Clearwater Soap Box Derby racers qualify for world championships

There’s a neighborhood in Clearwater, on the same street, to be exact, that is churning out soap box derby champions. The common thread — is their head coach, Mark Ferdinand.

Ferdinand won the Soap Box Derby world championship in 1977. Now he’s passing down his knowledge of the sport to family and friends.

“They all seem to filter to my place, and I start building them cars,” Ferdinand said. “I enjoy every minute of it. It’s a passion I’ve done my whole life.”

Ferdinand is so proud of his grandson, Chase Raas (9), for winning the local stock division qualifier in Ocala.

That victory qualifies Chase for the world championships in Akron, Ohio, in July.

“My mom took fourth place somewhere in the 1990s,” Chase said. “She got fourth place in the world.”

“My daughter won it in 1997, made it to Akron, and took fourth in the world,” Ferdinand said. “So, now my grandson is going back 27 years later. He’s got a really good shot of doing something this year, placing in Akron.”

The same car Ferdinand’s daughter ran in 1997 is being used for his neighbor, Ayva David (13), who qualified for the world championship in the super stock division. Ferdinand made a few modifications to Ayva’s ride.

“I trust him with my car a lot. Just knowing he’s my coach definitely helps me a lot. Everyone knows Mark. It’s definitely a confidence boost.”

Ayva is an experienced driver. She won the world title in 2022 and finished fifth last year. Both Ayva and Chase have a strategy to win when they get to Akron.

“Avoid the bumps on the track and go down a straight line,” Chase said.

It turns out going downhill is a good thing for these local soap box derby racers.