Langley’s Soup Box Derby 2024–The late great Peter Lawlor’s family and friends honor him

This year’s Soup Box Derby in Langley held Sept. 15 was an homage to South Whidbey’s ingenuity, and one of its characters, Peter Lawlor, who may now be racing his rigs in the spirit world, perhaps singing salty sea shanties accompanied by his melodeon, and reunited with his beautiful wife, Valentine.

This is Whidbey covered Peter’s last race in 2019. His life passed from his body in the summer of 2021, a few months short of his 100th birthday. Gretchen Lawlor raced in the 2019 event. At that race’s conclusion, Peter read this poem. Gretchen honored her father’s legacy once again at the 2024 race, where she read his ode to the Soup Box Derby.

Come all ye mighty Soupers

Come listen to my song.

We’ve raced the Soup together.

We ain’t never done no wrong.

We’ve braved the steeps of Langley

Pooper scooped at the Doghouse door.

We’ve raided the dump to build machines.

We’re neither rich nor poor.

We’ve built our wheels upon our dreams,

Never counted up the score.

Our soup box derby has been the means

Of competition and more.

There’s grandfathers, mothers, and little tykes

A wine barrel and an outhouse

A coffin and an enchilada

Racing against Mickey Mouse.

I have to say dear soupers

That my day has come.

I have to bow out and leave it to you

My racing days are done.

I’ve preserved my coffin for the hereafter

I have handed over the torch

To Gretchen in her red fiery dragon

To race Piper down the course.

So cheers to you brave Soupers

In your creative wild machines

You’ve survived the death defying hill

With gravity, no gasolines

So remember in August or September

Every year it’s Derby day

Say your prayers the night before.

You’ll be saved by bales of hay.

Piper, referenced in Peter’s poem, is Gary Piper, who famously raced Peter in an outhouse rig, equiped with a golden toilet seat–the throne which carried Gary downhill, nose-to-nose with Peter at many derby finish lines. Last year Gary and his racing outhouse crashed, but a new one and a new racer kept the legend of the outhouse–Gary Piper’s, and Peter Lawlor’s ripe banana–alive. Peter was buried–as he requested to be–in a coffin/vehicle he used to race in.

Gretchen Lawlor is an artist and astrologer. For this year’s race she consulted her chart: “Quite honestly, there was a bit of me that said I should race, but Mars was conjunct Uranus,” she said. “Not good. I thought I would look good instead. (She did!) Everyone else’s chart looked good, so they raced instead. We were going for best Pit Crew–16 people, including the dog, Ellie. I ordered a bunch of banana-themed sunglasses. we got a trophy for the largest pit crew.”

“We need these events as we head into the darkness, not only of winter, but the political situation,” Gretchen said in a phonecall the day after the race. “We need these street raptures. It’s part of my contribution to the world. I’m supposed to have fun in a big way. It’s something I can do easily. I felt so delighted with everyone.”

Here are some of David Welton’s other great shots at this fun, end-of-summer race, which originated in 1972, named for the Soup Co-op restaurant where the Rob Schouten Gallery is now housed.

And, finally, here’s my shot of David waiting for the right shot: