Think Soap Box Derby racing is for kids?
More than 500 seniors at Derby Downs on Thursday would argue with that.
Since 2011, the All-American Soap Box Derby has invited older residents — one participant registered her age as 95 — to shorten their bucket list by taking a trip down the same iconic hill where generations of youngsters have been competing since 1936.
“You look scared,” volunteer Craig Flury teased one white-haired racer as she adjusted inside her car at the starting gate. She giggled in return and waved him off with a hand to indicate she wasn’t scared in the least.
Then the mechanism dropped to release the cars,and the three drivers could be heard joyfully hooting all the way to the bottom.
For a $14 ticket, participants received one spin down the hill, a hot lunch at the top of the hill and the opportunity for health screenings, a swag bag and lectures from three physicians on age-appropriate topics, courtesy of the event’s sponsor, Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
“For some people, they’ve waited their whole lifetime for this, and now its available to them,” Soap Box Derby President Joe Mazur said.
That included his mom, who raced last year at the age of 74.
“Never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d be going down the hill in a Soap Box Derby car,” said Mazur, who loves seeing that same mix of surprise and fulfillment on the faces of everyone around him.
Among Thursday’s racers was Jeff Iula, who was celebrating his wedding anniversary with his wife, Nancy. It was a fitting activity for the couple, who got engaged at a derby awards ceremony 26 years ago to the day.
Iula, 64, has been involved with the derby since childhood and is president of the Akron Area Soap Box Derby local chapter. He wore the helmet of Joey Lunn of Georgia, who smashed his car in the first heat of the 1952 All-American before going on to win the championship.
Lunn “lost everything in Hurricane Hugo way back in 1989, but he gave me this in ’85 so it’s the only thing of his derby days that survives,” Iula said.
Meanwhile, Nancy Iula donned the helmet of Freddy Mohler, the 1953 All-American champion from Indiana who turned 15 minutes of fame into a lifetime, making annual pilgrimages to Akron almost every summer. Nancy has her own derby trophy: She participated in a rare adult derby race in her weight class in 1999.
But for most others on Thursday, it was their first thrill on the hill.
“We grew up coming and watching it as kids,” said Chris Lacy of Munroe Falls as she waited in line with her husband, Ron.
“We loved coming and seeing the movie and TV stars,” she said, recalling the derby’s golden era with celebrity visits.
Lacy said she never really thought about racing before, since girls weren’t allowed to compete when she was growing up in the 1950s. Now she was ready to “put the pedal to the metal,” her husband said.
Racing alongside them was friend Mel Dreslinksi of Stow — that is, “‘friends’ until we get in there,” Ron Lacy quipped.
“Then it’s all business,” Dreslinski nodded in agreement.
For Jean Lindgren of Akron, there was a more emotional motivation: To cheer up her friend.
Carol Witwer — longtime pal and former co-worker at Litchield Middle School — lost her son, Michael, this summer to pancreatic cancer.
“She’s always looking out for me,” Witwer said, wearing a smile that indicated Lindgren’s effort was working.
Witwer said she used to bring her children to watch the derby, never guessing that one day she’s be sailing down the hill that they never did.
“Oh, this will be fun,” she said.
Mazur said Senior Day is just one of many ways the derby continues to expand accessibility to the public. A hill that was once only used perhaps four times a year for sanctioned races now sees action nearly 80 days between spring and fall.
In addition to a variety of competitions, there’s a Kids Day, Grandparents Day, Inclusion Day for kids with special needs and the Corporate Derby Challenge fundraiser. Businesses and organizations can rent the entire facility for $1,000 a hour for a unique twist on the traditional company picnic. Discussions are underway to add a Veterans Day next year.
“The track is being used more than it ever has in its 80-year history,” Mazur said.
For Akron General, the idea of an event geared toward older residents made perfect sense, chief marketing officer Tom Neumann said.
“It’s about having fun,” he said. “It’s about getting people out and being active.”
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.