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The road to the derby has been action packed and more is in store before the race begins. The young drivers, along with the United Way agencies they are representing, assembled their derby cars at Miller Motorcars Ferrari Service Center on Aug. 2. The shiny, new, colorful vehicles, painted by J & B Bodyworks, are in the safe hands of Miller Motorcars until it’s time for practice runs and the race itself. Practice Runs – Sept. 10, 11 & 12 The drivers will take a spin in their new cars for the first time during special practice sessions, Sept. 10, 11 and 12, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Greenwich Country Day School. There the children will learn safety tips and basic driving skills, such as braking and steering. “We want to make sure they are familiar with the cars, so they will feel confident on race day,” said Elizabeth Tarbell, Founder and CEO of VivaPop, title sponsor of the event, who will be supervising the practice sessions along with Wayne Addy, Director of the Port Jervis Soap Box Derby. Race Day – Sept. 14, 9 a.m. On race day, drivers will line up in pairs at the start of the race course and will compete in one division, Super Stock, for drivers aged 10 to 17 with a 230 lb. weight limit for the car and driver. The race format will be single elimination, so each driver will race head-to-head with another and switch lanes so each driver will have the opportunity to race two times. The winner will advance on to a winners’ bracket. The derby cars can reach speeds upwards of 30 miles per hour. “Safety and fun are our top priority so our starting ramp is lower and our race course shorter than most derbies to ensure that our kids don’t reach top derby car speeds,” says Tarbell. The last time the soap box derby came to Greenwich was in 1985. For the past several months, enthusiasm has been mounting for the return of the derby this year. “The kids were very excited at our recent car clinics as they built their cars,” said Michael Parchment, General Manager of Miller Motorcars, the presenting sponsor. “This will be a very special day for children, families, the community and United Way of Greenwich.” About the All-American Soap Box Derby It’s been called everything from the “Greatest Amateur Racing Event in the World,” to the “Gravity Grand Prix,” but to the more than one million kids who have been participating in the Soap Box Derby during the past 75 years, the event spells fun. Akron, Ohio-headquartered All-American Soap Box Derby, founded in 1933, is one of the most established grassroots youth and family organizations in the United States. An official youth initiative of NASCAR, the All-American Soap Box Derby sanctions races year round in 170 cites and communities in the U.S. and overseas. About VivaPop VivaPop offers the most powerful on-line publishing service in the Greenwich community. Blogs, calendars, programs, events. Our search provides Greenwich area organizations the greatest visibility ever offered and our visitors the most concise information ever presented to make scheduling decisions easier. VivaPop was designed and developed by Elizabeth Tarbell. Before launching Vivapop of Greenwich, Elizabeth spent nearly fifteen years doing leveraged and structured finance for several financial institutions reaching the level of executive vice president. Improving communication within the Greenwich community and the environment are what motivated Elizabeth to start her own company, Sofiza Design, and to launch VivaPop. The new VivaPop is a complete overhaul of the original VivaPop with an improved user interface for business members, more powerful search, and greater visibility on all Greenwich area events. Call 203-661-0555 for more information. About Miller Motorcars Located at 273-348 West Putnam Avenue, US Route 1, in Greenwich, Miller Motorcars is the only factory authorized dealership for Alfa 8C Competizione, Aston Martin, Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Maserati, and Rolls-Royce in Connecticut. Miller Motorcars also carries an extensive inventory of preowned sports cars listed on its website, www.millermotorcars.com. What makes Miller Motorcars unique is its clubhouse atmosphere where customers stop by after a morning drive, pour themselves a cup of coffee, and talk about their cars and experiences. Miller Motorcars prides itself as it has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of dealerships in its class in North America. About United Way of Greenwich Over the years, the United Way has become the leading health and human service organization in Greenwich. Now celebrating 75 years, the United Way of Greenwich is a network of agencies, hundreds of volunteers, and thousands of donors, that can assess and respond to community needs, helping people of all ages and backgrounds. United Way of Greenwich mobilizes the community in strategic efforts to identify and address critical human services needs. United Way of Greenwich is the largest non-government source of funding for local health and human service programs in Greenwich. The organization achieves measurable and sustainable results through comprehensive planning, efficient fundraising, and effective investment in the community. United Way wishes to thank VivaPop and Miller Motorcars and the following additional sponsors for making the Derby possible: FieldPoint Custom Homes, Nestlé Waters, North America, Commerce Bank, Greenwich Hospital, RBS Sempra Commodities, Rex and Jeena Chung, Grade A ShopRite Supermarkets, Engel & Völkers Greenwich, Garden Catering, J & B Body Works, Michael Thomas Framemakers, Greenwich Magazine, AM1490 WGCH and Greenwich Post. Also instrumental to the event are the following members of the VivaPop All-American Soap Box Derby Advisory Board: Jack Moffly and Jonathan Moffly of Moffly Publications, Stanley Thal, race director of 1984 and 1985 Derby in Greenwich and Peter Crumbine, RBS Sempra Commodities. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.GreenwichSoapBoxDerby.com. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com. Some articles and pictures posted on our website, as indicated by their bylines, were submitted as press releases and do not necessarily reflect the position and opinion of NorwalkPlus.com, Norwalk Plus magazine, Canaiden LLC or any of its associated entities. Articles may have been edited for brevity and grammar. Related Articles: VivaPop All-American Soap Box Derby presented By Miller Motorcars raced down Greenwich Avenue - Sep 25, 2008 - 12:07 PM State begins taking applications for winter heating aid - Aug 11, 2008 - 11:34 AM Stamford tenth graders post gains in all subject areas on Connecticut Academic Performance Test - Jul 28, 2008 - 12:33 PM Bridgeport's Ellison named to 2008 All-Star team - Jul 11, 2008 - 3:17 PM CURRENT HEADLINES: Top of Page
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