When Johnny Buehler first arrived at Derby Downs for the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship on Saturday, July 24, the 8-year-old and his family headed to the Derby Hall of Fame and Museum.
Inside awaited Buehler’s white Soap Box car, impounded amongst other racers in the field of Local Stock, Local Super Stock and Local Masters divisions.
Little did the Warrensburg resident know, the car would gain a permanent home in the hall of fame later that day.
“It takes a little bit of luck, it takes a little bit of everything,” Buehler’s father, Ryan, said. “The skill, the focus. We spend lots of time just coaching him on his driving. Kind of just keeping calm and staying relaxed.”
After a day of racing in the Local Stock division, Johnny became a world champion. He completed the championship heat in 28.536, edging South Charleston, West Virginia’s Abbie Gibson by .021 seconds.
The title made him the youngest to win a Local World Championship since the All-American Soap Box Derby originated in 1934.
He is the fifth Missourian to win a championship in any Local division, the third to do so while representing Kansas City Soap Box Derby.
“I was really happy,” Johnny said. “I never knew this was even going to happen. I thought maybe it would happen next year or something like that… When I was coming down the hill, I just heard, ‘let’s go Johnny, let’s go Johnny, let’s go Johnny. That’s all I heard from everybody.”
Johnny is a third-generation racer within the soapbox community, beginning with his grandfather and father. Up until a few years ago, Ryan had not been involved in soapbox since the ‘80s.
A competition at Whiteman Air Force Base re-sparked the interest while reconnecting with the activity with his older son, Matthew Buehler. Matthew represented Kansas City in the Local Super Stock division in 2019.
“It’s a family event,” Ryan said. “When you go to these races, everybody is taking their share of something, whether it's handling the car or getting it set up on the ramp. Just getting the car ready to get there. Helping out during the day.”
Johnny watched Matthew’s races closely and even went back to watch some on YouTube. The spectatorship helped him prepare for his time to take the wheel.
He qualified for the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship at the Kansas City Local Qualifier in June.
The path led Johnny to Akron, Ohio, the home city of the All-American Soap Box Derby. He ran through four heats at the Derby Downs track.
“You always want to look ahead of you,” Johnny said. “You never want to look that far. You always want to look ahead. No one will look right next to you, because that’s not where you want to look.”
Johnny won heat one by beating Pottsville, Pennsylvania’s Zachary Snyder by .055 seconds and heat two by beating Waynesboro, Virginia’s Lillianna Gorden by .002 seconds.
To earn a spot in the championship, he beat Columbus, Ohio’s Eleni Fischer and defending Local Masters Division Champion and Omaha, Nebraska’s Kelsey Van Waart by a combined .006 seconds.
“You really have to keep your focus,” Ryan said. “If you don’t have the focus when you get in the car, just knowing what you’re going to do and everything, that’s the difference between winning or not.
“He gets down in there, he’s got to work on some flexibility to kind of continue to get down as he gets older and taller. He helps out when we set the spindles, to get all of the alignment right, getting the weights right. He’s learning how to set up a car, getting into the physics that goes into it. It’s what makes a winner. “
After crossing the finish line during the final heat, Johnny turned his attention to results coming over the PA system.
When his name was not read off for third or second, the champion treatment headed his way. He received a champion yellow jacket at the awards ceremony.
“I was really shocked,” Johnny said. “I was really happy too. And then every person, some persons shooting with their phones and people with their cameras came up to me and I already knew I won when they said lane three got second. I thought I’d get third and if they already said my name, I would be bummed out. But no, I won.”
Johnny’s car will soon be hung at the Derby Hall of Fame and Museum alongside the other champions. He plans to compete in the Rally Stock Division next season.
Rally Stock is based on a point system, ultimately deciding who qualifies for the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship.
He is in the early process of building his new car alongside his family but will take time to celebrate.
The first item on his list: celebrating his ninth birthday and the championship at Worlds of Fun.
“It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Ryan said. “We’re glad it's on YouTube and everything because he can go back and watch that. Kind of relive some of those memories. What a way to start (his) soapbox derby career with winning a world championship at 8 years old.”
