For 9-year-old Aaron Hull, racing in the Soapbox Challenge is by-and-large a good time.
“It’s a little bit scary,” Hull said of starting down a metal ramp. “But once I was on the pavement, I was having fun.”
Hull was one of approximately 50 youth who stole the show on Wednesday afternoon on St. Ann’s Avenue on Douglas. Within 20 minutes of the conclusion of the Douglas Fourth of July parade, hundreds of parents and parade-goers flocked to a portion of the street above Treadwell Arena for the Soapbox Challenge.
One by one, the young speedsters were loaded on to the top of a metal ramp. Once the timer at the finish line reset, two men freed the rear wheels of the soapbox cars from the ramp’s lip, sending the youth on their way.
Some cars took small detours on the way to the finish line. Others drove remarkedly straight. Sometimes the brakes worked, other times they didn’t. But every single racer drew a loud cheer from the three-person deep audience lining the end of the course.
They came to see racers like 8-year-old Loki Koeneman and his sporty looking soapbox, painted all red except for two blue stripes running lengthwise down the middle and a blue steering wheel. Unlike some of the other cars, which had an open top, Koeneman’s was topped with a large sheet of plywood, making it look like a super-sized door wedge.
“We named it red lightning,” Koeneman said.
It’s an apt name: Koeneman won first in his age division last year. The secret to winning, according to Koeneman, lies in the aerodynamics of his ride and “not turning your wheels like crazy.”
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.
