News Article

Schools and Clubs Competed in Soap Box Derby’s Gravity Racing Challenge STEM Team Competition

AKRON, Ohio (June 21, 2023) – Over recent weeks at Derby Downs here, students from Northeast Ohio schools and have competed in the Gravity Racing Challenge, an education program that teaches physics, gravity, wind resistance and other principles of STEM (Science, Technology, Energy and Mathematics) through Soap Box Derby racing.

Teams of up to 10 students and two educators spent several months building and fine-tuning their Stock and Super Stock division race cars which they raced at Derby Downs. In addition, they worked on an optional contest of designing and racing scale model Soap Box Derby Mini-Cars.

Area high school teams also competed in the Engineering Design Challenge division. Teams had been provided kits that included the floorboard, axles, wheels, steering and braking systems, as well as a list of materials they can use in the design and construction of the body. Some teams built their cars to run the fastest, while others customized and decorated their entries to look unique.

The winners for the GRC were as follows:

High School Engineering Design Challenge Teams

1st – Barberton High School (Car No. 301)

2nd – Barberton High School (Car No. 302)

3rd – Bridges Learning Center (Car No. 305)

4th – Louisville High School (Car No. 303)

High School Super Stock

1st – Barberton High School (Car No. 201)

2nd – Cuyahoga Falls High School (Car No. 207)

3rd – Louisville High School (Car No. 208)

4th – Whitehall – Yearling High School (Car No. 206)

High School Best Decorated | Engineering Design Challenge Class

1st – Louisville High School (Mutt Cuts Car No. 303)

5 – 8 Grade Super Stock

1st – Austintown Middle School (Car No. 129)

2nd – Austintown Middle School (Car No. 128)

3rd – Austintown Middle School (Car No. 127)

4th – Austintown Middle School (Car No. 131)

3 – 5 Grade Stock

1st – Bridges Learning Center (Car No. 12)

2nd –Hatton Elementary School (Car No. 02)

3rd – King Elementary (Car No. 01)

4th – Hatton Elementary School (Car No. 05)

Optional Contest | Mini Soap Box Derby winners
Best Time

Grade 3-5

1st place – Kylie, 1.649 seconds (Streetsboro)

2nd place – Madison, 1.663 seconds (Streetsboro)

3rd place – Evette, 1.667 seconds (Streetsboro)

4th place – Ben, 1.672 seconds (Streetsboro)

Best Decorated

Grade 3-5

1st – Jacob, Pokémon Design (Hatton)

2nd – Brody, Gucci Design (Streetsboro)

3rd – Michael, Watermelon Design (Hatton)

4th – Annabelle, American Flag Design (Hatton)

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