From Mansfield’s derby hill to Akron’s world championship, first-year racer finishes third

MANSFIELD — Jonah Carolus had never raced a soap box derby car a year ago.

Now, the 12-year-old Port Clinton racer has a world championship trophy sitting at home after finishing third in the Stock Division at the Soap Box Derby World Championship in Akron, on July 18.

Jonah’s path to the podium began with a simple invitation from his friend Hunter and Hunter’s father, Dave Fuerstenberg, a Scout leader with Troop 360.

“Hunter and his dad mentioned there might be an opportunity to try soap box derby racing during a camp out together,” Jonah said. “It sounded fun and I like racing.”

That curiosity quickly turned into a season of competition with the North Central Ohio Soap Box Derby, where Jonah won the local race in Mansfield and earned the opportunity to compete against racers from across the country.

The Akron championship brought together more than 60 racers in the Stock Division, including competitors from the United States, Japan and Canada.

“It felt good,” Jonah said about learning he finished third.

The finish also earned Jonah a $1,000 scholarship.

A rookie season becomes a trip to the world championship

Jonah’s parents, Emily and Lee Carolus, said they were not initially looking to add another sport to their family’s schedule.

“Our initial reaction was honestly, ‘No — we’re too busy for another sport,’” Emily said.

Lee said they mostly knew soap box derby racing from childhood memories and old movies.

They eventually agreed to let Jonah try it, thinking it would be a fun experience and a chance to make memories.

The family first learned about the NCO Soap Box Derby through Boy Scout Troop 360. Mike Armstrong, a longtime soap box derby racer whose own children had aged out of the Stock Division, reached out to the troop because he wanted to keep kids involved.

With Armstrong providing cars and experience and Fuerstenberg helping with early logistics, Jonah found his way into racing.

“We truly didn’t understand how large and organized Soap Box Derby racing is today until we arrived and saw it firsthand,” Lee said.

After Jonah won the local Mansfield race, the family learned he would represent North Central Ohio at the world championship in Akron.

Emily said the opportunity surprised them.

“We didn’t even realize that was part of the outcome,” she said.

The week-long championship included car drop-off, inspections, racer activities and multiple days of competition. The schedule changed because of wildfire smoke in the region, requiring the family to make early morning trips from Port Clinton to Akron.

Despite the busy schedule, Jonah enjoyed meeting racers from across the world and taking part in the events surrounding the championship.

The Akron championship also gave Jonah his first glimpse of just how big the sport really is. While Jonah raced in the Stock Division, the event included multiple divisions and winners.

“There were a lot more people,” Jonah said. “It took many days to compete.”

“Through all of it, watching Jonah stay committed and seeing his hard work rewarded made the entire experience unforgettable for our family,” Lee said.

(Story continues below. Pictures of Jonah at the Soap Box Derby World Championship. Images provided by Emily and Lee Carolus.)

A sport built on competition, teamwork and community

Behind Jonah’s championship placement is a local program that has spent decades helping racers reach the national stage.

The NCO Soap Box Derby sends winners from its Super Stock and Stock divisions to Akron each year.

The local program has a history of success at the championship level. An NCO racer won the Masters division in 1993. Before that, the program’s highest finish came with a third-place result in the 1960s.

“We run a very family-oriented program,” Ruth Kinsey, secretary and treasurer for the NCO Soap Box Derby, said. “Everybody helps everybody else out. It’s a competition but it’s such a friendly competition. Everything we do, we do for the kids.”

Kinsey said Jonah’s third-place finish stood out because he competed at the highest level during his first year racing.

Akron’s race format differs from local races. In Mansfield, racers change wheels and lanes before heats are combined. In Akron, three racers compete at once, making lane conditions a bigger factor.

“Honestly it requires a lot of prep — getting in and out a bunch, weighing and changing weights, making small adjustments and rechecking, cleaning the shell, polishing axles — it was a lot of work,” Jonah said.

Racers also spend time adjusting their cars to gain small advantages. The cars are nearly identical and must meet inspection requirements. Racers can add weight up to 200 pounds, including the driver, and decide where that weight goes. Weather conditions can also affect the track.

Cars are checked during builder’s day and again before competition to ensure they meet safety and fairness standards.

Jonah raced a car sponsored by SkipperBud’s. The kits and wheels cost about $1,000, and racers compete in a rally circuit throughout the season to earn points.

More than a race down the hill

For Jonah, the experience has only made him want to continue racing.

He said his favorite moment from his first season was winning the local race in Mansfield, but he hopes to return to Akron in a different division.

“I want to come back to Akron in Super Stock,” Jonah said. “It’s a fun, good learning experience.”

Emily said watching Jonah win in Mansfield remains her favorite memory from his first year.

“As a rookie going up against seasoned racers, he handled himself with a level of focus and calm that surprised us,” she said.

When Jonah crossed the finish line and Kinsey gave the family a thumbs-up, Emily said that moment showed how far Jonah had come.

“The look on Jonah’s face afterward, that ear-to-ear smile, is something we’ll never forget,” Lee said. “That moment captured everything; his hard work, his excitement and the joy of seeing him succeed in a sport he had only just discovered.”