Bringing the Flint Soap Box Derby Back to Its Historic Home

July 1, 2026

Some projects are about creating great branding. Others are about helping bring a piece of community history back to life.


This spring, Behind Your Design had the privilege of supporting the return of the Flint Soap Box Derby to Cronin Derby Downs, the original home of the Flint Soap Box Derby, where racing first began in 1969.


On May 30, 2026, the newly restored track welcomed racers, families, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters back to the hill for the inaugural race at its historic location. It was a day filled with excitement, nostalgia, and community pride, but the impact of the Soap Box Derby extends far beyond a single race day.

More Than a Race

The Flint Soap Box Derby is a year-round STEM program that gives students the opportunity to design, build, and race their own gravity-powered cars while developing valuable life skills.


Participants gain hands-on experience in:

  • Engineering and design
  • Problem solving
  • Teamwork
  • Critical thinking
  • Sportsmanship


The program continues to grow each year, with:

  • 100+ students participating annually
  • 150+ mentors, volunteers, students, and family members attending workshops
  • Nearly 400 attendees on race day
  • A commitment to ensuring every child has the opportunity to participate, regardless of financial circumstances


With the permanent track now restored at Cronin Derby Downs, the focus is not simply on hosting an annual race. The vision is to build a lasting educational program that inspires future engineers, innovators, and leaders throughout the Flint community.

Helping Tell the Story

Behind Your Design supported the event through branding and marketing, creating promotional products, apparel, and event signage to maintain a cohesive and professional experience for participants, sponsors, volunteers, and spectators. Seeing everything come together on race day while watching hundreds of people celebrate the reopening of Cronin Derby Downs made BYD so proud to be a part of this community event.


Sponsorships That Make a Difference

One of the most inspiring aspects of this project was seeing how local businesses made a meaningful impact. Programs like the Flint Soap Box Derby thrive because of community support. Sponsorships do more than help fund race day, they create opportunities for additional students to participate, expand STEM programming, improve facilities, and keep the program accessible to families throughout the region.


For companies looking to invest in education, workforce development, and the future of their community, supporting the Soap Box Derby is an opportunity to help change lives while building meaningful visibility and engagement.


Proud to Be Part of It

Community events of this scale don’t happen by accident. They require dedicated volunteers, generous sponsors, passionate organizers, and countless hours behind the scenes.


We’re grateful to have played a small part in bringing the Flint Soap Box Derby back to its historic home and look forward to watching the program continue to grow for years to come.


Congratulations to everyone who helped make race day such a success. Here’s to the next generation of engineers, innovators, and racers.

Flint Soap Box Derby Name Badges

Flint Soap Box Derby Apparel

Interested in being a sponsor of the 2027 event?

Contact Behind Your Design or Flint Racing for more info!

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