201812.29
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Youngsters ‘wheelie’ excited about soap box derby racing in Lake Forest

by in News

 

  • Kate Kaderabek, 10, wins all her derby races to compete against her brother, Nicholas, 12, in the Queen and King race. She ended up beating him in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Catarena Loucks, 10, cheers for another competitor during the third annual Soap Box Derby in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. Loucks, who was competing for the first time, said racing is similar to being in a roller coaster. “It is also a challenge,” she added. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  • Soap Box Derby racers zip to the finish in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Veronica Stagnaro makes some adjustments before competing in the Soap Box Derby Masters Division in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • What comes down must go back up as 10-year-old Kate Kaderabek knows during the Soap Box Derby race in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Andrew Knapp, 14, rests after having to push his Soap Box Derby car up the hill after competing in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Aubrey Gresko, waits to compete in the Soap Box Derby in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Aubrey Gresko, hits the breaks as she hits the finish line during the Soap Box Derby competition in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Tony Cascarano explains the fine points of soap box derby racing to his 1-year-old daughter Brooklyn, in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. Cascarano’s 13-year-old daughter Melanie was competing in the event. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Nicholas Kaderabek, 12, bulls his car back up the hill after finishing a heat during the Soap Box Derby in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. He finished third in the world last year, his mother Lynn Kaderabek said. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Nicholas Kaderabek, 12, keeps his focus as he competes in the Soap Box Derby in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. He finished third in the world last year, his mother Lynn Kaderabek said. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • LAKE FOREST, CA – DECEMBER 29: The morning sun greets participants to the Soap Box Derby in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

  • Kayden Stratton, 8, runs to the finish line during the Soap Box Derby in Lake Forest on Saturday, December 29, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The drivers got behind the wheels of their cars and raced full-out in the parking lot of El Toro High over the weekend.

But they didn’t attract the flashing lights of the police; instead they drew the cheers of the crowd.

Lake Forest organized an All American Soap Box Derby Rally for Saturday, Dec. 29, and Sunday, Dec. 30. The racers were hoping to earn points to help get them to the world championships in Ohio this summer, Race Director David Knapp said.

Knapp, a Lake Forest resident, was a soap box racer himself, following in the footsteps of his father. And his sons have also been racing, though at more than 6 feet tall, his older son has outgrown the sport, Knapp said.

The Lake Forest rally is a great place for racers to learn or get practice, Knapp said. The course isn’t too steep or fast. The race draws both male and female racers from age 7 to mid-teens; many built and painted their own cars.