Locher logged a lot of wins on way to Soap Box Derby championship
Jul. 26—Brayden Locher had built up quite a racing resume over this past rally season in Soap Box Derby, earning 30 wins, which was the most by any racer in the country, regardless of age or division.
That meant the 12-year-old from Owensboro had some expectations to try and reach at the 84th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio.
"Our mindset was that it was going to look strange if we won all these races, and didn't go up there and perform well," said Stephen Locher, Brayden's dad. "We felt we had a bullseye on us. People knew how well we had done throughout season, and we were expected to perform well. Last year we went up there and got fourth in world, expectations were to perform well again."
Brayden could definitely say he accomplished that mission by Saturday night. He was the Rally Stock world champion. It was only the second time a world champion has come from the Ben Hawes Soap Box track. The other time was in 2015 when Kelsey (Settles) Pruden won Rally Masters.
"The only time I was nervous was right before they announced the winner," Brayden said. "I didn't know if I was going to get first place or not."
The Lochers and the other 300 or so racers were in Akron all last week, with different events going on each day as racers were trying to roll to the championship Saturday. Brayden was in an all-star race Thursday for racers with highest number of wins, and he was third in his class of 44 racers.
On Saturday, you go down one time against three people, and the winner of that race advances.
"If you drive four perfect races you can win the world championship," Stephen said. "Saturday is a very unique race, it's not always the fastest car that is going to win, but by the results a lot of fast cars did make it to the finals and did win."
Stephen felt like Brayden did a fine job of driving throughout the week.
"I couldn't have asked for any better," Stephen said. "I'm on him pretty hard about being perfect, or close to it. He has high expectations for himself."
Brayden also thought he did a good job in his races.
"I feel like I did best in the championship round by staying focused and staying low on the car," Brayden said.
Most of Brayden's 30 wins came in Region 12, which is Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina. He races mainly in Owensboro, Bowling Green, Madisonville and South Charleston, West Virginia. Racing at the Ben Hawes track, and in Bowling Green and Madisonville is very competitive because those tracks draw people from different cities and states.
"If you can win around here, you can win in Akron," Stephen said. "We are very competitive around here, we race with the fastest cars. We will have people from West Virginia, Georgia, Indianapolis, St. Louis, come and race around here.
"It makes us all strive to be better, the cars that come here are not slow cars, and that pushes us to be better on a race to race basis."
After that last race in Akron, Brayden Locher was a Soap Box Derby world champion.
