READY TO GO – Cub scouts await the start of the race Saturday. Messenger photo by Richard Greene

Flying down 10th Street in Bridgeport, Charles Walker steadied his dragon soap-box car enough to get to the finish line first in the opening race.

“It was wobbling a lot,” Walker said. “It was fun, but kind of scary, too.”

Walker and 10 other Cub Scouts from Pack 194 took part in the first soap-box derby at Harwood Park Saturday.

“They are having a ball,” said Cubmaster Corey Lane in between races. “So far we haven’t had anyone hurt.”

There were a few crashes beginning with the first race as one of the cars collided with a hay bale. A couple of heats later two of the cars crashed together.

For the first-time event, Lane said the derby went well. He hopes to see it grow into an annual event.

“We want to invite other packs,” he said. “You can’t have enough racers.”

For the first derby, the pack built four cars – a shark, tiger, dragon and space shuttle. Each driver took a turn racing each cart.

Lane said the derby taught the young cubs valuable lessons.

“They learned skills in building the cars and about sportsmanship,” Lane said.

But its primary purpose was fun, which Ashlee Wilson said her two sons, Joseph and Ethan, were having plenty of.

“It’s fun to see what they’ve made and to see them actually drive it,” Wilson said. “They’ve been excited about it. It’s all they’ve talked about.”

LAST-MINUTE ADJUSTMENT – Scott Blevins works on the space shuttle soap-box car before Saturday’s derby. Messenger photo by Richard Greene

EARLY PRACTICE – Aiden Sheperd makes a practice run on the soap-box derby course on 10th Street in Bridgeport. Messenger photo by Richard Greene

BLAZING A PATH – Chad Bradford steers his dragon down the track Saturday. Messenger photo by Richard Greene

SCOUT’S HONOR – Cub scouts recite pledge before Saturday’s derby. Messenger photo by Richard Greene

SHARK ATTACK – Seth Stafford guides his shark car down the hill on 10th Street toward the finish line. Messenger photo by Richard Greene

CRASH LANDING – Joseph Wilson tries to get his car back on the track after running over a curb during Saturday’s derby. Messenger photo by Richard Greene

AT THE FINISH LINE – A cub scout guides his tiger car to the finish line just ahead of the shark Saturday. Messenger photo by Richard Greene