CAMANO ISLAND — Seventh in the world.
That’s the title Zachary Placzek, 13, of Camano Island, holds after competing in the super stock division at the 71st annual All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships on Saturday in Akron, Ohio.
“Before this year, I had not even heard of soap box derby racing,” said Zachary, who flew home Monday with a large trophy in hand.
In order to qualify for the championship races, Zachary won his division at the first Stanwood-Camano Soap Box Derby in June.
Madison Hughes, 10, also of Camano Island, won the stock division at Stanwood race and also went on to compete in Akron.
“I didn’t win at the championships, but it was so much fun,” Madison said. “I will race again.”
Madison, a fifth-grader at Twin City Elementary School in Stanwood, was accompanied to the championships by her mother, Leslie Tripp, and father, Mike Boyle.
Zachary, the son of Nicole and Eric Placzek, is home-schooled. He and his father built his derby car, painted to look like an Island County sheriff’s vehicle, from an official derby kit.
More than 600 soap box derby drivers competed at the championship event, Zachary said. About 180 cars were entered in the super stock division and Zachary had to compete in five heats before being named one of the top nine drivers in his division.
“It’s the most nervous I’ve ever been,” he said. “There were about 15,000 people watching the race and that’s about the population of Camano Island.”
Madison said she was one of many girls competing at the championships, which attract racers from across the country and include many international drivers.
The races are single-elimination heats, so when Madison got second place in her heat, she was out of the competition. In that race she was up against two top-seeded drivers who previously placed in the world championships.
All competing drivers were considered champs in Akron, her mother said.
“They were treated like kings and queens,” Tripp said. “We had a wonderful time.”
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
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