Craftsmanship and fun, Jasper Group celebrates 150 years with soapbox derby
Jasper Group President and CEO Mike Wagner joked that it may be another 150 years before they host another soapbox derby.
He had been suggesting the company hold one for about three years, but Russ Sage, Jasper Group’s executive vice president of culture and people, who also oversees safety, had been reluctant. Putting kids in the cars “made me a little nervous,” Sage said.
Wagner said he finally made an offer to Sage. “I said, well, if we do it every 150 years, would that be okay?” No Content
On Saturday, seven cars raced down the hill on Fifth Street, next to the Center of Fifth, home to the Southwestern Indiana Child Advocacy Center Coalition (SWICACC). Each car was custom-built by a different department or plant within the Jasper Group footprint, and the designs reflected those origins.
Once the plants started building, the competition got serious with teams hiding cars during tours. “One of the plants even built a fake car,” Wagner said.
Wagner said he was impressed with what the teams created. “These guys are just ingenious with the designs. You could tell they put their hearts into it,” he said.
Wagner said he really appreciated the craftsmanship of Hub 1’s car, which was built entirely from hardwood with a cab on top. He tied it to the area’s furniture-making roots. “To me that car exemplifies what the community is all about,” he said.
Sage said the team spent more than a year planning the event, which included a special celebration at headquarters after the race with live music, food and games. But walking down the hill Saturday after all the racers had completed their runs, Sage said the soapbox derby was the most complicated part of the day.
“There was so many details in this thing,” he admitted.
Each run pitted two cars against each other on the downhill track split by bales of straw with another buffer of bales at the end in case a racer failed to stop. Tom Betz emceed the event, announcing each racer as they were backed up onto two metal ramps. There, the racers waited to launch, held in place on the ramps by metal plates attached to a single trigger.
Once released, it was up to the drivers to steer their cars and hit the brakes after crossing the finish line at the bottom of the hill. Each run ended with the checkered-flag wave as the first-place car crossed the finish line.
In addition to the overall winner, teams were awarded for the fastest time, most creative build, and even slowest time.
Wagner said he really appreciated the craftsmanship of Hub 1’s car, which was built entirely from hardwood with a cab on top. He tied it to the area’s furniture-making roots, something that he says the company is committed to continuing as some companies’ headquarters have moved away from the area.
“The reason why the companies were successful in the first place was the community and the people here,” Wagner said. “And the single most important thing to me is that we leave a strong business community in this area so that your grandkids and and their children have a place that they can thrive and they get the same opportunities we do.”
The winners:
Team Driver Award(s) Tambour Trailblazers Willow Soapbox Derby Champion; Spirit of Jasper Group Chair Force 1 David Fastest Car; Best Design Team Ramrod (Plant 70) Drew Most Original Hub 1 Taylen Best Craftsmanship
