Derby Racing Fatality

Police tell racers to get off their soapboxes in wake of crash death
By Sue Doyle, Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: 03/10/2008 11:28:02 PM PDT

While family and friends grieve for the young Sun Valley man who died after his homemade soapbox racer slammed into a parked SUV, police said Monday that they were cracking down on the illegal hobby that's built a strong following in the San Fernando Valley.

Matthew Joseph Garcia, 22, was killed Sunday morning after losing control of his mini car. Garcia was racing 35 other thrill-seekers down a hilly portion of Reseda Boulevard in Tarzana.

Police said his death was the first soapbox-racing fatality they're aware of in the Valley.

"We're asking them to stop," said Capt. Ron Marbrey of the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic Division. "Before other people get hurt, we are asking them to discontinue this activity."

Marbrey said no citations have been issued as Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo investigates the case. Meanwhile, police are stepping up enforcement of the illegal races to stop them from happening altogether.

To hammer home the dangerous, unsupervised nature of the pastime, officials said Garcia's helmet flew off during impact - a sign he was wearing it improperly. Police said they were contacting the San Fernando Valley Illegal Soap Box Federation, which sponsors the races across the Valley, to stop the contests.

San Fernando Valley Illegal Soap Box Federation members refused to comment to the Daily News about Garcia's death.

Garcia's family and friends could not be reached for comment, but they left condolences on a message board at the group's Web site.

"He loved soapbox racing and running with us, he knew the risks and always accepted responsibility for his actions," wrote someone who identified himself as Jesse Garcia, Garcia's brother. "Matt was a guy that everyone liked or loved."

One writer reached out to help other racers through their mourning.

"Dying is the one thing we all have to do but none of us wants to," wrote Big Ed. "We lost a comrade, dealing with it is never easy so help one another out."
The Illegal Soap Box Federation draws racers from as far away as Arizona to compete in the Sunday races, according to a feature article on the group in Hot Rod magazine.

The go-karts are built at home and do not meet California Department of Motor Vehicles code so they are not legally permitted on public streets, said LAPD Detective William Bustos.

Without engines, the steel cars rely on gravity for acceleration. Racers on Sunday reached 35mph as they rolled down Reseda Boulevard. Garcia hit the rear of the SUV at Winford Drive.

Typically meeting at the break of dawn, the racers sometimes opt for residential neighborhoods, where homeowners walking dogs and picking up newspapers give a puzzled look at the strange street assembly. After the race, the group - mainly men in their 40s and 50s - are quickly gone.

"Part of the thrill is that they know it's illegal," said Bustos. "Nobody oversees them. They are just on their own."

Still, some soapbox racing aficionados have found legal ways to enjoy the sport.

In Palmdale, the Antelope Valley Soap Box Racing Association participates year-round in authorized races through the All-American Soap Box Derby.

Offering scholarships, the Ohio-based program was created for young people in 1934 and has never had a serious accident, said Danny Brooks, president of the Antelope Valley group.

Although children build the cars they drive in these races, the vehicles must pass several safety inspections. Parents and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies mentor the kids during the car construction.

Using city streets for races in California, the group also gets permits from cities involved. The streets are shut down for the matches.

Brooks said racers wear helmets and courses even have hay bales to cushion collisions.

"Bumps, bruises and cuts - little things like that do occasionally happen," said Brooks. "But it is a sport that is carefully watched."