August 18, 2010

America On Wheels Mini Exhibit Salutes Soapbox Derby
Display Highlights Classic Derby Cars Over Seven Decades

Allentown, Pa - America On Wheels (AOW) introduces its new rotating "Mini-Exhibits" with a display of more than two dozen Soapbox Derby cars representing more than 70 years of the American youth racing tradition affectionately known as the "Gravity Grand Prix."

The Mini Exhibits will be on display for approximately six weeks and are designed to increase the flexibility of the museum's display space, allow for more frequent rotation of popular trends in transportation history and encourage repeat visits from AOW's growing fan base. The Soapbox Derby exhibit includes some of the most notable homemade cars in the history of the Derby, including several raced locally over the years.

"This really is a unique exhibit for America On Wheels because it provides a glimpse of a great American tradition and a sport that encouraged family involvement through the years," said AOW Executive Director Linda Merkel. "The Soapbox Derby introduced generations of boys and girls to the thrills of racing and helped instill a passion for racing and automobiles."

The brainchild of a Dayton Daily News photographer, the All-American Soapbox Derby began in Dayton in 1933. The first race drew 362 boys and 40,000 spectators and an institution was born. Today 550 youths ages 8 to 17 compete from 155 cities - including the Lehigh Valley, 40 states and several other nations compete in the All-American Soapbox Derby World Championships each year in Akron, Ohio. The Lehigh Valley Soapbox Derby has been run in Easton every June for the past 15 years, said organizer Kent Finkbeiner.

"The Derby is still a great family sport because it takes the whole family to make it work," said Finkbeiner, who raced the local derbies as a youth. "The exhibit is a good cross-section of the history of the Derby with good representation through the years."

Derby cars on display include a replica of "Old No. 7," the car that inspired the Soapbox Derby and was driven by Robert Gravett in 1933. Other cars on display include:

• The 1935 "Silver Bullet" car driven by Loney Kline of Akron;
• A 1971 car from Hazelton, Pa. that was built and raced by the first girl to compete in the Derby championships;
• A 1982 car built and raced by All-American champion Matt Wolfgang of Pennsburg;
• And a 1975 car built and raced by Karrin Stead of Bucks County, the first girl to win the All-American Soapbox Derby Championship.

America On Wheels opened in April 2008 as the cornerstone of the City of Allentown's redevelopment plans for the Lehigh River waterfront between the Hamilton Street and Tilghman Street bridges just off Front Street. Since the opening it has drawn more than 41,000 visitors, including dignitaries such as U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, Italian automobile collector Nichola Bulgari and famed Indy 500 racer Mario Andretti.

Easily accessible to a half-dozen other renowned cultural institutions in Allentown, AOW celebrates our nation's love affair with motorized and non-motorized over-the-road transportation and its permanent exhibits range from the Nadig - one of America's first automobiles, produced in Allentown - to the massive Mack Trucks that helped America become the most powerful nation in the world.

AOW also offers hands-on playtime exhibits and learning centers for the children and a souvenir shop for race fans and anyone with an affinity for our automotive legacy.

For more information: Call the museum staff at 610-432-4200, or e-mail your questions to director@americaonwheels.org.

America On Wheels is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices are $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, $3.50 for students ages 6 to 16. Children 5 and under are admitted free.