Macon's Magnolia Soapbox Derby brings spills and thrills

There's a good reason Magnolia Soapbox Derby organizers tell spectators to keep off the hay bales lining the street.

Over the race's eight-year history, cars have been known to go off course.

With winds gusting to 30 mph during the "Shadetree" competition, volunteer Michael Robinson learned that the hard way.

Top Gun theme "Danger Zone" was playing as Navicent Health's 11M-1 ambulance was headed straight for Robinson.

"It was kinda scary and they just came right at me," said Robinson, who was on the track near the finish line.

He had no choice but to leap up, spread eagle and fly over the low-riding car.

"I reacted naturally," said Robinson, whose nickname is "Danger."

He's now destined to be an Internet sensation as cellphones captured his acrobatics.

"It was awesome," he said.

One spectator posted it immediately to Facebook.

Erin Keller also unknowingly captured all the drama.

"I was filming, so I didn't really see he had to hurdle that car," Keller said after reviewing her footage. "I love it."

The Bykr Bro's Best in Show car, chosen from 628 text messages sent during the race, came barreling down the 220-foot run in fine fashion.

But the tiny orange van with motorcycle sound effects crossed the finish line, careened out of control and flipped.

Inside the closed vehicle with Harley Davidson wings on the front, the rider was shielded from injury as it smashed into a blockade of hay bales designed to catch runaway cars.

NewTown Macon's Josh Rogers, who lives at the corner of Orange Street near the checkered posts, remembers helping organize the street's first derby with only three cars.

"We didn't have any money and didn't have hay. We borrowed pine straw from Mercer and they only made us pay for the ones we damaged," Rogers said. "I think it's crazy how many people are out here and since 7 a.m."

Wind chills were in the upper 30s as organizers lined the street with double stacks of bales for about four dozen entrants in four competitive races, including the kids Big Wheels race.

In the first competition for high schoolers in a science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) gravity race, the ladies of Next Level Community Development Center not only had the fastest time with 11.836 seconds, but they took Best in Show with their royal blue racer enhanced with gold flames on the front and gold wheels.

Another crowd pleaser was the Macon Aces Disc Golf car that awarded a free Ingleside Village Pizza to the lucky man who landed a Frisbee inside the cage on the back of the car as it sped down the hill.

First Baptist Church of Christ's car was being swallowed up by a large whale and Ingleside Baptist's X-wing flew to the Star Wars theme.

Team Superior ran its fifth race and took the Professional competition with a time of 11.719 seconds.

The fastest time on the track belonged to the Shadetree winner, Team Hendrix with 11.542 seconds, followed by Mercer Law Legal Eagles in second with 11.783.

The runaway Navicent ambulance was third with a time of 12.042 seconds.

After the race, driver Katelin Clance apologized to Robinson.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. The steering was terrible," said Clance, who also hit the hay in the practice run.

This year's costumed "celebrity" announcers were the castaways from Gilligan's Island who announced each team.

Derby co-chair Chris "Gilligan" Tsavatewa wore a white fisherman's hat and red T-shirt to start most of the adult races with a blast of an airhorn.

"Phenomenal turnout," Tsavatewa said of the hundreds of people who perched in Washington Park, on bleachers along the sidewalk or stood four to five deep in some places along the course.

The crowd is a testament that the "event belongs in this community."

He expects the derby to be even bigger in coming years.

"We hope to grow it with our STEM initiative and then the kids who participated in the Big Wheel race will be the builders of tomorrow, as well," he said.

To contact writer Liz Fabian, call 744-4303 and follow her on Twitter@liz_lines.

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Macon's Magnolia Soapbox Derby brings spills and thrills ."