Pearl River Soap Box Race Ready to Roll Sunday

The annual Soapbox Race in Pearl River once drew thousands to watch young drivers roll down Central Avenue.

Those types of crowds have not returned in the 13 years since the Rotary Club of Pearl River revived the race in 2000, but the event is still a memorable one.

The Pearl River Rotary Club Soapbox Race will take over Central Ave. once again Sunday. The street will close as drivers arrive at approximately 7:30 a.m., with the race running from 8 a.m. to about 1 p.m.

"It takes me about 300 hours to run it," said event chairman John Buonadonna, who has been involved in all 12 previous races since its return. "The reason I do it is when you go see Santa Clause, you see a million of them. As you get older, you forget about it. We get people in our club in their late 70s who ran this race and still remember working on their cars with daddy. Racing down the hill. How exciting it is. It is something you remember for life. That's why I spend a lot of hours on it."

Buonadonna said the race has drawn as many as 120 drivers over the last 20 years and averages around 70 or 80, but he expects 53 or 54 participants this time around. Last year's race drew 70 participants ranging from eight to 16 years old. 

"It is a bit light," Buonadonna said. "You've got soccer, baseball, confirmations and communions, a lot going on." 

Entry fees go into the running of the race, prizes and t-shirts. Every driver receives a t-shirt. The big prizes are savings bonds, $500 for Sunday's winner, $250 for second place and $100 for third.

"Next year we might change it," Buonadonna said. "Kids don't always appreciate bonds."

The top three finishers also receive trophies, with the other drivers getting medals.

There will also be trophies for the Buddyball car participants. Buonadonna explained that those have two people in the car, a disabled child and a buddy, who go down the hill together.