Advertisement

9-year-old walks off crash at city soap box derby

May 20—POTTSVILLE — Nine-year-old Elias Purcell had planned to finish out the M&T Bank Pottsville Area Soap Box Derby on Saturday, but it wasn't meant to be.

Racing for the second year, the McKeansburg resident's aspirations were cut short when his derby car drove into the wooden kickboards while he was coasting down Laurel Boulevard in the left lane.

Elias said that due to his glasses fogging up from his breath, he ended up crashing his vehicle.

Then, family and other friends ran down to him, asking if he was all right.

"I was like, 'I'm alive. I'm OK,' " Elias remembers thinking after the incident.

Race officials asked him if he wanted to continue, giving him 20 minutes to fix his car. Upon first inspection, the cart had a broken front axel. But lifting the frame, officials noted that the floorboard was split, preventing him from continuing the race.

He was one of 44 racers in the 46th year of the derby, which started at 9:30 a.m. and lasted until 4:45 p.m.

The top winners in each division — Stock, Superstock and Masters — advance in July to the 85th FirstEnergy All — American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.

Those advancing to Ohio are:

—Gavin Lutsky, 12, of Pottsville, for the Stock Division.

—Ryan Examitas, 13, of Shenandoah, Super Stock Division.

—Jayden Moyer, 13, of Pottsville, in the Masters Division.

All participants received a trophy.

Elias said he wanted to participate in the derby again next year but said he will need a new car.

"You did good, buddy," Mark Purcell told his son, who appeared upset.

Nicole Purcell said her son, who is in third grade at Blue Mountain Elementary East, was disappointed.

"He's driven," she said. "When it doesn't work out for him, he takes it more to heart."

Nicole Purcell said mishaps are part of life.

"Sometimes, your road goes off path," she said. "You pick yourself up, show up next year and dominate."

Barbie Carroll, derby president, commended Elias' racing.

"We look forward to having him back next year," she said.

Mark Morgan, Region 8 director for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware for the FirstEnergy All American Soap Box Derby, who attended the event, said if precautions were not in place, it could have been worse.

"He could have hit the curb," he said, adding that the local derby did everything to ensure the participants' safety.

Chiara Hoysock, 9, of Schuylkill Haven, was another racer on Saturday.

She finished in the Stock Division as first runner-up.

"I just win," she said regarding her goal.

Chiara enjoys racing because of the speed.

"You get to go zoom, zooms down the hill," she said.

Andrew Hoysock, 41, said his daughter clearly loves the sport.

"She has a passion for it," he said. "I think half the time I am more nervous than she is."

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023