LITTLETON, Maine — A Littleton teen is racing in The All-American Soap Box Derby rally circuit, and after 18 races he’s the highest super stock point holder in the New England region.
David Dahlk, 15, earned 381 points, qualifying him for a seat in the world championship race at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio, in July.
Dahlk’s enthusiasm for soap box racing helps keep alive an iconic activity that has largely fallen out of favor, especially in Maine, where all the local clubs except Houlton’s have disbanded. Once popular in many Maine towns, soap box contests existed only in Houlton and Bangor by the early 21st century. Bangor held its last derby in 2009.
“I love going down the hill in the car,” Dahlk said. “But it’s not just that. I like interacting with other racers and with adults in the pits.”
This will be Dahlk’s second world championship race. He won the local Houlton race in 2022, which earned him a spot in the championship.
From this year’s rallies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Dahlk holds two first-place wins and eight second-place finishes. Though there’s no prize money for his wins, that doesn’t matter to Dahlk. He’s in it for the love of the sport.
The Houlton derby was believed to be the largest qualifying race in the world with more that 200 drivers, according to Andy Mooers, past organizer who has been working on the derby since its 1996 inception. Today there are about 30 in the annual qualifying race.
The 26th running of the Northern Maine Soap Box Derby is slated Saturday, June 24, at Derby Hill near Houlton’s John A. Millar Arena. Dahlk will not compete locally since he’s now racing nationally.
The rally circuit is a bit like NASCAR, said Stephen Dahlk, David’s father.
“Racers go to different tracks and race to earn points,” he said. “To make it to the world championships, rally racers must earn at least 180 qualifying points, David earned 381 points.”
Racing the rally circuit meant that instead of just one local race, Dahlk was able to race in many different settings year round, even in winter. One unique experience was racing in the underground parking garage at the mall in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said Stephen Dahlk.
Dahlk’s champagne-colored super stock car is sponsored by the Houlton Rotary and Louisiana Pacific. It is the same car he drove in last year’s local race. In addition to sponsoring the car and its upkeep, sponsors help with some of the costs related to the championship race in Akron.
“I first met David when he was an eager, energetic 7-year-old, when his older sister was driving a car in the soap box derby,” said Frank Thompson, who also co-sponsors Dahlk’s car and six others. “When he turned 8 he drove in his first race. I have enjoyed working with David and his family over the years, and I am pleased that he will again be able to race in Akron.”
In 2016, The Bill Speeg Memorial Scholarship Fund was established. The top three finishers in the Local and Rally Divisions of the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship race receive scholarships from the fund.
Dahlk said there are certain techniques in the way racers tune their car that, when going down the hill with thousandths of a second at stake, can make a difference. But for most racers those techniques are well-guarded secrets so as not to give an opponent an advantage.
“One of the greatest things about soap box derby is that it involves parents working with the children as opposed to many things parents just watch,” said Stephen Dahlk. “I only wish there was something to attract more involvement, seeing that the number of participants has been declining for years.”
