Soapbox derby cars begin with Max Dempsey’s handiwork

Max Dempsey of Coosada loves Royal Ambassadors (RAs), but he is especially fond of the soapbox derby races for RAs held across the state.
   
His fondness comes from the  hours he puts into building the soapbox derby car kits and his personal involvement in the program.
   
The races, sponsored by the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), take place in various locations throughout the year with the largest race happening each October in Montgomery. 
   
To be held Oct. 21 this year, the race will bring hundreds of RAs with 50 to 60 cars from across Alabama to the competition in front of the Capitol. Other activities include driving cars through an obstacle course.
   
Prizes are given for fastest time, greatest distance and fastest time around the obstacle course in the categories of new cars and cars that have run in the race before for three age groups — LAD, Crusader and Challenger. 
   
There also are prizes for best looking car, most unusual looking car and best of race. Best of race goes to the church that has the most fun and the best attitude while at the race.
   
About 80 percent of this year’s competitors will be riding on Dempsey’s handiwork, said Steve Stephens, RA consultant in the SBOM office of men’s ministries.
   
“Max making the frames and everything has been the ticket for us to keep going and growing it,” Stephens said, noting Dempsey also serves as a safety judge at the October race, inspecting each car before it races.
   
Dempsey builds the axles and steering component and adheres them to a plywood base. This has allowed the SBOM to sell the kits to churches at a reasonable price, Stephens said. This, in turn, keeps down the cost of competing for participants who buy the kit and then place tires and a body made of plastic, metal or wood onto Dempsey’s frame.
   
“[God] didn’t give me many talents, but (working with my hands) is one of them, and that’s the one I use,” Dempsey said. “Whatever I can do for the Lord, that’s what I’m doing.”
   
While Dempsey provides the muscle involved to make the races happen, it was his wife, Alice, who came up with the idea in the first place.
   
She suggested building “something like the ‘Little Rascals’ car” for their RA group at the time — Elkdale Baptist Church, Selma, in Selma Baptist Association in 1997.
   
He took her advice to heart, and the first soapbox derby car made its appearance that year at Elkdale Baptist’s RA roundup.
   
The Dempseys later took it to RA leadership training at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega, and after he saw it, Stephens took the cars to the RA camps at Shocco Springs.
   
As interest grew, so did the idea for a statewide race, with the first one taking place in 2000.
   
“If it had not been for Alice’s idea and Max building the frame, I don’t think we’d be having [the soapbox derby races],” Stephens said. “They are the ones that made it possible for people to just build the frames and go.”
   
The Dempseys have been active in leading RAs for about 35 years since their son, “Packy,” was a little boy. They currently work with the RAs at Coosada Baptist Church in Elmore Baptist Association.
   
Max Dempsey leads the craft time, and up until January, Alice Dempsey led the Bible study time and organized outside activities for the boys.
   
Currently fighting breast cancer, Alice Dempsey continues to come up with ideas for the boys and plans to jump back into leading them once her chemotherapy treatments end.
   
For Max Dempsey, projects like the soapbox derby are a way to get boys to come to church and interested in the other facets of RAs. 
   
He calls it “cheating the devil” — taking boys away from things they shouldn’t be involved in and getting them involved in wholesome activities.
   
“It’s like a lure you throw out when you’re fishing,” Max Dempsey said. “You lure them into RAs, then you get a chance to teach them about Jesus Christ.”
   
For more information about the soapbox derby or RAs, contact Stephens at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 268, or by e-mail at sstephens@alsbom.org.