Super Stock, super finish

Austin Hickman should be glad he was driving for the Culpeper Police, because Saturday at the sixth-annual Soap Derby of Culpeper, Hickman showed he’s a very fast driver.

But instead of earning himself a speeding ticket, he punched his ticket to Akron for the All-American Soap Box Derby by winning the Super Stock Division. Hickman barely edged out Rebecca Johnson for the title, winning the two races of their final showdown by a total of .01 seconds.

“I thought that I had a pretty good shot at it,” Johnson said, recalling crossing the finish line almost simultaneously with Hickman.

When the finals for the Super Stock Division were set it guaranteed that one of the drivers would make a return trip to Akron. Hickman was Culpeper’s Stock Division champion in 2004 and last year Johnson became the first-ever rally champion from Culpeper, earning a spot in Akron by competing in a variety of Derby’s up and down the East Coast.

Hickman said he came into Saturday’s Super Stock contest just hoping to finish in the top 16, but after winning he was pumped up to return to Ohio.

“I’m just as excited this time around,” he said. “I didn’t think I would win today. There’s a lot more cars there and you get one race and there’s three lanes, so it’s a lot different in Akron. I should be more prepared for it.”

Johnson, who wasn’t allowed to qualify for the All-American Derby as a rally racer twice, was frustrated she wouldn’t make a return trip this year, but wasn’t giving up hope of getting back to Akron.

“I’m disappointed I didn’t get first,” she said. “But second is OK and there is always next year. If I don’t get in I’ll just keep on trying.”

A.J. Stead finished third in Super Stock and Brandon Feagan, last year’s Masters Division champion, took fourth place.

Shane Mettlen can be reached at 825-0771, ext. 127 or