Akron native Ella Probst loves the thrill of a hill—specifically, the world-famous hill at Derby Downs in her hometown. She was one of more than 320 competitors from the United States, Canada, and Japan who competed in this year’s FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships, held July 14-20.
Probst’s bright purple car, adorned with panda bears, stood out at Derby Downs, home to the International Soap Box Derby for decades.
“We call it Panda car, and I'm Panda girl,” she said. “I've never seen another car with pandas on it, and I'm glad that I could be creative enough to figure out something that not many people, if any, have done.”
A video of racers like Ella competing at Derby Downs can be viewed on FirstEnergy’s YouTube channel.
Probst and her family have long engaged their creative sides to build soap box derby cars. Over the years, they have experimented with various methods to gain a competitive edge in gravity racing.
“After we get the pieces together, the true challenge is adjusting weights to make your car go as fast as possible while you are riding down a hill in it,” Probst said.
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts factored into Probst’s and all young racers’ car designs. These disciplines mirror those used by FirstEnergy employees daily to serve over six million customers across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.
“We are filled with pride when we see young people taking an interest in learning about STEM subjects in such an exciting, fun and engaging way,” said Torrence Hinton, FirstEnergy’s Ohio President. “By supporting these opportunities, we are helping to ensure that today’s youth have a bright future in the workforce of tomorrow.”
A recent high school graduate considering a career as a car mechanic, Probst hopes to pass on her racing knowledge to younger family members as she nears the end of her soap box derby career.
“I put 11 years into becoming the best racer possible," she said. "It’ll be really rewarding to help a new generation of racers learn the ropes and become successful in this sport.”
During race week, FirstEnergy announced it is extending its sponsorship of the annual event for another three years. This sponsorship continues a relationship between the two Akron-based organizations that began in 2012.
"FirstEnergy’s continued support enables us to expand our derby racing network and our STEM education programs to new communities worldwide while enhancing the experience for racers and spectators here in Akron during this annual globally recognized event,” said Scott Taylor, President and CEO of International Soap Box Derby.
Kids and young adults aged seven to 20 interested in competing can find more information on the International Soap Box Derby website.
Media Contact: Hannah Catlett 440-554-5346