Smoke cancels All-American Soap Box Derby races in Akron

AKRON, Ohio (WOIO) - Thick smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed Northeast Ohio for a second straight day on Friday. The dangerous air-quality caused by the smoke, forced organizers to postpone the All-American Soap Box Derby races on Friday.

The races have been cancelled only two times, in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friday’s cancellation wiped out the Super Kids Races, in which children with disabilities race down the hill. It also stopped racers from making certain changes to their cars. The air quality index reached 200 Friday afternoon. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous.

Children race custom-built motorless cars down a hill, using-only gravity to get them across the finish line.

Saturday’s races still on schedule

Organizers of the soap box derby said Friday they are still deciding whether children will race Saturday. They said they are monitoring air quality, and Friday’s forecast indicated a possible break in the smoke Saturday.

Vintage car show draws families from across the country

While the track sat empty, the Vintage Soap Box Show continued inside Saint Matthew’s Parish in Akron. The one-day car show has been running for five years. Kenneth Cline drives in from Texas each year to set it up.

“We have a lot of cars here that are the grandfather passed away and the car moved on to the next spot,” Cline said. “So they’re happy to bring it in here and show off.”

Cline said the national draw of the championship creates a built-in audience for the show.

“You’ve got these people from all over the nation, you might as well take advantage of it,” Cline said.

Father-son duo waits all year for derby week

Blake Witticker and his son Jordan drove in from Tuscarawas County for the championship races. The two were supposed to be putting finishing touches on Jordan’s own race car Friday. Instead, they stood by their five vintage cars at the show.

The pair said they spruced up the vintage cars before the show. For them, the derby is a year-round commitment.

“We race all year long for this, you can’t take this away from us,” Blake Witticker said.

He added that while the family accepted Friday’s cancellation, they were not pleased about it.