by Garrett Fodor
Engines may not have been revving, but fuelled by the excitement of a cheering crowd and the force of gravity, drivers had the opportunity to race down Talbot Street in Essex Centre on Saturday, August 17.
The event was held as part of The Windsor Essex Soapbox Derby Association’s (WESDA) summer-long soapbox derby competition schedule, in partnership with the Essex Centre BIA and the Town of Essex.
A soap box derby puts racers in handmade or kit cars and, with the clock racing, determines who is the fastest. Racers were sent off from a ramp and down Talbot Street through heats and qualifying matches to ultimately crown the fastest.
“The Town was looking to have both a Harrow and an Essex Soap Box Derby last year, but due to the streetscape project last year we were unable to do so. But, we are happy to be able to bring this event to Essex and, for the racers’ benefit, this is the smoothest track out there,” Jake Morassut, Director of Community Services for the Town of Essex, explained. “Both of these streetscape projects [for Essex Centre and Harrow] have brought in new events and we are hoping the businesses are seeing the economic spinoffs of these projects taking place, not only from special events, but every day.”
For the WESDA, the Essex edition of the race was the first-time racing in the centre since the non-profit organization formed in 2023. Since founding, its race schedule has quickly expanded, with races now happening in most centres across the region, including in Essex Centre, Harrow, Lakeshore, Tecumseh, and Windsor.
On race days, participants from ages 5 to 16, are able to put their cars to the test to see who is the fastest. From kit cars, which are assembled while following directions, to the self-engineered homemade cars which fit within the race requirements, often no two cars are the same, allowing for creativity and personality.
Typically on race days, sign-up is conducted, which allows for those from all across the county and beyond to compete, while also being able to enjoy the local settings. Currently, all children who participate in the race are presented with a WESDA t-shirt, along with their own trophy as well.
“My favourite part is just seeing the children go down the track, the experience and the memories from that while also getting them off of the couch and showing off their engineering skills,” Scott Windram, Founder and President of the WESDA, said.
“My sister and I used to build and race cars when we were of age and we loved it. And, now that my children are of age, I wanted to provide an opportunity to do the same when there wasn’t the opportunity to do so locally.”
Windram noted he and his family would travel across Ontario and into the States before beginning to explore creating the organization to bring it back locally.
Initially, Windram said the hobby goes back into the early 1950s before a decline in the early 2000s. Since founding the organization and launching it, while doing research and acquiring cars and other equipment for the organization, he said there has been one common trend.
“Generally, a lot of the people I’ve ran into [and] I have been talking to about what we’re doing today, recall being a part of [soap box racing] years ago and the fun they had,” Windram said. “A lot of the volunteers we have now are those who used to race years ago and even give back by donating cars and supporting however they can. It’s great to see the interest and growth.”
As the group continues to grow, Windram hopes to continue to make the hobby and sport accessible as they add resources to the organization. They have been acquiring cars that can be sponsored and made available to racers, along with future plans to have free shopping lists and instructions provided to build basic cars to guide families wanting to get into the hobby.
At the Essex Centre Race Day, the WESDA provided an opportunity to try the sport and an adult category.
Looking ahead, Windram notes that he is pleased with the growth of the organization and hopes to continue to add to the list of races in hopes of furthering the reach throughout Windsor-Essex. Windram is thankful for the support from CenterLine and all of the sponsors and community partners, including the Essex Centre BIA, which have helped to make the races possible and to those who have helped to ensure the racers all have fun.
For those interested in learning more about the WESDA, soap box derby racing, car requirements, or sponsorships, visit www.wesda.ca or reach out for more information.
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