What are the "Winning Ingredients"

There are several ingredients that are needed to compete successfully in the Soap Box Derby. One ingredient is to have a good team. A minimum team consists of a driver and car handler, but often consists of several family members handling different aspects of the team. Whatever the make up of your team, it is important to work together toward the common goal of winning.

Communication is the foundation of a great team and this must be one of the top ingredients of the team leader. Avoid Yelling and screaming. Yelling and screaming is an example of teamwork that is not working. A good team leader will realize that not everyone on the team has the same technical knowledge and will take time to explain new terminology to everyone on the team. An example of this might be a spindle. Not everyone will know what this is and time should be taken to explain what a spindle is and its use. Young drivers often do not understand the words used by adults and often do not feel comfortable asking all the time; "What does that mean dad." or "I don't know what that means dad!” The driver needs to feel comfortable telling the car handler that the steering does not feel right or that the breaks are acting funny. Take the time to make the driver feel comfortable in the team and able to have their comments heard and respected.

The following is an outline of ingredients needed to be successful in Soap Box Derby. I'll get into each individual ingredient in the future.

Driver

The driver needs experience, driving skill, desire, hands on construction experience, a good understanding of the race rules, and good communication skills.

Car

The car ingredients are, good parts, proper assembly, alignment, cross bind adjustment, aerodynamic consideration, tight construction, good steering system, good brake system, proper weight placement, and proper position of items to assist the driver.

Addressing the important ingredients will put you ahead of your competition. All this and more is in "Winning Ingredients" and available for you today.