CLEARWATER, Fla. — Ayva David, 12, is looking to become a back-to-back Soap Box Derby world champion. Last year, the Clearwater native won the local stock division in a photo finish.
This time, she has her sights set on the rally stock title. She’ll make the trip to Akron, Ohio, with her cousin Alexa Mello, who is competing in the super stock division, and their head coach Mark Ferdinand.
“It’s been my passion since I moved to Tampa 27 years ago to get a boy or girl to win one,” Ferdinand said.
Soap Box Derby racing is in Ferdinand’s blood. He and his sister Jean were back-to-back world champions in 1976 and 1977.
“We’re the only brother and sister to win back-to-back world championships,” he added.
Now, Ferdinand is hoping that David can repeat in the stock division and Mello, 14, can bring home a title in super stock.
“We finally came through last year,” Ferdinand said. “With that said, the pressure is off. This year we’re going to try to do it back-to-back. This year, the bullseye is on our back.”
The cousins qualified for the world championships by winning local titles in Ocala. But when David defends her world title in July, it will be in a new car, with a new “2022 World Champion” decal on the side.
“It’s cool. It also builds my confidence a lot because now they know I am the world champion,” David said.
Maybe there will be more than one world champion in the family this year.
“I was happy for her. If I didn’t win, she did,” Mello said. “It’s fun to race with her sometimes, then sometimes were neck and neck.”
“Of course, there is competition,” Ferdinand said. “Nobody likes to lose, you know. Alexa is a little older, so it’s kind of nice she is up a class. So they are not competing each other. But it’s going to happen full tilt next year.”
The Soap Box Derby World Championship race is on July 22 in Akron, Ohio.
