Soap Box Derby Racer

The car is 75" long and 32" wide. It was used in the 1973 contest only, but ran in several elimination heats on race day. Russell finished in sixth place.

As required by national soap box derby rules, Dille built the gravity-powered car himself (with some supervision and help from his father and a family friend). Local sponsors helped participants by paying for materials, which were to total no more than $40 for each car. Chevrolet supplied the wheels, axles, and steering mechanism for Russell's car.

On race day, various companies reviewed the competing cars to select vehicles to sponsor. The Kirby vacuum company originally intended to underwrite only the car made by Russell's brother, James, but eventually was persuaded to sponsor both boy's vehicles. Each brother received $40, reimbursement for the materials used to build the cars. The Kirby dealer had with him just two Kirby stickers, one for each side of the single car his company intended to sponsor. Because Kirby ended up underwriting two cars, each vehicle received one sticker instead of two.

Race participants were bound by a 250-pound limit (combined weight of driver and car), and the winners of the Topeka race weighed in at about 249 pounds. Russell and his car totalled just 171 pounds. One week after the race he had grown so much that he couldn't fit in his car anymore.

The national Soap Box Derby began in 1934. Derby drivers, who must be 11 to 15 years old, design and build their own cars and race them in local competitions. Winners of these races participate in the finals in Akron, Ohio each August.

The Society's collections also include Russell Dille's racing helmet and photographs of him constructing the car.

In the photo (bottom, left) Russell is shown crossing the finish line on race day in August, 1973.

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