Dayton’s Soap Box Derby held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, c.1949…

Thanks to help from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, a championship soap box derby track was built in Akron, Ohio, resulting in the move of the All-American Soap Box Derby race from Dayton to northern Ohio. Despite the move, Dayton continued to host races for years, sending its city champs on to Akron for a chance to compete for the national title. With the onset of WWII, the tournament officially suspended activities until the summer of 1946, encouraging everyone to concentrate on the war effort. In 1949, Dayton’s race was held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as can be seen in this aerial image, by photographer William Preston Mayfield. Here, the race track and starting line are clearly visible with a large hangar and several airplanes parked off to the right. This photograph is from the William Preston Mayfield/Marvin Christian Collection at Dayton History.

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