68th annual Soap Box Derby results are announced

The 68th running of the Tuscarawas County Soap Box Derby local race was held June 25 on Wabash Hill in New Philadelphia.

There were three divisions: Stock, Super Stock and Masters. There were 12 Stock participants, 10 in Super Stock and four in Masters. One winner of each division will go on to compete in the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championships held in Akron July 16-22.

The winners for Stock were Jordan Bitticker in first place, Jaxon Walker in second place and Kadyn Hoover in third place.

Bitticker, 8, is the son of Blake and Lori Bitticker of Midvale. He attends Midvale Elementary in Midvale. He placed second in the local race last year and has raced in several rally races this season. In addition to Soap Box Derby, he likes to fish, is in Cub Scouts, races dirt bikes and four-wheelers, and likes wrestling.

The winners for Super Stock were Hudson Stull in first place, Ronan Chismar in second place and Emma Davis in third place.

Stull, 12, is the son of Brian and Christy Stull of New Philadelphia. He will be in sixth grade this coming school year at Welty Middle School. He placed second in the local race last year and qualified for the All-American in July 2022 as a Region 6 Super Stock Rally champion. He is in the Boy Scouts, likes Soap Box Derby, and likes to learn about history and visiting new places.

The winners for Masters were Savannah Blind in first place, Collin Smith in second place and Ruan Clark in third place.

Blind, 12, is the daughter of Wenny Denman and Scott Blind of Dover. She will be in seventh grade this school year in Dover. She plays soccer and basketball. She likes going to all of the rally races and making new derby friends. She also likes spending time with her papa Tim Barnett, working on her derby car. This is her third trip to the All-American. She won in the local Stock Division in 2021, the local Super Stock Division in 2022 and the local Masters Division in 2023. She is the first person in Tuscarawas County Soap Box Derby history to have three championships back to back to back.

Also representing Tuscarawas County is Jensen Stull, 9, who also will go to the All-American in July as a 2023 Stock Rally champion for Region 6. He earned points by racing in rally races this past season. He represented Tuscarawas County in the All-American in July 2022 as a local Stock champion. He will be in fourth grade at West Elementary in New Philadelphia. He is in Cub Scouts, enjoys rally racing, likes watching NASCAR and enjoys playing video games. He is the son of Brian and Christy Stull of New Philadelphia.

The Tuscarawas County Soap Box Derby is open to children age 7-20 in Tuscarawas, Carroll, Harrison, Coshocton and Muskingum counties. No experience or equipment is necessary.

If interested in learning more, call Tim Hiller at 330-407-7580 or follow the Facebook page, Tuscarawas County Soap Box Derby.