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HOULTON – A year ago, Ryan Aucoin watched as brother Robbie finished just 22 thousandths of a second away from a stock division championship while Ryan was eliminated in the super stock’s second round at the 6th annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby.
Saturday, Ryan got another chance in his sixth appearance at the regional event and made it worth the wait as he did his brother one better. The 13-year-old Aucoin won the super stock division title by an impressive (in Derby terms) .097-second margin to earn a trip to the 65th annual All-American National Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.
He’ll be joined by stock division champion Chelsea Sloat of East Hodgdon, who used a solid first run in the championship final to edge runnerup Logan Holmes of Houlton by 25 thousandths of a second. Holmes beat Sloat by .024 seconds in the second run, but couldn’t overcome Sloat’s .049 edge from the first.
Slightly overcast skies quickly gave way to a clear, blue one along with sunny conditions as 154 racers (64 super stock, 90 stock) shot down Derby Hill lanes at Houlton’s Community Park from 8 a.m. until about 4 p.m.
This is Aucoin’s third trip to the nationals, to be held July 27, and he’s hoping this will be the charm.
“At Akron, I at least want to get past the first round since I haven’t done that my two years before. I know how to drive well now and know how to sit right in the car,” Aucoin explained. “I just try to concentrate on the finish line and expect the best.”
Aucoin earned dinner table bragging rights as brother Robbie lost in super stock’s third round.
Super stock runnerup for a second straight year was 11-year-old Karla Hethcoat of Linneus. Hethcoat was disappointed she didn’t win, but considering this is only her second derby appearance and she still can make five more, collecting another impressive trophy plus a $350 savings bond quickly eased that disappointment.
“I was more nervous last year, but I still got nervous in those last couple races,” she said.
Oh, and she still has bragging rights over one of her friends and biggest competitors: Matt Targonski. Both racers engaged in a little battle-of-the-sexes gamesmanship at the top of the hill as they awaited their third-round race.
“He didn’t want to lose to me because I was a girl and everything, but I won,” said Hethcoat, whose win over Targonski was one of two she enjoyed over male competitors on the day.
Sloat was another solid standard-bearer for female racers Saturday as she followed up a drive to the quarterfinals last year with a championship this time around.
The calm, cool, and collected 10-year-old said her approach to success was fairly simple her second time around in the Derby.
“There’s really no secret. I like to go along the cones and stay safe,” said Sloat, who finished sixth last year after losing to sister Justine in her final race.
“I was looking to be in the top three this year,” Sloat added. “I got a little nervous when I got in the finals, and then I started getting a lot nervous. I think I stayed that way until the finish line.”
This year, Chelsea turned the tables on her sister as Justine finished six slots behind her in seventh place.
Speaking of family dominance, stock division runnerup Logan Holmes was one of three Holmes’ to finish in the top five. Brothers Jeff and Joe – Logan’s cousins – finished third and fifth, respectively.
“We practice every now and then,” said 9-year-old Logan. “No, there’s nothing in the water. No secrets and no tricks.”
This was Logan’s first time in the Derby, although he has been racing for two years.
“I was hoping for first, but going in, I didn’t think I was going to do this good,” he admitted. “I just wanted to place in the top eight.”
Unlike last year’s Derby, which saw a couple of bad crashes during races, this year’s day-long event was incident free – aside from some displaced cones.
“We increased safety a little bit through our tech system by putting them through inspections twice and making some adjustments on the steering and brakes,” said race director Al Butler, one of a dozen organizers who plan the event over the previous 11 months.
“My job is really fairly easy on race day when you’ve got all the great people helping out that we do,” Butler said. “I’d say we have approximately 60 to 65 people who come together to make this operation possible.”
Other racers honored at the post-Derby dinner were Houlton’s Kristin Hardy (Alicia Dudzinksi Spirit Award), Chapman’s Luke Brabant (Wayne Millar Memorial Sportsmanship Award), Logan Holmes (stock VIP), Sarah Harbison (super stock VIP), Jonathan Harvey and Chelsea Sloat (committee award), Adam Wilcox (best decorated, stock) and Adam Kingsbury (best decorated, super stock).
Houlton’s Northern Maine Derby is one of four regionals in Maine. The last two of Maine’s eight nationals racers will come from next week’s Southern Maine Derby in South Portland.
7th annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby
(overall finish)
Stock Division: 1. Chelsea Sloat, 2. Logan Holmes, 3. Jeff Holmes, 4. Kameron Lincoln, 5. Joe Holmes, 6. Elliot Mooers, 7. Justine Sloat, 8. Taylor Bailey
Super Stock: 1. Ryan Aucoin, 2. Karla Hethcoat, 3. Dustin Champagne, 4. Colby McGary, 5. Casey Corbett, 6. Maggie Widhalm, 7. Joshua Harvey, 8. Ashley Bailey
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