Turners Falls Fire Capt. Luke Hartnett drives Engine 1 in the 2021 Montague Soapbox Derby. The event will return Sunday, Sept. 18. Staff File Photo/Paul Franz
TURNERS FALLS — Although this year’s Greenfield Soapbox Derby was canceled due to a lack of interest, Montague’s race is on track to continue the go-karting tradition on Sunday, Sept. 18.
Last year, the racing tradition kicked back into gear for the first time in Franklin County since 2013, with events on Sept. 12 in Greenfield and Sept. 19 in Turners Falls collectively bringing in more than 50 racers. This year’s Greenfield registrants received a full refund and were referred to the Montague Soapbox Derby after the cancellation of the city’s race, which would have been held on May 7. There are roughly 20 racers registered to race in Turners Falls for the sixth annual event, according to organizer Mik Muller.
“We could always use more racers, but we’re on pace to have enough for the day,” Muller commented.
Soapbox races involve customizing gravity-propelled carts, many of which boast outlandish designs or stark themes. For Franklin County’s races, all carts must be hand-built and may be operated by “anyone from 8 to 80 years old,” Muller said. In Turners Falls, the carts and their drivers will converge at the Unity Park hill on First Street at noon on Sept. 18. The event will continue until 3 p.m.
“The whole day is just grand fun and showing off engineering prowess,” he said.
A highlight of this year’s event, Muller said, will be the participation of the Cyclekart Club, an organization of go-kart enthusiasts who operate bicycle-wheeled vehicles modeled after early 20th-century race cars. While typically motorized, the vehicles otherwise fit the soapbox race’s size and weight restrictions and will be eligible to race with their motors off.
“The hope is that after our race, we can go to the (Franklin County) Fairgrounds and have them take a spin around the track there,” Muller added.
Another potential facet of this year’s race is a new “Adult Semi-Pro” category, an addition to the typical categories for children, teens and adults. Muller said if there are enough participants, this bracket will be implemented to offset a history of repeat victors and open opportunities for new contestants to win.
“We’ve talked to a number of racers from last year and we also felt there were some carts made a really long time ago that are really, really high-end,” Muller explained.
The Montague Soapbox Derby is organized by the Montague Recreation Department, with money raised benefiting its programming and equipment budget. In addition, soapbox races indirectly support the local business economy, Muller argued.
“We’ve had racers come from as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York State and of course Vermont and New Hampshire,” Muller wrote in a press release. “Most of these people came to town, stayed overnight, ate local fare, and put on displays of ingenuity and daring-do for the onlookers.”
The registration deadline for racers is Sept. 14. Those interested can register at bit.ly/3Rrgtfg. There will be no same-day cart registration.
Those who wish to be sponsors, volunteers and vendors are also encouraged to reach out via montaguesoapboxraces.com.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.
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