A trip to the world championships was on the line this weekend for dozens of soap box derby competitors.
Bristol held a series of qualifying regional races. Racers racked up points in the hopes of competing for the top title in Akron, Ohio.
Racers have been drawn to Bristol’s soap box derby for decades.
“I raced as a kid with my dad back in ’76, ‘77’, ’78,” said John Strand, of New Milford.
Strand keeps the tradition going with his four daughters, including 19-year-old Payton, the 2016 World Champion.
“I’ve gotten a lot of friends, a lot of good memories, I’ve been taught a lot,” Payton Strand said.
The strategy of soap box derby racing sounds simple: get down to the bottom of the hill as quick as you can and cross the finish line first.
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“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Strand pointed out.
Competitors have to build their car to the perfect specifications first.
“Working in the garage with the kids is the biggest bonus,” John Strand said.
To keep their wheels spinning, racers put a lot of miles on mom and dad’s car too.
“Those rally races can take us anywhere from Virginia up to Connecticut,” said Nathan Kleintop of Perkiomenville, Penn., whose son and daughter competed.
They were joined by racers from New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts.
“It’s good quality family time so it kind of breaks up school and work and the kids just really have a good time with it,” added his wife, Tara.
The Strands have made pit stops up and down the Eastern seaboard over the years. All four daughters have placed at the World Championships.
“It’s amazing. It really is,” said Strand.
While the race may be over in seconds, these families say the memories really do last a lifetime.
