Five Owensboro youngsters made the trek to Batavia, IL, last month for the Greater Chicago Soap Box Derby. The standard outdoor soap box season begins in August and runs through June, with the indoor events offering the racers and their teams the opportunity to stay on top of their game.
Thirteen-year-old Brayden Locher made the trip with his dad Stephen. Brayden has won 30 races over the last 2 seasons, but after transitioning in classes hasn’t been able to piece together a win.
“We went to Chicago to stay up on our game,” Stephen said. “Brayden was the 2022 world champion, but he’s winless this year. We used the opportunity to critique ourselves, spend time on a different track in a different setting, and improve.”
Currently, Brayden is dialing in his new car and hoping to obtain another bid for the world championships.
“My goals are to get faster and try to win another world championship,” Brayden said. “I’m driving my friend Jordan Pruden’s car, and I really want to win my 2nd world championship in that car for Jordan and my dad.”
Other local athletes who made the trip were Brandon Weaver, Zach Gordon, and Benji Edds.
Owensboro and Ben Hawes will host rally races on May 18 and 19, open to anyone nationwide. On June 8, there will be a local race limited to competitors from the area.
Winners of the local race can advance to the world event to represent their city in the local races, while winners of the rally events will compete against other rally winners.
Akron will host the world championships in July, crowing 6 champions across the 2 divisions and 3 classes.
“I get to race all over the country, make lots of new friends, and learn about gravity racing and how to make the car go faster,” Brayden said. “I also learn a lot about weight placement and sportsmanship.”
