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Cuyahoga Falls girl, 17, is latest in long line of Derby Downs racers
By Bill Lilley
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008
Most drivers will credit a well-built car and superior driving skills as the primary reasons they are in Akron this week preparing to compete in Saturday's 71st running of the All-American Soap Box Derby.
Beth Underwood of Cuyahoga Falls has something else in her favor: her gene pool.
The 17-year-old, who will be a senior at Cuyahoga Falls High School next month, is the 14th member of her family to race car No. 1 on Derby Downs in the All-American.
''Soap box derby racing is just a way of life in our family,'' said Beth, who is racing in the masters division. ''For as long as I can remember, all I wanted to do was race. It didn't matter that I was a girl — I just wanted to race.''
Beth's grandfather, the late John Underwood, who sparked the family tradition immediately after World War II when he won the Akron local and went on to the All-American, helped nurture that desire. He built a miniature stock car for Beth when she was 7 years old.
''He knew I couldn't wait to race,'' Beth said. ''And he really wanted me to race. So he helped me to get an early start.''
Beth's father, Jon Underwood, wasn't about to stop that process.
''She was a track rat,'' he said. ''And I loved it.''
Jon Underwood, an automotive repairman at the family-owned Brothers Auto Collision on East Market Street, won the Akron local and a heat in the All-American in 1973.
His brother John — ''My dad really liked the name, any way you spell it,'' Jon Underwood said — won the Akron local in kit car in 1976 but lost in his first heat of the All-American. He then won the Akron local in masters in 1978 and went on to win a heat in the All-American.
Beth's sister Samantha, now 20, won the Akron local in stock in 1997, in super stock in 1999 and in masters in 2002. She won one heat in
the All-American races in 1997 and 1999, and then in 2002 garnered the family's top finish in the All-American when she placed third.
Over the years, nine other uncles and cousins also have raced and been champions in the Akron local.
Along with being a champ in the Akron local goes the distinction of driving car No. 1.
Or car No. 01.
''Somewhere along the line, somebody complained that just having one numeral sticker on your car gave you an aerodynamic advantage,'' Jon Underwood said. ''So they make the cars with single-digit numbers stick a zero in front of the number. It's no big deal.''
Daughter Beth agrees.
Her sleek, metallic-green racer that features a tornado, two eyes and ''Dizzy Lizzy,'' has the ''01'' attached and Derby Dog, a stuffed animal that's been her companion in the car for 10 years, wedged into the rear of the cockpit.
''I got a great draw — I'm going in Lane 1 in Heat 2,'' said Beth, who plans to major in business at Kent State University after graduating from Cuyahoga Falls next May. ''The goal is to keep the car straight, but you can't try too hard to do that. I just have to stay calm and collected, which took me about five years of driving to achieve, and keep it a smooth ride.
''Then, if I get a little bit of luck, things will work out great.''
Beth has competed in the All-American three times before. She won one heat in rally stock in 2001, won one heat as a local stock champ in 2003 and lost her first heat as a local super stock champ in 2006.
A two-year letter-winner in gymnastics at Cuyahoga Falls High, Beth knows what it takes to be successful in derby racing.
''It's hard work and we put a lot of time into the car,'' she said. ''But the experiences of racing here are unbelievable and the derby friends I've made, especially the Akron guys, will be my friends forever.
''That's why I'm sad that it's going to be over for me this weekend. I've stretched it out as long as I possibly can.
''And there is a lot of pressure on me because this year there is no next year. I'm just going to let it go and let the car roll. The derby experience, whether winning or losing, has been a great experience.''
Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.
Most drivers will credit a well-built car and superior driving skills as the primary reasons they are in Akron this week preparing to compete in Saturday's 71st running of the All-American Soap Box Derby.
Get the full article here.
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