Derby officials say the competition has operated in debt for six years. Organization has cut operating expenses and reduced management and staff to deal with lower revenue.
View full sizeDale Markowski, representing Parma, on Wednesday waxes his car in preparation for Saturday's races at the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron. AKRON, Ohio -- For a moment anyway, it was easy to forget the Soap Box Derby's financial misery when watching a North Ridgeville family's enthusiasm as they prepared a car for a trial run Wednesday.
The Dyer family doesn't even want to think about how much they've spent racing. They've accumulated more than 12 cars in the last decade for three daughters, and will race one in this Saturday's competition.
But organizers of the All-American Soap Box Derby keep close track of money. In each of the last two years, revenues have come up $250,000 short of expenses.
"It's a combination of economic effects. We're working very hard to run a lean operation," said Bob Troyer, spokesperson for the group. The 73-year-old event has been without a national sponsorship for three years. Troyer said one could be in place for 2011.
In the meantime, the Akron community has provided more support. Businesses have given $300,000 to the organization.
"We're pleased to have Akron helping us," said Bill Evans, chairman of the competition.
Organizers expect more money to come from the upcoming Soap Box Derby movie "25 Hill." Team Cherokee Productions, owned by director-actor Corbin Bernsen, has already donated $50,000 and will give part of the film's proceeds to the organization. Filming continues in Akron. In fact, scenes will be shot between races Saturday.
Still, the additional help hasn't been enough, as deficits roll up seemingly as fast as the motorless cars get to the bottom of the Derby's hill.
The operating budget is $1.4 million, down $400,000 from last year, Troyer said. The organization has cut operating expenses and reduced event management and staffing.
View full sizeJim Overmyer, representing Oregon, Ill., peers through a small opening during a test run at Akron.Local racing groups also are taking a hit. Chris Dyer, Cleveland's derby president for the last five years, said the smaller operations get less assistance from the national office.
The added burden, as well as lack of exposure for the racers, factor into the Cleveland area's loss of competitors, he said.
Ten years ago, a Disney channel movie about Soap Box Derby racing made the sport relevant again.
"All those kids have aged out, and we're not getting new kids to take their place," Dyer said. Participation dropped 25 percent this year alone.
Local groups that want to hold a Derby-sanctioned race must pay the national organization upwards of $1,000 for license fees, depending on how many divisions are competing, according to organizers.
Once you add in insurance, prizes, T-shirts, and facility use, a local race can cost almost $5,000, said Anne Dyer, Chris's wife.
The national office needs the license fees since they are one of its three major revenue streams, Evans said. Donations, of course, are another. The third is what the organization takes in by charging competitors for car kits and wheels. For a single racer, the cost can exceed $500.
The price is too high for many.
"People aren't committing to it," Chris Dyer said. "People looking for things to do can't spend that much."
The Dyer family, however, is willing to absorb the cost, saying family involvement is worth the investment.
"There aren't a lot of things a father can do with his daughter," said Anne, as she watched her youngest, 17-year-old Morgan, and husband wax the car three days before the big race.
"You're working with your children as opposed to watching them do something," Chris said. "It has made it all worth it."
