Pottsville Soap Box Derby sends three to nationals in Akron, Ohio

POTTSVILLE — Three Schuylkill County youngsters will compete in the First Energy All American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.

Marcel LeBlanc, 12, of Pine Grove won the stock class in a car sponsored by Naftzinger Auto Wrecking on Saturday during the Pottsville Area Soap Box competition.

Alexandra Womer, 17, of Pottsville won the Super Stock class in a racer sponsored by Womer’s Garage.

Collin Kadingo, 14, of Pottsville won the Masters division in “The Spirit of Mechanicsville.”

The winning racers were among 41 who competed on Laurel Boulevard, a downhill section beneath the Schuylkill County Courthouse.

The sleek hand-built race cars, piloted by youngsters aged 7 to 17, reached 20 to 25 mph crossing the finishing line near Pottsville Fire Company.

Pottsville Area Soap Box Derby, a nonprofit, staged the derby for the 49th year, president Barbie Carroll said.

“The weather was perfect,” she said. “We’re proud of all the racers, and we wish our champions well in Akron.”

The Pottsville Soap Box Derby started after World War II on Market Street from 9th to 6th streets, ending in Garfield Square, according to “Pottsville in the 20th Century.”

It was moved to West Market street, from 18th to 16th streets, around 1947.

Starting in 1952, it was held on a hilly section of Route 61 at the entrance to the city, near the former Mady Car Wash.

After a lapse, the derby was revived in 1977.

Competitors spend months building colorful race cars to rigid specifications laid down by the national Soap Box Derby organization.

The competition in Saturday’s races was often fierce, decided by fractions of a second.

Amanda Kadingo watched as two of her children competed in different classes – Collin won the Masters division and his sister, Lilah, finished fourth in the Super Stock class.

Collin edged Zachary Snyder, 14, sponsored by Womer’s Garage, to win the Masters by 64-hundredths of a second.

“It’s nerve wracking when they’re on the hill,” said Amanda, a youth counselor. “But, I love it.”

Marcel LeBlanc nudged out Isaac Meck by 89-hundredths of a second in the stock class.

“It’s exciting,” LeBlanc said. “I just kept my head down and kept shifting my weight to the back.”

Alexandra Womer crossed the finish line 21-hundredths of a second ahead of Chiara Hoysock, 12, of Schuylkill Haven, who was sponsored by Everlast Roofing.

After a few tense moments as they awaited the official ruling, Womer and Hoysock embraced.

“I thought she was going to whoop me,” confided Womer, 17, a senior at Pottsville High School.

Demonstrating the intensity of the competition, timekeeper Nancy Roshannon said it was the first time in her memory that the championships of all three racing categories were decided in overtime.

The First Energy All American Soap Box Derby will start July 11 and run through July 18.

Winners and sponsors by class are:

Masters: Collin Kadingo, Spirit of Mechanicsville; Zachary Snyder, Chicora family; Jasmine Moyer, Fisher Tree Service and Tropp Contracting and Kadin Ringo, Womer’s Garage.

Super Stock: Alexandra Womer, Womer’s Garage; Chiara Hoysock, Everlast Roofing; Mallory LeBlanc, Quandel Concrete and Lilah Kadingo, Bobby Womer Special.

Stock: Marcel LeBlanc, Naftzinger Auto Wrecking; Isaac Meck, Blue Crue Tree Service; Evelyn Grustas, Marshall, Bohorad, Thornburg, Price & Campion and Mattie Zubowicz, Schuylkill County Scream Queens.