For the third consecutive year and eighth racing season, Nazareth held its annual soapbox derby on Saturday, June 7, which was presented by The Lehigh Conference of Churches.
The Nazareth Adult Soapbox Racing Association derby was originally founded by Matt Rinker and ran successfully from 2008 through 2012. However, the event became too large to run safely given the small volunteer crew, which is why the derby had previously taken an 11-year hiatus from 2012 through 2023.
Now that they have been back up and running, their need for speed crew and sponsors have expanded, allowing the race to go on. And despite the dreary weather, spectators were prepared with their umbrellas and ponchos in tow as they lined the street to watch the race.
Promptly at 7 a.m., West Prospect Street and neighboring streets were closed off and monitored by police. Participants also began arriving around 7 a.m. to set up, and from 8-9 a.m. racers checked in and had their cars inspected. Practice runs went from 9-11 a.m., and the double elimination races started promptly at noon while announcers Keith Remaly and Jane Babian advised spectators to stay out of the street during each heat.
To pass inspection on the day of the race, drivers had to adhere to some strict regulations. For example, all participants had to be 18 or over; helmets were mandatory; only the driver was allowed in the car during the race; cars had to be powered by the strength of their push start and the gravity of the hill only, so they could not have stored power or external energy sources; a braking device was required; added weight like sandbags, dumbbells and cannonballs were prohibited; car maximum dimensions were 6 feet wide by 12 feet long; head-first style cars, rollerblade, skateboard and luge wheels were prohibited; four wheels had to be touching the ground at all times with no retractable wheels allowed; cars were required to have at least two wheels in the front and two wheels in the back; alcohol and visibly intoxicated drivers were not permitted; and cars could not have any “James Bond or Mario Kart stuff” like smoke screens, spikes, oil slicks, explosives or banana peels.
Each heat was run with up to three cars, with drivers doing blind draws for lane assignments. Additionally, races also had guidelines for drivers and their crews, which required pushers to only push for one driver, no changing drivers, each team was allowed a 5-yard push at the start line, if any part of the pusher’s body touched the ground beyond 5 yards the team received a foul, the driver was allowed to rock their body back and forth for energy but could not touch the wheels or ground and interference with other cars was strictly forbidden.
Down three cars from the 28 racers NASBRA saw last year, the derby had 25 racers this year. Drivers and their soapboxes included Bruce Gordon’s “Metal Frame,” Mike Burke’s “Flurer #16,” Misty Yard’s “Lime Green #5,” Roger Kunitz’ “Canoe,” Gerald Hoover’s “Yellow & Blue #4,” Dan Raider’s “Gulf Oil Special #99,” Rob Leiser’s “Brawner Hawk #2,” Don Pysher’s “NB2+1 Red, White & Blue,” AJ Ressler’s “White Resslers,” Lou VanHorn’s “Belly Tank,” David Knappenberger’s “Blue Coffin #11.5,” Jonathan Ruiz’ “Blue Shopping Cart,” Rick Novercel’s “NB2R,” Louis Stubits’ “Black Rat Car,” Steve Novercel’s “NB2S,” Kent Fry’s “Gurney,” Matt Rinker’s “Blue #8 ‘the ocho,’” Francisco Santana’s “ESE Yellow & Blue,” Craig Dally’s “Dean Van Lines – #12,” Randy Ressler’s “Wood Resslers,” Maggie Rice’s “Red Sprint #36” and Mark Mackenzie’s “Bat Mobile.”
This year’s sponsors included The Lehigh Conference of Churches, Milano, DeSales University, Wolf Insurance, Mehlbaum Sound, Health Partners Plans, Berkshire Hathaway, Pocono Raceway, Valley Restoration Group, Palmer Trophy & Awards, Master Supply Line, Oak Street Health, George G. Bensing Funeral Home Inc. and Servpro.
This year’s fan favorites for most creative cars were Kent Fry’s “Gurney,” which was equipped with a crash dummy patient on board that also won him the third-place fan favorite title in 2024, David Knappenberger’s “Blue Coffin #11.5” and Mark Mackenzie’s “Bat Mobile.” Mackenzie even dressed the part in his Batman costume and helmet, which the crowd got a kick out of.
Albeit a few mishaps such as when Don Pysher’s “NB2+1 Red, White & Blue” lost a wheel after the first round and Jonathan Ruiz taking a tumble down the track in his “Blue Shopping Cart” displaying “Crash Bandigoons” along the side, races continued with fans and their tail-wagging pups cheering on throughout the day while jamming to 80s classics and munching on hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy.
With just the final podium round winners’ race to go, the storm clouds moved in and began flooding the street with heavy rain. Unfortunately, most spectators left the race to seek shelter, but racers decided to wait out the patch of bad weather and secure their titles as the remaining spectators huddled under tents.
When the storm clouds finally passed, the sun came back out, and the three finalists victoriously raced down the hill to claim their trophies.
Taking first place was Misty Yard, NASBRA’s first female soapbox derby champion in the “Lime Green #5,” which also secured the win for Dave Austin in 2023 as the “Green #5 Austin Special.” Up from his third-place win in 2024, founder Matt Rinker won second place with his “Blue #8” dubbed “the ocho,” and AJ Ressler’s “White Resslers” came in third both this year and during the 2023 race.
Interested racers should start thinking of their plans for the 2026 derby, which will surely be even more creative than this year as the soapbox possibilities are endless.
Check out the Nazareth Adult Soapbox Racing Association’s Facebook page and website (nasbra.com) for more information about the derby and merchandise.
