45th annual Derby Day celebrates past and present

Jul. 4—FROSTBURG, Md. — City residents and families from the surrounding area gathered on Main Street Saturday to cheer on the 51 soapbox-style cars and kid drivers participating in the annual near July 4 event, the 45th annual Derby Day hosted by the Frostburg Elks Lodge 470.

The day kicked off with the parade down the hay bale-lined Main Street. Ella Holly sang the national anthem.

It was followed thereafter with a brief dedication at the finish line below the Frostburg Elks Lodge 470 building to retiring state Sen. George Edwards.

"The best friend that Western Maryland has ever had," said Todd Logsdon, who gave the dedication speech post parade. "If it's been something to make Western Maryland a better place, Sen. Edwards has been a part of it."

As the sun sets on Edwards' long career as a representative, the sun rose on the racing prospects of the young nine to 14-year-olds participating in the race.

The cars were lined up two-by-two and left out the block, using a bracket format to determine the winner. The sound of specially made American Soap-Box wheels on blacktop and the cheering crowd engulfed the downtown area.

The first race of the day was between the Special Olympics car and the Giusseppe's car. The Giusseppe's car won the race.

The forecast called for thunderstorms, and the event almost beat the rain, too. Yet, just as the day's final race was about to start, the sky let loose a downpour.

Ultimately, the decision was made to make the Armstrong Insurance car the winner, due to it being the lone remaining undefeated car. The Blur car took second.

There were 11 or 12 new cars in the event this year sponsored by Frostburg Police, Frostburg State University Police, Allegany County Sheriff's Office, Fraternal Order Police Lodge 144 and Maryland State Police, and more, said Sharon Kyle, a longtime event organizer.

The effort to get more cars in the action started all the way back in January.

"This year more people started coming to our meetings," said Kyle, who is responsible for recruiting new cars and sponsors. "We're excited to have this. There are so, so many nice cars this year — so many pretty cars."

Generations of families came out for the event.

Derby Day legend, Deidre Waites, the winner of the first Derby Day in 1977, was again in attendance. Her son, Travis Waites, participated in the event in 1997, coming in third place. Her grandson, Kycin Waites, raced in the day's event.

For the Shumakers, it was their first year driving a car sponsored by their family business Appliance Doctor.

Myles Shumaker had raced before in a different car; however, this year he was the pilot of the Appliance Doctor 84 car.

"Nervous, but excited," he said prior to his first race of the day. When asked if he would win the whole thing he said, "maybe."

Shumaker finished 6th.

Myles' dad, Aaron Shumaker, now runs the business his father Gary Shumaker started in 1984.

"It kind of reminds me of Mayberry. The town gets together, everyone gets together — I think it's really great," said Gary Shumaker.

Aaron never raced in a Derby Day, but he was excited about the car they put together for the first time.

"I think it's good for the community," he said. "Small businesses coming together to put it on."

The admission fee was $160 — $170 if the sponsor wanted their business name on their t-shirt.

"It's a super exciting day. It's the biggest Derby Day ever," said Frostburg Police Chief Nick Costello. "It's a great day for the youths, and their families and the Frostburg community."

In an effort to add a little bit extra to the event, Commissioner of Public Safety Kevin Grove came up with an idea. The four cars sponsored by the Allegany County Sheriff's Office, the Frostburg Police Department, the Frostburg State University Police Department and the Fraternal Order Police Lodge 144 would have a $50 each bet, where whatever car placed best among the four would get to donate the $200 collected to a charity of their choice.

Brandon Glass is a staff writer for the Cumberland Times-News. Follow him on Twitter @Bglass13