“We restored it—it’s one of the antiques,” said A.C. Scott, noting that by “antique” he meant that the soapbox racer his great grandson Jude was sitting in at the top of the Plaquemine levee was actually made from wood, and not one of the new ones made of fiberglass. “I could have bought a new one for what I put into it,” he adds with a wry smile.
It was my good fortune this evening to stumble upon a practice session for Plaquemine’s upcoming Cub Scout Soap Box Derby that will take place on the levee next to the historic Plaquemine Lock on April 14 and 15.
“This is our sixty-fifth year “ adds another observer on hand for the practice, Alex Gueho, a committee member for the event put on by local cub scouts and their parents since 1947. This year they’re expecting about forty cars to participate.
“There’s also a parade on Friday the 13th,” said race committee chair Timmy Smothers. “The dads pull the cars down the main street of Plaquemine, while the kids ride in the cars.” Members of the Baton Rouge Corvette Club will be on hand to judge the best looking car, and the kids get to to choose their own favorite from among the entries as well.
Saturday and Sunday offer two days of races, from a one-of-a-kind custom built starting gate high atop the levee near the city’s historic Lock House.
“I know that gate was there when I raced thirty-three years ago,” recalls Smothers about this starting point for an event that spanned generations for many Plaquemine families—including the mayor’s.
“We’ve probably had thousands of boys come down that hill, “ says Plaquemine mayor Tony Gulotta. “I was in the Cub Scout races. My sons were in the Cub Scout races. My grandson will be in the races.”
“Ours is almost like a drag strip, straight down the levee,” the mayor continues, “They actually measure those cars in hundredths of a second.”
Sounds to us like the Indy 500 has nothing on Plaquemine when it comes to a weekend of car racing thrills. Call Timmy Smothers at (225) 776-1108 for more information.
