Dozens of kids check out racing at Derby Downs

LANCASTER – Dozens of kids, along with their parents and relatives, turned up for Lancaster's annual Soap Box Derby Fun Run and Super Kids Run at Derby Downs.

"We started doing this about six or seven years ago," said Andy Dum, derby director. "We wanted to open the track up a couple of times a year where kids who haven't experienced a soap box derby could see what it was like to race a car."

They also opened it up for Super Kids, racers who have special needs.

Earl Later, of Rockbridge, brought his great-nephew, Kaleb Harper, 8, also of Rockbridge, and Kaleb's friend, Billy Barry, 8, of Logan. It was the first time any of them were given a chance to run a soap box derby car.

After a couple of runs, both Harper and Barry said they liked it, and Later said he was signing them up to participate in the program.

"Every time we've done it, we get two or three more kids signed up," Dum said.

Stephanie Brausey, of Logan, is a Super Kids coordinator. She got started as a way to get her autistic child involved in a sport.

"We didn't have anything like this locally, but once we brought it up to the local group, a special-needs student program was developed," Brausey said.

Club members built special race cars in which someone can even accompany special-needs students going down the hill.

One of the special-needs students participating in her second year was Ciarra Brunton, 10, of Lancaster.

"We brought her up here last year, and she absolutely loved it and kept talking about it all year," said her mother, Veronica Brunton.

"The people that put this on have been very welcoming to us. They've just taken us in like we are family," said her father, Gary. "This year, Ciarra is going to be in the race in June."

The annual Lancaster Soap Box Derby race will be at 9 a.m. June 27 at Derby Downs, 3060 B.I.S. Road, Lancaster.

cburnett@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4346

Twitter: @CarlBurnettJr