AKRON, Ohio – Kari Walker of Carmel, Timothy McCormick of Brewer, Kyle Charest of Oxford, Michael Hall of Warren, and Nicholas Lunt of Tenants Harbor will all be representing Maine when the 64th All-American Soap Box Derby gets under way today.

Walker, 12, will be competing in the Super Stock division; McCormick, 10, will battle in the Stock Car division; Charest, 14, will roll in the national Derby rally; and Hall, 14, and Lunt, 13 will both compete in the national Masters Derby rally.

In addition to the 91 rally finalists competing, there are 130 boys and girls competing in the novice Stock Car division, which features race cars built from ready-to-assemble kits.

There are also 121 contestants in the intermediate Super Stock division and 49 champions in the Masters division for young builders with advanced construction skills.

The rally finalists have earned points in rallies held around the nation since last fall. The other contestants earned the right to compete by winning local Soap Box Derby races in their home communities. Derby rally contestants are ages 8 through 17.

More than $50,000 in college scholarships will be awarded to divisional and rally winners.