The Squirrel Box Derby will return after a one-year break in the running of the colorful, small-town race on Saturday, May 28th.
Organizers said registrations are streaming in for racers, volunteers and sponsors who want to enjoy the new, one-day format for the ninth annual gravity race down “Jailhouse Hill” on North Broad Street in Brevard.
“This is our first year running the Derby as partners with the Heart of Brevard. Bringing back the race has inspired a lot of folks who were sad to see it go last year, and who see it as a vital community-building event,” says Kevin Smith, community relations coordinator for TCS. “We have streamlined the event, which we expect will give everyone a full and exciting day.”
Registration is robust in all three divisions: ages 8 to 11, 12 to 17, and an open division for business teams and all drivers 18 and older. Spaces remain in each division, and some competitors will be entering in their ninth consecutive Derby, having been involved from the very start.
All cars must register in advance at the new event website: squirrelboxderby.com, which includes safety instructions, race waivers and a schedule of events. Race day is Saturday, May 28, with a rain date of Sunday, May 29, the final day of the White Squirrel Festival which begins Friday night.
Registration is free for youth divisions. The open division carries a $100 registration fee and a $100 cash prize for the overall winner.
Weigh-ins and safety tests will start before the Memorial Day Parade, which begins at 9:00 a.m. After the parade, the course and finish line will be finalized and safety trials will begin.
Racing is set to begin as close to 11:00 a.m. as possible. Final awards will be handed out at the main music stage on Main Street. Complete details are available on the website.
Major sponsors Meredith Baldridge-State Farm, Going Green Builders and Domokur Architects have helped to put on the event. Numerous volunteers from inside and outside the school system are helping to make sure all aspects of the race run smoothly.
Brevard Rescue Squad will provide standby emergency assistance along with ATVs staffed by certified drivers to shuttle cars safely from the pit area near French Broad Street all the way to the starting line next to the historic courthouse.
Smith notes that the Rescue Squad’s traditional involvement has become a cornerstone of the event.
“We simply couldn’t hold the Squirrel Box Derby without the Rescue Squad, volunteers who extend themselves to perform this vital service, on top of their regular service to our community. Thanks to their knowledge of past races, and many hidden details that make everything run well, we are planning for a safe, enjoyable and exciting day of downhill racing.”
Another team looking ahead to Saturday is hard at work in the Brevard Middle School workshop. Students in career-technical education (CTE) classes with Vincent Warren and Mary Ann Winslow have been building cars for two years ahead of this year’s Derby.
BMS had two cars in production last year when the race hiatus was announced. They were crushed then, but they redoubled their efforts when news went out that the Derby would be back this year.
“We are working on six, and possibly seven cars right now,” says Warren, in his workshop with a group of hard-working students during the week before the race. “It’s been primarily eighth graders so far, maybe 60 students working together. Now, with sixth and seventh grade students added, about 100 students are getting these cars ready to be fast and safe before the race.”
Students created individual designs, then voted on which ones to put into production as a class. They have faced many challenges, but working to overcome them has taught students what to include in their designs to make them practical for construction.
“The hardest things to learn,” says Warren, “have been the seemingly little things we might take for granted: how to put a bit into a drill, or use a cordless drill. They’ve had to learn how to use a saw, jigsaw, bandsaw, chopsaw and then implement that knowledge into construction and design.”
Acquiring new skills with tools and materials, and turning their visions into reality, the classes are nearly finished building an airplane, a hot-rod muscle car and a red bull, along with some classic cars with soap-box derby outlines.
They are in the midst of finishing touches to the brakes, steering wheels, and outer shell of each car, using chicken wire and papier-mâché before adding paint and ornamental details.
Wheels and tires were generously donated by Sycamore Cycles, and other sponsors such as Meredith Baldridge-State Farm and Hooper Insurance Agency-Nationwide have reached out to support BMS students preparing to conquer Jailhouse Hill.
Warren added that the two-year process has helped students look ahead differently at their educational journey. “This is helping all the students consider more deeply what they want to do in high school: from carpentry, welding and construction to graphic design, 3-D design, mechatronics and more. They’re learning there is actually a purpose to all this working with your hands, and your head.”
Brevard Middle currently has one 3-D printer in career and technical education, and next year Warren expects to have another. This will open up another angle on the education value of this race for his CTE students.
“With that we can do some 3-D modeling, and develop small-scale models before moving to full-size cars,” he notes. “Last year, we had two cars in production before the race was cancelled, and we have the potential to build as many as eight cars next year based on what we’ve learned so far. We’re looking forward to a great race on Saturday and we have already had tons of fun and high-impact learning for our students.”
The Squirrel Box Derby is rolling down Jailhouse Hill on Saturday, May 28, in downtown Brevard, NC. The rain date is Sunday, May 29. The new website www.squirrelboxderby.com contains Information on registration, schedules, sponsors, and volunteers, plus pictures from past races.
(Image: Kevin Smith of Transylvania County Schools.)