In One Ear: Borrowed wheels
Published 5:00 am Thursday, March 5, 2026
On Feb. 2, Water Under the Bridge included an item about the 1951 Soap Box Derby, urging youngsters to pick up the necessary construction guides needed to start building their own racing cars. The winner would get a free trip to Akron, Ohio, where the national soap box derby was held every summer.
For those not familiar with soap box racing, the cars have no motors, and race downhill using gravity. And, the annual soap box derby was a very big deal in Astoria at the time. A 12-page program featured all of the 1951 participants, including Phillip Shoop Sr.
When Phillip Shoop Jr. saw the story, he sent in photos of his father’s trophy for the Astoria 1952 Soap Box Derby win. Which, naturally, gave him the opportunity to compete in the national 1952 All-American Soap Box Derby. (Amazingly enough, there’s a video of the event, “Where the Son Shines,” at tinyurl.com/1952SoapBox.)
“So, when dad arrived at Akron, he said his wheels were misplaced,” Phil Jr. recalled. “They were found, but shortly after finding them, someone stole them. He had to race on borrowed wheels.
“He had figured out something on trimming out the wheels, and always thought he would have won the race if they hadn’t been stolen. He still had a lot of fun and excitement at the competition.”
“The highlight of the entire trip was being able to meet the three guests at the meet,” he added. “They were Jimmy Stewart (actor), Joe E. Brown (comedian) and Edgar Bergen (actor/ventriloquist). He also received an engraved watch at the meet. I have the watch, but the band deteriorated, and was discarded.” (Photos: Phillip Shoop Jr.)
