Tibbetts wins Queen City Derby
By Staff
SPEEDSTERS – Seth Tibbetts, left, takes home the first place trophy, while Justin Scarbrough and Jarrod Kane take 2nd and 3rd place at the Queen City Soap Box Derby. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
June 10, 2002
Nine-year-old Seth Tibbetts beat Justin Scarbrough by .313 seconds to take the All-American Soap Box Derby's Queen City Soap Box Derby Saturday afternoon.
Scarbrough came through the losers' bracket of the double elimination tournament and beat Tibbetts by .032 in the first two heats of the finals to force another race. Tibbetts won the second and deciding race to win a trip to compete in Nationals in Akron, Ohio on June 27. Tibbetts and his family will travel and be able to spend a week in Akron before the big race.
The youngster from Quitman was also very excited after the big victory.
The race was open to kids age nine to age 16 and was run on 23rd Avenue from Central United Methodist to Ninth Street. 16 drivers participated in this year's race.
The day got started with a small ceremony for the drivers. The kids rode down the street in the town trolley. Each driver's name was announced along with their hobbies and other information.
After the the ceremony the racing excitement got underway. The cars traveled from 25 to 30 miles-per-hour down the road. The tournament was set up as a double-elimination bracket. Two cars ran a heat and then switched lanes and ran another heat. The total time differential determined who would move on.
Tibbetts advanced to the finals without a loss by beating his first four opponents. He won his closest race by .628 seconds.
Scarbrough took a much different route to the finals. He beat the first two drivers he faced and then lost by .023 seconds to Jarrod Kane. Scarbrough battled through the losers' bracket and beat Kane in the semifinals by .433 to move to the finals. Kane took third place with the loss.
Since Scarbrough came into the finals with a loss, he would have to beat Tibbetts twice. He was successful in the first race but fell to Tibbetts in the second race.
The race was very competitive, but the day was also a day of fun. During an intermission of the race, Frank Kilgore showed off his 1939 Oliver Jennings-made midget race car. It is one of 17 cars made of its kind and one of only two still around.
After the race, door prizes were given the kids and trophies were given to all of the participants. It was a special day for family members and also those that just wanted to see some racing.
The race was in Meridian for the first time in around three decades and ran smoothly for the most part.
If everything goes as planned the Queen City Soap Box Derby will be back and better than ever next year.