The first time she jumped into a soap box derby car, then 7-year-old Malena Shipley had no clue what she was doing. But she had such good form and such good instincts, it seemed she was a natural.
In June, Shipley, 12, of Brookhaven, took first place at the All American Soap Box Derby World Championships in Akron, OH. After five years racing, she knows exactly what she is doing.
"I try to focus on the path that I am going to drive and I just try to really focus on where I am going steer," said Shipley, a student at Cliff Valley School.
Over the years, Shipley has progressed from Stock, the first level for the youngest and newest racers to Masters, the highest level of the Soap Box Derby.
As drivers move up in the ranks either based on age or performance, the cars get bigger. At the lower levels, drivers sit upright in the cars. At the Masters level, they steer while lying down.
The All-American Soap Box Derby was created in 1934 hitting its peak in the 1950's and 1960's before experiencing a decline in popular interest. Girls were not allowed to participate until 1971.
In recent years, a growing interest derby racing has been fueled in part by increased emphasis on STEM curriculums at schools. The Soap Box Derby even developed and last year began selling a STEM curriculum to local schools in Ohio. The hope to expand the program to other schools around the country.
Shipley said science is one of her favorite subjects in school which is pretty helpful when figuring out how to make a derby car move at 35 - 45 mph down a hill. The courses are straight and there is minimal steering, she said, but the key is knowing how to handle the terrain.
Before she races, Shipley walks the course looking for landmarks that she later uses to direct her steering during the race.
At the World Championships, a single loss eliminates you from the competition. Shipley had to race all day and win every one of her races.
In addition to becoming the world champ, Shipley has met many people from around the world through her derby races. One of her closest friends is a fellow derby racer who lives in Southeast Georgia, she said.
When she is not involved in derby races, Shipley enjoys playing basketball, soccer, cross-country and she has been studying karate since age 4.
Her participation in derby racing has inspired some fellow students at her school to get involved as well, she said. And when the third-graders at her school study wind resistance, Shipley shows up with her car to give them a real-life lesson in aerodynamics.
Shipley and her family said they would love to see derby tracks come to metro Atlanta. The closest track locations are 2.5 to 4.5 hours away, said her father, John Shipley. "One thing we are trying to do locally is build a track. They have tracks in all of these cities and we don’t have one here," he said.
At age 21, drivers age out of Soap Box Derby. Shipley, who also participates in Rally races around the country, said she plans to continue racing for now.
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