NewsDerby Spotlight - David Reid08.24.2016Derby Spotlight – David Reid David Reid in 2011 helping officiate the Derby in VA The most memorable time during David Reid’s Soap Box Derby® career was the first time he went down the hill. “I will always remember the time when I first understood what line to run down the hill and I hit every mark” said Reid. Going in a straight line and hitting every mark is a hard thing to accomplish for the average racer. “After crossing the finish line on the last heat, I stopped and climbed out of my Super Stock car and listened for the announcer to voice the times we ran. I will never forget when I heard, “Winner lane 1 with a time of … “I always looked at racing as just a driver hopping into his/her car but I was definitely wrong,” said Reid. “It showed me that learning how the vehicle worked made me a better driver.” While participating in the Soap Box Derby, Reid was introduced to the mechanical side of racing. David’s passion for wanting to know how things worked was ignited. At an early age David knew that he wanted to work on airplanes when he got older. He has always had a passion for airplanes and how they operate. Reid is currently attending Blue Ridge Community College in North Carolina and studying Aviation Maintenance Management. After David graduates he hopes to enter the managerial side of aviation maintenance after he becomes a mechanic. Reid raced for several years and was successful at all three divisions. The first race he participated in was the 2006 Stock division. In 2007 he raced in the Super Stock division and in 2008 Reid was the Super Stock local champion. After his success in the Stock and Super Stock divisions, Reid decided to race in the Masters Division and was the local champion in Harrisonburg, VA in 2010. Both of his local wins in 2008 and 2010 brought Reid to race in Akron, Ohio for the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship. Although David did not win at Akron, he had a great experience racing with all the other great competitors. While racing in the Soap Box Derby, Reid learned that being a good sportsman was important. “Always say good luck to your opponent before going down the hill” Reid said. For David, the Soap Box Derby has always been a family event. His father helped both David and his brother George build their Soap Box Derby cars. Reid’s mother and sister also came out to cheer him on during a race. In the future, David plans on helping with the Soap Box Derby local near him. “I would even like to help run a local race,” said Reid. David Reid going down the hill in 2008 and winning the Harrisonburg race. David Reid and his brother George's last year showing steers in 2015 at the Rockingham County Fair with their senior certificates that they received. David Reid and his brother, George, watching a friend Lauren Baugher as she went down the hill to eventually race him for first place in 2010 in Harrisonburg. Note: This is the eighth in a series of spotlights on former Derby racers who have gone on to study/work in a STEM related field. If you know of someone who we could spotlight please let us know at soapbox@soapboxderby.org Past Spotlight Features Nicole Stout - Spotlight (January, 2016) Michael Gallo - Spotlight (February, 2016) Todd Hinton - Spotlight (March, 2016) Alan Uhler - Spotlight (April, 2016) Kristi Murphy - Spotlight (May, 2016) James Fell - Spotlight (June, 2016) Michael J. Corson, Jr. - Spotlight (July, 2016)