren of Monroe earned his invitation through the Rally Stock points standings and put together one of the strongest weeks among the Southeast Georgia racers. Warren won the Rally Stock Challenge, taking first place continued from page

against the other rally qualifiers. He also competed in the All-Star race and finished among the top nine.

Warren closed the week with another solid run in the Rally Stock World Championship, placing eighth. His Challenge victory and World Championship finish gave him two appearances on the Akron awards stage.

Alexa Garren of Villa Rica competed as a Rally Masters Champion. The Challenge race did not unfold the way she wanted, but the additional time on the hill helped prepare her for the remainder of the week.

Garren went on to finish among the top nine in the Masters All-Star race and also competed in the Legacy division. Her best result came in the Rally Masters World Championship, where she raced to third place. It was the highest World Championship finish among the Southeast Georgia representatives.

Charles Conner of Lyons returned to Akron as a Rally Masters Champion after earning enough points during the season to receive an invitation. Conner competed in both the Rally Masters Challenge and World Championship races, adding another appearance at Derby Downs to his racing experience.

Jackson Bryant of Monroe followed an unusual path to Akron. A family emergency prevented him from competing in his usual local race, forcing him to travel to North Carolina to qualify. Bryant won that Region 12 local race to earn his invitation, though his racing ties remain firmly with Region 7 and the Southeast Georgia program.

Bryant placed third in the Local Masters Challenge and came close to reaching the top nine in the World Championship. His performance capped a demanding season that required him and his family to adjust their plans simply to keep his Akron hopes alive.

Local Super Kid winner, Luke Paris, also made his trip to Akron for the World Championships, but things didn't go as planned for their race. Due to the inclement smoke from the wildfires raging in Canada, the air quality had taken a turn and forced the race to be canceled.

The Southeast Georgia racers returned home with a Challenge victory, two top-three finishes, several top-nine appearances and a collection of close races. Not every trip down the hill ended with the desired result, but all seven earned their place at Derby Downs and represented their home program well on Soap Box Derby racing’s biggest stage.

Local Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby Super Kids Winner Luke Paris.