Derby Downs

There is a garage and service area at the top of the track which serves as car storage and the “service pit” area during the All-American Soap Box Derby Race Week. The Derby Hall of Fame and Museum building is located on George Washington Boulevard. During other times of the year, the Topside facility is the site of the Derby program’s assembly and shipping operations for the car kits and other components purchased by race organizations and individual contestants.

The bridge is 35 feet, seven inches past the former finish line, which was moved to lengthen the official track to 989 feet, four inches. To obtain the propulsion that produces exciting races, the track’s decline is separated into three stages. The first 53.75 feet carry a 16 percent grade, meaning a drop at the rate of 16 feet for every 100 feet. There follows a six percent grade for the next 530 and a two percent drop over the remaining 405.5 feet.

The track itself is as safe as experience and engineering can make it. The 30-foot-wide track is bordered by guardrails. The 1,200-foot run-out area beyond the finish line is an additional safety precaution. Parallel lines on the full length of the track serve as guides for drivers.