Super Kids kick off Quincy Derby weekend with ‘phenomenal’ event

QUINCY — A hint of pending tears happened more than once Friday.  

Well, maybe not actual tears in the truest sense. More like simple droplets of joy.

Oh, and there were smiles, too. So many smiles.

Together, those emotions provided a perfectly punctuated framework for a marvelous sun-splashed Friday morning and afternoon on the 18th Street hill near Bob Mays Park.

The annual Super Kids races — a companion of Saturday’s 19th annual Quincy Derby — provided its annual stage for kids with physical and/or mental challenges to have their day in the sun, their time to be cheered and, most important, their time to be acknowledged.

The Super Kids are the stars on this particular weekend every June, thanks to the Quincy Optimist Club,

“This is just phenomenal what the Quincy Optimist Club does,” said Tara Nickerson, special assistant director of Region H of the Special Olympics. “This gives these kids an opportunity to feel special. It allows them to do something fun and a little extraordinary.”

Seventy-four Super Kids from West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri on hand for a friendly competition in four brackets of double-elimination racing that lasted from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the eighth year of the Super Kids Derby, which provides a “buddy” driver for each of the participants in specially designed vehicles. Many of Friday’s buddy drivers will compete Saturday in the Super Stock, Stock and Master Elite divisions.

Paul Hathaway was extremely appreciative of the effort put forth by organizers. His 15-year-old son, Ben, competed in one of the Super Kids divisions.

“It is priceless … just to see the look in (Ben’s) eyes,” Hathaway said.

Quincy High School senior Tommy Hess was on hand watching his younger brother, Matthew, compete.

“I’m just so proud of Matty. He’s always so happy to be a part of this,” Tommy Hess said. 

Ken Mansell, the former Quincy Notre Dame wrestling coach, is a resident of Jacksonville where he has been a longtime teacher of kids with disabilities. Friday was his first time taking part in the Quincy Derby, both as an observer and volunteer. He worked much of the day as a race starter.

“This kind of thing provides so many opportunities for these kids,” Mansell said. “This is all about the kids … and I will definitely be back.”

WInners in the four Super Kids divisions were Jay Turner, Eli Cissna, Jaxson Wolf and Jacob Houghton.

Turner, who posted a 5-1 overall record, defeated Mayeson Gardner (5-2) in one of the finals that saw Carter McVay (4-2) claim third.

Cissna (5-0) turned back Lucy Reynolds (7-2) in their championship match. Brantley Johnson (2-2) was third.

Wolf (6-0) earned his title by outracing runner-up Tobias Myers (5-2) and third-place Joseph Vonderheide. Houghton (6-0), Noah Lenane (5-2) and Hess (4-2) were the medal recipients in the other division.

Tony Cornett’s son, Michael, was racing in his seventh Super Kids competition. Cornett has a tattoo on his left wrist with a colorful green, yellow, red and blue message that reads “Be Like Michael.” 

“Michael is always so happy, and I think we can learn from him,” Cornett said. “Michael wakes up happy every day. He laughs often and is always smiling. He is excited to run into life daily. We need to be more like Michael.”

Cornett said he plans on becoming involved with the Super Kids event once Michael’s racing days are concluded.

“I can’t give those associated with the derby enough credit,” he said. “This is such a great event, and it is seamless in the way it is run.”

Quincy Mayor Mike Troup was on hand. He, too, was impressed.

“This is a weekend that takes a lot of effort, and to see the looks on those kids’ faces is just awesome,” Troup said.

Marissa Carr honored

The late Marissa Carr was honored during Friday’s Super Kids event. Carr was a third-place finisher in 2022 but died unexpectedly months later at age 16.

Carr was inducted posthumously into the Super Kids Hall of Fame. Her parents, Jamie and Mike, of St. Louis, were on hand. So were her grandparents, Craig and Donna Carr, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“Marissa is a part of our Quincy family today … and always,” said Aiden McDonnell, assistant race director of the Quincy Derby.

Star-spangled singers

National anthem singers for Friday’s four sessions were Addison Dawson, Sarah Goodapple, Anna Hampsmire and April Hoosier. Dawson will compete Saturday in the Super Stock division.

All-time leaders

Super Kids career victory leaders following this year’s competition finds Alaina Obert (24-14), Nathan Martin (20-11), Cornett (18-13) and Hess (18-14) leading the way.

Obert, a 2019 champion, was 0-2 in this year’s derby. Martin did not race, Cornett, a 2017 champ, was 2-2. Hess, who earned a third-place trophy Friday, was 4-2. 

Corbin who?

Public address announcer Matt Schmidt drew good-natured chuckles when at one point he inadvertently introduced participant Corbin Speckhart as Corbin Bernsen. Bernsen is a movie and TV star best remembered for his role of third baseman Roger Dorn in the 1989 film “Major League” and his role of Arnie Becker on the NBC series “L.A. Law.”

By the numbers

Friday’s 79 Super Kids entries boosted the series’ all-time total to 559 participants since its 2015 inception. No Super Kids race was held in 2020 due to Covid-19.

This weekend’s overall lineup of 199 participants (including 64 Super Stock, 53 Stock, 8 Masters Elite) ups the event’s all-time total to 2,221. The derby began in 2005 with 34 racers. The event record is 226 in 2019.

This year’s Super Stock total matches the record number from 2021.

Vogel will be missing

The derby’s all-time victory leader, Jadyn Vogel of Quincy, will not compete Saturday. She informed event officials late this week of a commitment conflict.

Vogel (66-20) won six straight Stock championships from 2016 to 2021. She also has a record eight final-four finishes. She competed in the derby from 2015 through 2022.

Dis-n-data

Boys hold a narrow 20-19 lead in combined championships won in the Super Stock, Stock and Masters Elite divisions.

Quincy drivers have won a combined 23 titles in the history of the derby. Fourteen towns in West-Central Illinois, Northeast Missouri and southeast Iowa have produced championship drivers.

The most successful siblings in derby annals are Coatsburg’s Tyler Wisely (40-14) and Tanner Wisely (30-11), who have combined for 70 victories, Both will compete Saturday.

Action is expected to start around 8:30 a.m. Saturday.