SANFORD — After another successful trip to the World Championships in Akron, Ohio, in late July, the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department and Central Florida Soap Box Derby will begin the Rally and Derby Season for 2025-2026 season this Saturday at the Central Florida Soap Box Derby Complex in Mike Kirby Park.
The normal race day schedule at Mike Kirby Park is as follows:
Racers should arrive by 7 a.m. with racing set to begin at 8 a.m. and the day will consist of a Double Elimination race for each class in the morning, followed by a lunch break and a Single Elimination race for each class in the afternoon.
Soap Box Derby racing is open to children ages 7 to 20 _ Stock, 7-to-13; Super Stock, 9-to-18; Masters, 10-to-20 _ with a limited number of loaner cars available for new participants as well as individuals who wish to make a trial run to see if they would like to participate.
Everyone, especially interested non-racers, is invited to attend any of the family friendly events, free of charge, at beautiful Mike Kirby Park located on the west side of Sanford on Oregon Avenue, north off of CR-46A (25th Street/H. E. Thomas Parkway) or east off of Rinehart Road, just south of the GreeneWay entry. The track is East of Bentley Elementary School.
For more information on Central Florida Soap Box Derby or to download a registration form, please check out the websites at www.AASBD.com or [email protected]; Eric Griffin, [email protected], 407-353-6228, or call the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department at 407-688-5120. More information is also available at _ https://www.facebook.com/CentralFloridaSoapboxDerby/ _ especially photos and flyers.
Here is the 2025-2026 schedule:
* September Rally _ Saturday, September 20.
* 2-Day October Rally _ Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12.
* Toys for Tots and Celebrity Race _ Saturday, November 1.
* 2-Day Holiday Rally _ Saturday, December 27, and Sunday, December 28.
* 2-Day February Rally _ Saturday, February 21, and Sunday, February 22, 2026.
* Super Kids Derby _ Saturday, April 11, 2026.
* 37th All-American Soap Box Derby Local Race _ Saturday, May 2, 2026.
The City of Sanford, Central Florida Soap Box Derby and Soap Box International Region 7 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina) capped off another great year with another successful week at the 87th Annual FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship and 20th Annual National Super Kid Classic, held the week of July 13-to-19, at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio.
While congratulations go out to all of the representatives on a great showing in Akron! Special Congratulations go to the Region 7 Champs who finished in the Top 9 in the 2025 AASBD World Championships _ in Local Masters Charles Connor finished fifth and Central Florida Soap Box Derby’s own Logan Webb was sixth and in Rally Super Stock the duo of Ocala’s Ayva David and Clearwater’s Alexa Mello, who attend the Sanford Rally’s regularly, finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
In addition to City of Sanford and CFSBD 2025 Local Champions Madison Taylor in Stock, Clayton Carr in Super Stock and Logan Webb in Masters, other Sanford, CFSBD and Region 7 representatives were Local Stock Champions: Derrick Williams, Adeline Busby, Charlie Holiday and Janna Hutchison; Local Super Stock Champions: William Powell, Isabella Holiday, Isaac Pickels and Reece Williams; Local Masters Champions: Rylee Scala and Charles Connor; Rally Stock Champions: Haley Hoagey, Addison Mello, Soso August, Weston Claxton and Joel Rizzo; Rally Super Stock Champions _ Maggie Soucey, Alexa Mello, Ayva David, Aliviya Mello and Samantha Hoagey; Rally Masters Champions: Noah Gordy; Brianna Scallatino and Alyssa Head.
