Digging in

Thursday’s ground breaking ceremony was an event seven years in the making for the Culpeper Soap Box Derby committee. Already home to the world’s largest Soap Box Derby, Culpeper County will soon be home to one of the largest permanent derby facilities in the nation.

About 70 people attended the ceremony to celebrate the beginning of construction on the race track on Laurel Valley Road near the county landfill. The new track is scheduled to be completed by spring, allowing next year’s derby to move from Blue Ridge Avenue to the permanent raceway.

The event was attended by members of the local Soap Box Derby Committee and the Junior Committee, made up of children who help organize derby events, and the member of both committees donned shovels for the ceremonial ground breaking.

“Every single person here today has played a major, major part in making the Soap Box Derby a success,” race director Frankie Gilmore said. “We would really like to say thank you.”

The idea of a local Soap Box Derby was conceived in 2002 and the first race took place in 2003. The Derby has grown in each year since, until the 2009 race was the largest in the world. In addition to that the Culpeper racers have enjoyed success at the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio, where Eastern View High School student Brandon Feagan was the world champion in 2008.

With a permanent track Culpeper will not only be able to host its local race, but also rally races throughout the year and races for special needs drivers.

“Never in my wildest dream could I have imagined that this would blossom into what we have before us today and what the future holds in store for all of us,” Derby president Tony Troilo said. “We’re going to have one of the biggest tracks and the best tracks in the world.”