SOAP BOX DERBY HALL OF FAME WILL INDUCT THREE NEW MEMBERS
Akron, Ohio (May 28, 2026) – Three long-time volunteers will be inducted into the Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame during the post-race awards ceremony for the 88th FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby world championships on Saturday, July 18.
“The Soap Box Derby Hall of Fame honors the significant contributions and efforts of individuals who make a positive impact on the young people participating in Soap Box Derby racing,” said Dennis VanFossen, president and chief executive officer of International Soap Box Derby, Inc. “Our organization is successful because of the volunteers here in Akron and in race communities throughout the United States and several foreign nations.”
These new inductees bring the total number to 95 since the Hall of Fame was established in 1997. The first inductee was Myron Scott, the Dayton, Ohio newspaper photographer who founded the Soap Box Derby program in 1934.
The 2026 Hall of Fame inductees are:
Larry Gallimore, Brunswick, Georgia.
Larry Gallimore, 74, has been involved in the local Akron Area Soap Box Derby and the All-American world championships for more than 20 years. His first experience was when his son Nick competed in the Akron local in 2001. In 2003, he became a member of the Akron local Soap Box Derby board of directors. He joined the A-Team technical support group of the All-American world championships in 2005. The following year, he became a member of the national control board (now the racing commission), which is responsible for the program’s racing rules and construction requirements. In 2011, he traveled around the country to help promote “25 Hill,” a Soap Box Derby-themed movie written and produced by actor Corbin Bernsen. Gallimore also has been instrumental in the growth of the Soap Box Derby’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education program.
At the All-American championships each summer, Gallimore conducts construction and racing clinics and is member of the team managing the starting line operations. He also has volunteered to undertake major construction projects at Derby Downs.
He is a graduate of North High School in Akron and is an independent carpenter. He re-located from Akron to Brunswick, Georgia, in 2020.
Jim Jedd, Barrington, Illinois.
Jim Jedd, 81, first learned about the Soap Box Derby when he and his son Chris attended the Chicago Auto Show in 1989 and picked up a promotional brochure about the youth racing program. Chris built a Kit Car for the 1990 Greater Chicago Soap Box Deby and Jim Jedd began volunteering for the local organization the following year to help set up and tear down the track. Meanwhile, Chris qualified twice as a local and rally racer for the All-American and in 1994, Jim began volunteering for the All-American races as member of the A-Team and assisting in regional activities. He also has continued to serve the Chicago local as the starter, overseeing the scales and serving as a board member and officer. For more than 20 years, Jim has been scale master throughout the week of the world championships.
A native of Chicago, Jedd earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois, his medical degree from St. Louis University and completed his residency in anesthesiology at University of California San Diego. Following service in the U.S. Navy, he joined the anesthesiology department at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Illinois. He retired in 2005.
Patrick Murphy, Painesville Township Ohio.
Patrick Murphy, 70, has been involved in the Soap Box Derby since his daughter Kristi became interested in racing after watching the 2000 Disney movie “Miracle in Lane 2.” She and her sister Kerry competed in the Cleveland local race and earned trips to the All-American world championships multiple times. Murphy was a member of the Cleveland board of directors from 2002 through 2007 while he was also local race director. He has been a member of the All-American racing commission (formerly national control board) since 2005. He has built multiple gauges and devices that are used for inspection and testing, He was involved in the recent development of the new racing wheels and is part of the team running starting line operations during race week. He also has volunteered his time on Derby Downs track maintenance and the recent design and installation of the starting line ramps.
Murphy graduated from Harvey High School in Painesville, Ohio. He was a member of the U.S. Bobsled Team for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. In 1981, he founded and is president of Lake Erie Diving, Inc., a professional commercial diving and inspection company providing emergency marine and water-plant services.
About the Soap Box Derby
The International Soap Box Derby® is a non-profit youth education and leadership development organization whose mission is to inspire the next generation of champions, to bring STEM education out of the classroom, to promote the Derby experience and to cultivate lifelong skills and character. The Derby program’s core values include perseverance, sportsmanship, community, leadership and collaboration.
The Derby’s two youth initiatives are the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby racing program and the STEM-based Education Program, which provides educational opportunities for K-12 youth worldwide through Soap Box Derby racing. The Derby dates back to 1934, when the first All-American race was held in Dayton, Ohio.