80 enthusiasts turn out for Midcoast competition

CAMDEN – Kurt Ward had planned to spend the end of July at soccer camp.

Now he’s going to Akron.

Ward, an 11-year-old who will be a sixth-grader at Union Elementary School in the fall, forced that change in schedule Saturday by winning the Super Stock division at the ninth Midcoast Maine Soap Box Derby.

Ward, who has been racing for four years, was among 80 entries ages 8-17 in four divisions who competed on the Washington Street course for the right to advance to the All-American Soap Box Derby on July 26 at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio.

But when the skies suggested little more than an overcast day, he wasn’t optimistic about his chances in a field of 35 Super Stock competitors.

“I totally didn’t think I’d do it today,” said Ward, who edged Rachel Catell of Camden in the championship round. “I usually do well when it rains.”

This event has become much more than merely rolling a kit-based, gravity-propelled vehicle down a hill to a finish line. There are elaborate paint schemes and vehicle sponsors. There are also subtleties in the track to consider, such as the crown of the road, which is designed as a drainage mechanism but means speed to the Soap Box Derby competitors.

“When the road slants down, you go with it to try and pick up speed,” said Nathan Catell, 10, of Camden.

Catell, a second-year racer, bested a field of 28 to win the Stock Division, edging Sarah Bullock of Northport in the finals.

“I thought I’d finish second [to Sarah],” said Catell, who already had qualified to compete in Akron through his performances at regional Soap Box Derby rallies, a series of races held throughout the year in Maine and throughout New England.

Kyle Charest, 16, of Oxford, topped a field of 14 to win what was the Masters Division state championship, since this division is contested only in Camden. Charest outlasted Austin Gardner of Rockport in the final round.

“I didn’t really plan how I was going to ride the track,” said Charest, a third-year racer who will be a junior at St. Dominic High School in Auburn this fall. “I just watched what the other people did, and tried to learn from them.”

Charest last competed in Akron two years ago, when he was 2001 Super Stock national points champion based on his success in rally events. Though he failed to win a heat during his first trip to the nationals, he’s looking forward to the return trip.

“It’s a pretty big deal,” he said.

The Soap Box Derby, held nationally since 1934 and back in Maine since 1994 after a 23-year absence, is a pretty big deal to more than just the drivers.

“It’s really a family sport,” said Jim Curtis, president of the Midcoast Maine Soap Box Derby. “Families build the cars together. They buy the kits, and it take a lot of time to put them together and fine-tune them. There’s a lot of adult help, but in the end it comes down to how well the kids drive.”

“I just like it,” added Ward, “because you can make new friends and at the same time be competitive.”

The top eight finishers in the Stock, Super Stock and Masters divisions earned awards, as did participants in the Special Division, as follows:

Stock: 1. Nathan Catell, Camden; 2. Sarah Bullock, Northport; 3 Desiree Smith, Rockland; 4. Laura Beal, Friendship; 5. Zack Bullock, Northport; 6. Tyler Tibbetts, Liberty; 7. Michael Robinson, Warren; 8. Mary Bullock, Northport; Super Stock: 1. Kurt Ward, Union; 2. Rachel Catell, Camden; 3. Ashley Estrella, Rockport; 4. Dustin Delano, Friendship; 5. Andrew Baxter, Hope; 6. Roger Guptill, Newcastle; 7. Jessica Brawn, Woolwich; 8. Morgan Baxter, Hope; Masters: 1. Kyle Charest, Oxford; 2. Austin Gardner, Rockport; 3. Maegin Jolin, Rumford; 4. Kari Walker, Carmel; 5. Emery Lincoln, Houlton; 6. Erik Vroom, Bangor; 7. Megan Kelley, Waldoboro; 8. Colin Curtis, Camden; Special: Alexander Fogg, Belfast; Jennifer Fogg, Belfast; Kirsten Fogg, Belfast; Kyle Fogg, Belfast; Philip Hall Jr., Belfast; Jamie Trites, Jefferson; Alexis Ames, Lincolnville; Candice Spear, Rockland; Garrett Robbins, Rockport; Michael Jones, Searsport; Milton Jones, Searsport; Marques Brann Houston, Whitefield; Dana Rogers Jr., Whitefield.