June 7, 2008 Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Derby Race Registration

All Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Derby race registration paperwork must be submitted by May 9, 2008.

Practice Race

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program will conduct a practice race on April 26, 2008 in East Los Angeles.

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the Soap Box Racing Committee will be on March 20, 2008 at 10AM at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022

Alignment Clinic

The next car clinic will be the Alignment Clinic, it will be conducted on February 2, 2008 at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station (5019 East 3RD Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022). The car clinic will start at 10AM. The clinics have been from 2 hours to 4 hours long, please bring lunches for yourself and your drivers. We have bottled water at the clinics. Thank You.

Stock Car Clinic

The next car clinic for the Stock Soap Box Car will be conducted on February 9, 2008 at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station (5019 East 3RD Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022). The car clinic will start at 10AM. The clinics have been from 2 hours to 4 hours long, please bring lunches for yourself and your drivers. We have bottled water at the clinics. Thank You.

Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

The next meeting of the Soap Box Racing Committee will be on February 14, 2008 at 10AM at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022

Soap Box Racing Program Mentors Meeting

The next meeting for the Soap Box Racing Program Mentors will be on February 22, 2008 at 10AM at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022

Super-Stock Car Clinic

The next car clinic for the Super-Stock Soap Box Car will be conducted on February 23, 2008 at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station (5019 East 3RD Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022). The car clinic will start at 10AM. The clinics have been from 2 hours to 4 hours long, please bring lunches for yourself and your drivers. We have bottled water at the clinics. Thank You.

Alignment Clinic

The next car clinic will be the Alignment Clinic, it will be conducted on March 15, 2008 at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station (5019 East 3RD Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022). The car clinic will start at 10AM. The clinics have been from 2 hours to 4 hours long, please bring lunches for yourself and your drivers. We have bottled water at the clinics. Thank You.

February Practice Race

The practice race which was scheduled for February 16, 2008 will be re-scheduled. The month of February will be dedicated to car clinics. Thank You.

Sherriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

Committee Meeting on January 17, 2008 at 10:00AM at East Los Angeles Station.

Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

There will be a Soap Box Racing Program Committee meeting January 4, 2008 at 10AM at East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022.

Car Construction Clinic

There will be a Soap Box Racing Program Stock Car Construction Clinic meeting January 12, 2008 at 10AM at East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022.

Car Construction Clinic

There will be a Soap Box Racing Program Super-Stock Car Construction Clinic meeting January 19, 2008 at 10AM at East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022.

Practice Race

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program will conduct a practice race on February 16, 2008 in East Los Angeles.

Practice Race

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program will conduct a practice race on April 12, 2008 in East Los Angeles.

Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Derby

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Derby race will be conducted on May 31, 2008 in East Los Angeles, California.

Akron Beacon Journal Newspaper Article

L.A. PROGRAM STEERS YOUTHS TO BETTER LIFE

TWO RACERS TAKE BREAK FROM WORRIES

Bill Lilley, Akron Beacon Journal staff writer

July 18 2007

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy Azam Flores knows all too well what kind of excitement 9-year-old Elsa Zargoza could be in for if she weren't in Akron this week competing in the All-American Soap Box Derby.

"The area in South Central L.A. where she lives is so bad, normal people can't comprehend it," Flores said Tuesday. "A month ago, she walked outside of the two-bedroom apartment on 83rd and Compton she shares with seven other people and there was a guy who had been murdered the night before just lying on the ground a block away. "And if she were sitting on her front porch today, instead of being here at Derby Downs, there's a chance there would be bullets flying all over the place.

" Elsa, a fourth-grader at Parmellee Elementary School, came to Akron with her father, Jose, and her two mentors from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department -- Flores and Deputy Roger McNichols.

Driver Elsa Zaragoza and Deputy Azam Flores

Davy Cardenas, a 16-year-old junior from Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Calif., also is racing in Saturday's All-American through a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's program to give at-risk boys and girls in high-crime areas a chance to get on a path to a better life.

Driver Davy Cardenas and Deputy Becky Cocova

The sheriff's department foots the bill for the race cars and travel expenses for the local champion and a family member.

Deputy Becky Cocova, who raced in the All-American in 1987, is Davy's mentor. Cocova's father, Howard Brust, who retired as a sergeant from the sheriff's department, was the driving force behind the program.

Brust was born in Pittsburgh and, as a child, raced for four years in San Diego. He never lost derby fever. After Cocova and another daughter raced in the All-American, he was looking for a way to get back into racing.

