Why racing crates downhill is a rush

Fire & Ice is the oldest orange-crate racer on the block, but you’d never know it.

Its red paint job was just as bright, Sunday, as it was in 1979, the first year it took to the streets during the annual Orange Crate Derby. It was so sleek on its debut day, people thought it was made of fiberglass.

Two generations have taken the wheel, three if you count the man who built it.

“The best part about racing is probably going down the hill in cars that have some history to them,” said Connor Ashman, Fire & Ice’s most recent driver. “Maybe you built it, maybe you helped build it — it’s the legacy these cars come from.”

View the photo gallery: Orange crate derby 2014

That family dynamic is the heart of the Chula Vista race, hosted each year since 1978 by the city’s Sunrise and Sunset Rotary Clubs. About 40 kids took to the Rancho Del Rey Parkway track in groups broken up by age. The youngest racers were 7, and the oldest were 14. Each group awarded winners and a final race determined the “Champ of the Hill,” the fastest racer of the day.

Orange crate race cars, like their soap box counterparts, are made of wood and rely on rolling downhill to pick up speed. Most racers will clock in at about 30 mph. Some racers had some troubles stopping Sunday, plowing through the wall of hay bales designed to stop runaway cars.

Carolyn Lechner, now 23, said it took her years to work up the courage to hop in the driver’s seat of one of the wooden cars. But when she did, she loved it.

“The adrenaline really starts as soon as you hear that smack from the launchpad releasing you,” she said. “Those first few feet you go really slow, but then all of a sudden it picks up and you get this rush midway down the hill. When you finally cross the finish line, you’re going so fast.”

Chula Vista’s race serves up some pretty strict car specifications. Every contestant uses the same kind of wheels. Cars can weigh no more than 1251 pounds. The front has to look like an orange packing crate with wooden slats.

The rules are intended to keep kids safe and highlight driving skill, organizers said, but there’s still plenty of room for creativity. From “The Hulk” to “Slo Pok 1,” families made each car their own with custom paint jobs and added flair.

Each car is built from the ground up. Families can acquire the materials themselves or order a kit. If neither of those options are financially feasible, several cars are available on loan.

Both girls and boys turned out for Sunday’s race, something one father was happy to see. He has three girls and their car, “Speedy Bear,” won their division in 2009. This year, his 13-year-old, Milla, was behind the wheel.

“I wanted to show my girls that they can do anything, including competing against boys,” he said. “They can build cars and race them.”