SANFORD — The rebirth of the October Rally saw a pleasant number of competitors enter and compete in the 2-day event.
After being cancelled last year because of Hurricane Milton, the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department and Central Florida Soap Box Derby held its first 2-Day Rally of the 2025-2026 season at the CFSBD Derby Track and Facility in Mike Kirby Park the weekend of October 11-12, and the event drew a large entry list of 30 competitors, including 15 Super Stocks.
The conditions were nearly polar opposites as it was cool (relatively speaking), cloudy and windy at times on Saturday, while Sunday saw almost perfect weather with abundant sunshine and warm temperatures.
As always, the on-track action was very good and tight with 15 different drivers finding their way onto the podium (finishing in the Top 3) over the two days.
However, the top step of the podium (winners) was claimed by just six drivers _ Charlie Holliday (two wins), Sophia ‘SoSo’ August and Haley Hoagey in Stock, Alicia Swinderman and Alexa Mello (two wins each) in Super Stock and Sanford’s Bryce Sykes, who swept all four races in Masters.
Stock was the most diverse for winners, obviously, with August and Hoagey winning the Saturday PM Single and Sunday AM Double, between Holliday, who won the first race on Saturday and the final race on Sunday.
In Super Stock it was Mello winning both AM Double races and Swinderman, who made the trip down from Rittman, Ohio (just southeast of Akron, which hosts the World Championhips), claiming victory in both PM Single elimination races.
The City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department and Central Florida Soap Box Derby will be hosting its annual Marine Corps Reserve TOYS-FOR-TOTS Rally this Saturday at Mike Kirby Park.
Check in for the Marine Toys for Tots Program race will be at 7 a.m., with racing beginning at 8:30 a.m., consisting 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.
There is also a good possibility that there will celebrity races featuring either Marine representatives, City of Sanford elected officials or a parent runoff.
Anyone interested in donating to the Toys for Tots Program can being unwrapped gifts to Mike Kirby Park on Saturday or to the Downtown Recreation Offices in Sanford City Hall anytime.
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.
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 are the results for the October Rally:
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Stock
AM Double
1. Charlie Holliday; 2. Haley Hoagey; 3. Bentley Gill; 4. Addison Mello; 5. Sophia ‘SoSo’ August; 6. Brantley Sykes; 7. Emma Meredith; 8. Aalyiah Byrd. Other Participants _ Adarsh Koneru.
PM Single
1. Haley Hoagey; 2. Charlie Holliday; 3. Sophia ‘SoSo’ August; 4. Addison Mello; 5. Brantley Sykes; 6. Emma Meredith; 7. Bentley Gill; 8. Aaliyah Byrd. Other Participants _ Adarsh Koneru.
Super Stock
AM Double
1. Alexa Mello; 2. Ayva David; 3. Isabella Holliday; 4. Alicia Swinderman; 5. Samantha Hoagey; 6. Maggie Soucey; 7. A’Nyla Byrd; 8. JJ Rodriguez. Other Participants _ Aliviya Mello, Oryan Edwards, Aaron Meredith, Joel Rizzo, Claire Holliday.
PM Single
1. Alicia Swinderman; 2. Alexa Mello; 3. Samantha Hoagey; 4. Ayva David; 5. Claire Holliday; 6. Madison Taylor; 7. Maggie Soucey; 8. JJ Rodriguez. Other Participants _ Aliviya Mello, Oryan Edwards, A’Nyla Byrd, Joel Rizzo, Isabella Holliday.
Masters
AM Double
1. Bryce Sykes; 2. Rylee Scala; 3. Keiyara Wimberley; 4. Isaac Pickels.
PM Single
1. Bryce Sykes; 2. Keiyara Wimberley; 3. Rylee Scala; 4. Isaac Pickels.
Sunday, October 12, 2025
Stock
AM Double
1. Sophia ‘SoSo’ August; 2. Haley Hoagey; 3. Addison Mello; 4. Charlie Holliday; 5. Adarsh Koneru; 6. Bentley Gill; 7. Brantley Sykes; 8. Aaliyah Byrd. Other Participants _ Bentley Gill.
PM Single
1. Charlie Holliday; 2. Sophia ‘SoSo’ August; 3. Addison Mello; 4. Haley Hoagey; 5. Brantley Sykes; 6. Clayton Carr; 7. Adarsh Koneru; 8. Aaliyah Byrd. Other Participants _ Kaylin Keller, Sadie Cooner.
Super Stock
AM Double
1. Alexa Mello; 2. Samantha Hoagey; 3. Ayva David; 4. Isabella Holliday; 5. Alicia Swinderman; 6. Claire Holliday; 7. Maggie Soucey; 8. Aliviya Mello. Other Participants _ Oryan Edwards, A’Nyla Byrd, Joel Rizzo, Chloe Keller, Madison Taylor.
PM Single
1. Alicia Swinderman; 2. Alexa Mello; 3. Ayva David; 4. Maggie Soucey; 5. Samantha Hoagey; 6. Isabella Holliday; 7. Claire Holliday; 8. Chloe Keller. Other Participants _ Oryan Edwards, A’Nyla Byrd, Joel Rizzo, Aliviya Mello, Madison Taylor.
Masters
AM Double
1. Bryce Sykes; 2. Isaac Pickels; 3. Rylee Scala; 4. Christian Myers.
PM Single
1. Bryce Sykes; 2. Rylee Scala; 3. Christian Myers; 4. Isaac Pickels.
