CONNEAUT — Even people who have witnessed all 24 of them had to admit Saturday’s running of the Northeast Ohio Soap Box Derby had to be one of the wildest they had ever seen.

Still, the Derby managed to produce its traditional three qualifiers to the All-American Soap Box Derby in Akron on July 26. Jacob Schreiber of Conneaut topped a field of 12 entries to win the stock class, while his cousin, Jefferson resident Zach Schreiber, led a field of 12 to take the superstock division. Jefferson’s Alicia Katona defeated five other drivers to win the masters division.

But the factors that affected this year’s event were almost as significant. It had just about all the elements one could imagine.

A powerful set of rain showers in the morning called a temporary halt to the competition for the 30 boys and girls gathered on Broad Street hill. Once the afternoon rolled around, beautiful blue skies, plenty of sunshine and pleasant breezes had everyone wearing big smiles.

But that didn’t end the wackiness. Midway through the afternoon, Conneaut resident Austin Dale, running in the stock class, got his car off course, hitting first the curb, then the concrete support to the railroad overpass on the east side of Broad Street and taking a chunk out of it.

A rescue vehicle from the Conneaut Volunteer Fire Department was summoned to the scene to tend to Dale, who hit his head on the cockpit when he hit the curb and also was treated for a hip injury from the crash before being transported to UH Conneaut Medical Center.

The fourth grader at Gateway Elementary School made it back for the latter part of the racing, though, walking around on crutches with what was diagnosed as a hairline hip fracture. He seemed none the worse for wear, actually asking if he could make another run despite damage that disabled his car.

The arrival of the sun provided its own obstacles. As the racing was drawing toward its latter stages, one of the heats had to be run again because it appeared sunlight beating on the timing device caused it to temporarily malfunction.

Perhaps the strangest part of the whole day was the fact all three divisional champions had to fight their way back through the losers’ bracket.

Jacob Schreiber’s run to the stock division championship also came at the expense of a family member as he defeated his cousin, Lauren, eventually taking the decisive two-run set by a mere 18-1000ths of a second. The third grader at Gateway Elementary, who took the title in his first year in Soap Box Derby competition, was blessed with all kinds of advice.

“I talked a lot with my dad and my Uncle Scott,” the son of Keith and Ida Schreiber said. “They just talked to me about keeping focused on the racing and to keep my wheels straight.”

A day that normally lasts about seven hours, with racing beginning at 9 a.m. and usually ending around 4 p.m., had been extended an extra two and a half hours by all the delays. That didn’t include getting up just after dawn to get ready for the race, but young Schreiber claimed he wasn’t fatigued.

“I’m not really tired at all,” the 8-year-old said. “I think my driving got better as the day went along.”

Finishing behind the Schreibers in the stock division were Jefferson’s Jeremy Tobie, Ashtabula’s Jordan Watson and Ashtabula’s Ashley Stoneman.

At 11 years old, Zach Schreiber was one of the veterans of the Conneaut race, competing for his fifth year. That experience served him well in giving him the patience to fight back through the losers’ bracket to outlast Ashtabula’s Cole Farr for the championship.

“I just knew I had to keep driving straight,” the son of Scott Schreiber said. “I know I want to stay close to the cones (dividing the lanes), but not too close to them. I thought I did better as the day went along.”

Saturday’s win earned Zach Schreiber his second trip to the race in Akron. He qualified for the All-American in the stock division in 2006. He’s hoping to produce a better showing.

“I’d like to place (in the top nine) this year,” the sixth grader at Jefferson Elementary said.

Trailing Schreiber and Farr in the superstock final standings were Ashtabula’s Christopher Estock, Jefferson’s Ashley Katona and Ashtabula’s Christian Rivera.

Katona, a junior at Jefferson High School, earned her first championship in her second year of Soap Box Derby racing. The 16-year-old came back through the consolation bracket to defeat Ashtabula’s Tyler Welton for the title.

“I was a little nervous at first,” the daughter of John and Michele Jones said. “I just had to concentrate on keeping the car straight.”