"I talked to a local race director and he told me to find a poor kid and get him into racing," Brust said. "I got Jesse Carlos in it, and he won two years later in 1994.

"The sheriff at the time found out about it and thought it was great. He got the Soap Box Derby in the department's Youth Activity League. We applied for funding and got it."

Winning ways continue

Jesse Carlos turned out to be a wonderful poster child for the program.

"Jesse went on to graduate from college," Brust said, "and he now has a great job with Sony as a computer engineer."

Brust, who is back in Akron this week as part of the Los Angeles contingent, said many of the racers he's helped over the past 15 years have gone to college.

"This program is very important for at-risk children," he said. "You have the real good kids and then you have the terrible kids where we're at.

"The good kids don't need the help. The terrible kids -- this may be terrible to say, but it's true -- are lost causes and going to be career criminals.

"It's the kids who are on the fence, the at-risk kids who can go either way, who need this the most.

"We want to get them at 8 to 9 years old and get them involved in the program. It's amazing how they begin to identify with the deputies. And a lot of the kids do go on to become police officers and firemen, along with lawyers and doctors."

Davy was spotted by Cocova, who is an on-campus officer at Lakewood High School, two years ago.

"He was so small, I thought he was in elementary and I was going to kick him off school property," Cocova said. "But as soon as I met him, I knew he was a great kid.

"He had a great personality and he was very mature. I also found out quickly he was a very good athlete."

Building a car

Brust found an old racer in a trash can and worked with Cardenas to create his first car.

This year, Cocova and Davy worked together for four months to produce the sleek, black No. 174 racer that helped carry him to victory in the super stock division during the May 12 races down Third Street in East Los Angeles. Davy won 10 races that day to qualify for the All-American.

"It's really a great experience," Davy said of coming to Akron along with his mother and father, Bethani and David, and 2-year-old brother Jeremiah. "There's a natural rush every time you go down the big hill racing.

"I just try to focus on keeping the car under control and not wrecking. Believe me, it's very nerve-racking, but it's also one of the most unbelievable things I've ever done in my life."

Elsa already has gotten a big thrill out of coming to the All-American.

"I got on a plane for the first time in my life to come to Akron," said the 65-pounder who won six races to capture her local championship. "That was pretty amazing."

Elsa Zaragoza

Stock Champion 2007

Davy Cardenas
Super Stock Champion 2007

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

There will be a Soap Box Racing Program Committee meeting December 6, 2007 at 10AM at East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022.

Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

The next Soap Box Racing Program Committee meeting will be on November 27, 2007 at 10AM. The location for this meeting is Sheriff's Department Headquarters, 4700 Ramona Boulevard, 4TH Floor, Monterey Park, California 91754-2169. Telephone # 323 526 5120. The Soap Box Racing Program Committee will be attending the Sheriff's Youth Activity League meeting.

Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

There will be a Soap Box Racing Program Committee meeting November 8, 2007 at 10AM at East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022.

Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program Meeting

The meeting scheduled for October 25, 2007 at the East Los Angeles Sheriff Station has been cancelled.

Car Clinic

A Car Clinic will be conducted on Saturday December 1, 2007, starting at 10 AM at the East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022

Super-Stock Car Division Only!!!!

Car Clinic

A Car Clinic will be conducted on Saturday December 1, 2007, starting at 10 AM at the East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022

Stock Car Division Only!!!!

Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

There will be a Soap Box Racing Program Committee meeting October 25, 2007 at 10AM at East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022.

Soap Box Racing Program Committee Meeting

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program Committee is having a meeting October 4, 2007 at 10 AM at the East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022. The meeting should last approximately 1.5 hours.

See everyone there.

Danny Brooks, Soap Box Racing Program Committee Chairperson
Miguel Orellana Race Director

The Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Racing Program Committee is having a meeting September 20, 2007 at 10 AM at the East Los Angeles Station, 5019 East Third Street, East Los Angeles, California 90022. The meeting should last approximately 1.5 hours. This will be the first meeting of the new committee and the first meeting for the new race year. We will need to stay focused because there are alot of decisions that need to be made. See everyone there.

Danny Brooks, Soap Box Racing Program Committee Chairperson
Miguel Orellana Race Director

Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Derby

The next Sheriff's Youth Foundation Soap Box Derby race will be held in May 2008. The Soap Box Racing Committee will publish a complete schedule of all racing events and clinics for the new race year in August 2007. Check the blog for the new schedule.