Joe Sullivan raced to the finish line in the first heat of the July 25th, 1936 Soap Box Derby, sponsored by the Portland Evening Express and the Chevrolet Motor Company. 128 local boys between the ages of 9 and 15 competed to qualify for the national All American Soap Box Derby in Akron, Ohio. A 25-foot ramp was built on Park Avenue to start the race. This picture was one of four featured on the front page of the July 25th, 1936 Portland Evening Express.