Benjamin Slack grew up watching his four siblings compete in the soap box derby. When he turned 7, Slack couldn't wait to get his own car."Ben was 

chomping at the bit," said Lee Slack, Benjamin's father.

            Three years later, Benjamin Slack has displayed an ability to go fast. On June 3, he captured the Stock Division at the Indian Valley Soap Box Derby in Souderton, and qualified for next month's 80th All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron Ohio.

            "It's just fun to go down the hill," said Benjamin Slack, 10, an Upper Hanover resident. 

            Benjamin Slack will compete against approximately 300 drivers in his class from all over the world. The winners at the event, scheduled for July 16-22, will receive a college scholarship and a ride in the Goodyear Blimp, according to Lee Slack. He said four qualifiers from the Souderton race within the last 10 years have finished first at Derby Downs.

            "Then let's make it five," said Benjamin Slack, who will be a fourth grader at Grace Christian School in Telford in the fall.

            Lee Slack's family got into soap box derby racing after his mother won a car in a raffle through her job in 2007. 

            The car, which comes in a kit, must be assembled, according to Lee Slack. He said a plastic body is attached to a one-inch thick wood board with wooden screws.

            In Benjamin Slack's division, weights can be added to create a 200-pound limit, according to his father. He said the car can reach speeds of 30 to 35 mph.

            In the Souderton race, Benjamin Slack captured the championship by a combined time of 0.52 seconds in two heats. According to Lee Slack, the competitors trade tires after the first heat to maintain fair competition.

            The key to covering the 989-foot downhill track is to keep the car moving straight, according to Lee Slack. He said his youngest son needed at least of year of practice to figure out how to operate the brakes and steering wheel.

            "Benjamin got involved as early as he could," Lee Slack said. "He wiggled down the hill a little bit. But by last year, he started to figure it out."