Closer Inspection Brian competes in the
Masters division, for which the combined weight of car
and driver cannot exceed 255 pounds and drivers are lying down. Cars in this division are made of fiberglass components that are molded together by the racer, a process that can take months.
Brian’s plastic helmet is customized to his
head’s dimensions and slides into a headpiece on his car. When he is in racing position, you can
barely see him. A tiny gap between helmet and car allows 3/8 of an inch of visibility.
Te paint job, which uses automotive
paint colors of candy tangerine and Aztec gold, took four weeks.
Te brothers wear women’s ballet-style slippers to keep their feet from chafing inside
the tight confines of their vehicles.
Brian used 111 screws to attach his shell to the floorboard. “I put on a ridiculous amount,” he says. “If people see something different with your car, it gets in their head.”
Black wheels signify that the racer has raced in the national championship in Akron, Ohio. “Tey
make you look more prestigious when you’re at rally races,” Brian says. Stickers on the wheels indicate the car has been inspected and is eligible to race.
Vehicular mayhem Soap box derby satisfies a family need for speed
by Kris Coronado ask Patrick Danahy how he got the nickname “Haystacks,” and the 14-year-old smiles shyly. “I forgot to brake,” he admits. The result? He plowed his soap box derby car into a row of hay bales at the end of the racecourse. Five years later, however,
his driving skills have vastly improved. He and older brother Brian, 17, sound like middle-aged mechanics when discussing the nuts and bolts of the vehicles they build themselves at home in Rockville. The two will be among the competitors at Saturday’s D.C. Soap Box Derby, where about 25 racers
Patrick competes in the Super
Stock division, the intermediate level. Te combined weight of car and driver cannot exceed
230 pounds, and drivers sit in a forward-leaning crouch.
between ages 8 and 17 will steer homemade cars down an 800-foot stretch of Constitution Avenue at speeds of 20 to 25 miles per hour. The derby has become a family tradition, complete with friendly sibling rivalry (Brian placed first in the 2008 Super Stock division, with Patrick coming in
second). Although the brothers will be in separate divisions this year, that doesn’t mean they’re not competitive. It all comes down to driving style, Brian says: “We’re complete opposites. I’m more of an aggressive driver. He takes the safe way, and I’ll usually go for it all. Which can help — or backfire.”
To keep the races fair, all competitors must buy their car kits, which must be assembled into a vehicle and cost between $400 and $600, from All-American Soap Box Derby at
www.soapboxracing.com.
Te D.C. Soap Box Derby has to be authorized by an act of Congress because it uses Capitol grounds. Rep.
Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has presented a yearly joint resolution to the House since 1991.
Te spindles — small metal pieces that the wheels rest on — must be kept
as clean as possible. “It looks like such
a minor part of the car, but the goal is
to make sure you’re controlling the
friction,” Brian says.
Te foam surrounding
Patrick’s driver’s seat isn’t for comfort — it’s to seal the gap
between car and driver to make it as aerodynamic as possible.
june 13, 2010 | The WashingTon PosT Magazine
7
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENJAMIN C. TANKERSLEY
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