If you see a large, ripe fruit on wheels racing down First Street in Langley in two weeks’ time, no, you’re not hallucinating.
The banana-mobile is the work of Gretchen Lawlor, who is among several Langley residents who are putting the finishing touches on their cars for the upcoming Soup Box Derby, which is set to roll into the Village by the Sea on Sunday, Sept. 15.
The beloved South Whidbey tradition of gravity-powered vehicles is back again this year, and this time, there’s actual soup.
This marks the second year the Langley Community Club and the Langley Main Street Association have partnered to put on the Soup Box Derby, which welcomes racers from the ages of 7 to 99 or older.
Though racers can register ahead of time, in typical Whidbey fashion, many will wait until the day of the event to make their presence known.
“We always worry that people won’t show up,” said Richard Bacigalupi, president of the Langley Community Club.
But like magic, they queue up for the free, quirky event with their homemade cars, which must have steering and braking mechanisms in order to qualify for the competition down the hill. No motors or pedals are allowed.
Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. in the old U.S. Bank parking lot at Second Street and Anthes Avenue. Safety inspections occur at 9 a.m., and the fun begins at 10 a.m.
Want to race, but don’t have a vehicle? Bacigalupi said organizers have collected some retired racecars from former drivers and might be able to help a new driver source one.
“Over time these great events to gather and celebrate Langley have gone away, and we’re working really hard to keep the derby going,” he said.
One of the big changes this year is the use of recreational off-road vehicles to pull cars up the hill, so drivers can race multiple times without exhausting themselves. Live music from Sound Machine will add excitement in between heats.
After the races conclude, Healing Circles and Roots of Wellness will host a free “Soup-nic” from noon to 2 p.m. on the Healing Circles lawn, with soup provided by Langley United Methodist Church and St. Hubert Catholic Church.
“There will be soup at the Soup Box Derby, and it’s funny because we’ve often said, ‘Gosh, we should do soup,’” said Donna Christensen, a member of the Langley Main Street Association board.
The event got its name from the Soup Coop restaurant, whose owners started the first race in 1972, according to South Whidbey lore.
Christensen said she has heard rumors of new, younger racers who are relatives of some of the legacy racers, passing the tradition down from generation to generation.
This is certainly true in the case of Gretchen Lawlor, daughter of famed Soup Box Derby racer Peter Lawlor. The older Lawlor was fearless, undeterred by a wipeout in his earlier years, and raced well into his 90s. In 2019, his last race, he handed the torch to Gretchen and her fiery red dragon car, commemorating the moment with a poem.
Gretchen discovered the poem when she recovered her dragon from the walls of the South Whidbey Community Center, where it has hung for the past few years. She plans to read it at the upcoming derby in memory of her father, who passed away in 2021.
“My father was so outrageous … how could anybody step into those shoes?” she recalled while barefoot, hard at work on transforming her dragon into a ripe banana. She chose the bright yellow fruit because it was one of her father’s most recognizable cars from over the years.
Peter Lawlor loved the Soup Box Derby so much that he wanted to be buried in one of his cars that resembled a coffin. Periodically, Gretchen said, he would get into it and try it out to make sure he still fit.
The day of his funeral, the coffin came hurtling into the ground, falling off a piece of moving equipment that failed. It was a humorous moment for his gathered loved ones.
“Dad did it on purpose,” Gretchen said. “It was his last run.”
She is currently making modifications to the new banana car to improve its wobbly steering and brakes. But come race day, she may not be behind the wheel.
“Whether I’m actually going down in it is yet to be decided,” she said, adding that her brother, niece and grand nephew are all flying in for the big event, representing four generations of the family.
The Lawlors aren’t the only South Whidbey family with a long history in the Soup Box Derby. Tim Leonard, who usually races in the event, is going to be out of the country this year and his daughter, Wren Leoshefskie, will be driving the family car known as “the All-Nighter.”
Many years ago, Leonard set out to build the car with his stepson, Jordan Dibble. Two nights before the race, they were up all night finishing it.
“The paint was literally still wet. We painted it blue and yellow,” Leonard said. “We never test drove it.” Much to their chagrin, the steering wheel was reversed.
Leoshefskie recalls growing up sitting in the backseat of the racecar with her younger sister, Zippy, who was killed in a tragic Christmas Day accident in 2011. In memory of her, the Soup Box Derby course is named Zippy Raceway.
Last year, Leonard added cannons that slingshot candy, to the delight of children gathered to watch the races.
Now an Oak Harbor resident, Leoshefskie plans to drive the car with her husband, Clayton Tolle. It will be their first time driving it.
“Every year we say we’re gonna make another car, but nothing can compare to this car,” Leoshefskie siad. “We keep using it.”
As the closing lines of Peter Lawlor’s poem read, “So remember in August or September every year it’s derby day. Say your prayers the night before. You’ll be saved by the bales of hay.”
For more information on rules, guidelines, registration, sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, email soupboxderby@whidbey.com.
Gretchen Lawlor is researching ripe bananas in order to perfect the look of her racecar this year. (Photo by David Welton)
Peter Lawlor races in “Ripe Old Banana” during a previous Soup Box Derby. The racecar has been many things since then, including a red dragon. (Photo by David Welton)
Gretchen Lawlor with her father, Peter Lawlor. (Photo by David Welton)
