Small Cars With Small Drivers Race Toward a World Championship

Valentina Ross arrived at a school parking lot in the Bronx seeking redemption. She and her team were participating in a soapbox derby race against 30 other teams. Valentina had missed out on a chance to represent her school at the Soap Box Derby World Championship last year, and she was determined not to let that happen again. The race was the result of months of effort from schools in the northeast Bronx, where students designed and assembled soapbox cars as part of their science curriculum. The project allowed students to apply concepts of physics and aerodynamics, giving them a break from traditional classroom learning.