Mullen looking forward to challenging Quincy Derby all-time victory mark

QUINCY — Kalli Mullen is as honest as she is talented.

When quizzed about her opportunity to rewrite a significant portion of the Quincy Derby record book this weekend, the 16-year-old did not try and politely sidestep the question.

“I think about it all the time,” she said.

And who can blame her?

Mullen has an opportunity at Saturday’s event — formerly known as the Soap Box Derby — to become the Grand Prix of Gravity’s all-time victory leader. She also is gunning for a third straight and fourth overall Super Stock championship in the competition sponsored by the Optimist Club of Quincy.

The junior-to-be at Bluffs High School says she tries to keep her thoughts simple before and the during the race action. She said she “thinks about a lot of stuff” prior to heading down the 18th Street Hill near the Ted Awerkamp Bridge and Bob Mays Park. Of course, she thinks about what strategy she will be employing, but she always has the other competitors on her mind, too.

“I always try and say a little prayer for everyone to be safe,” she said.

Mullen enjoys all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the derby, now in its 21st year.

“It’s all exciting and very cool,” Mullen said.

Mullen enters this year’s competition with a 61-17 overall record in head-to-head competition. Her .782 win percentage is No. 1 all-time, and she trails on Jadyn Vogel (66-20) in career victories. Mullen’s 78 total races is also second only to Vogel (86), who retired from derby racing after 2022.

“I just wanna have fun … and put my name up there (on the trophy),” she said.

For Mullen, the weekend will also include an added honor. She’ll be one of two inductees into the Quincy Derby Hall of Fame. She’ll be the 13th driver selected to the Super Stock-Stock portion of the Hall of Fame.

Jacob Ohnemus will be the other inductee. Ohnemus will be the 10th driver to enter the Super Kids portion of the Hall of Fame.

Action starts Friday

Derby weekend kicks off with the traditional four classes of Super Kids races on Friday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Other rounds are scheduled for 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

This will be the 10th year of Super Kids competition. That portion of the derby began in 2005 with a single division designed to provide an opportunity for contestants with emotional and/or physical limitations. “Buddy” cars are used for the Super Kids racers, with an experienced driver guiding the car down the hill for the contestants. The Super Kids did not race in 2020, due to COVID pandemic restrictions.

The lineup of special needs competitors will be from Quincy, Liberty, Griggsville, Carthage, Chapin, Jacksonville, Paloma, Kinderhook, Mendon, Springfield, Hull and Fowler in Illinois, plus Missouri participants from Canton, Hannibal and Louisiana.

There will be 84 Super Kids competitors. The Super Kids record for participants was 109 in 2019.

Full day Saturday

Action will start early Saturday, with practice runs scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. Racing will follow immediately afterward for the Super Stock, Stock and Master Elite classes. Action normally winds up between 3-4 p.m.

The car counts for Saturday will find 54 in Stock, 70 in Super Stock and 11 in Masters Elite. Counting Super Kids divisions on Friday, this year’s overall car count will be 219. Six times in the past eight years the car count has exceeded 200. 

The event record for total cars was 237 a year go. Other derby records for car counts are 70 for Super Stock (2025, 2024), 61 for Stock (2022) and 11 for Masters Elite (2025).

In the first year of competition in 2005, there were 34 total entries, 20 in Super Stock and 14 in Stock.

More than 2,600 participants

“We’re expecting another great derby,” said Ray Wilson, who is in his 14th year as event director. “It is always so awesome to see the Super Kids start everything with their races on Friday, and then come back early Saturday morning for Super Stocks, Stocks and Master Elites. It is such a rewarding weekend just to be part of this event.”

The overall entry list for the derby’s 21-year time frame will surpass 2,600 this weekend. 

Girls have won most titles

Of the 45 overall championships won in the Super Stock, Stock and Masters Elite divisions, girls now own a 24-21 advantage. Girls have dominated recent competition, sweeping all three titles in 2024, 2023 and 2021.

Quincy-based drivers have won 25 individual titles, the most of any city or town. Bluffs (4) and Danville, Iowa (3) are second and third, respectively.

Quincy drivers have won the majority of their championships in the Stock Division, earning 16 of the first 20, including eight of the last nine. Jadyn Vogel won six of those championships when she dominated the class 2016-21.

Only six participants have won multiple titles in the Super Stock, Stock and Masters Elite classes. Vogel (6) and Mullen (4, including a Masters Elite title in 2024) are the frontrunners. Kayla Reichert, Kaelyn Hess, Cooper Kleinkopf and Corin Robinson all took home the gold twice. Kleinkopf is the only boy to do so.

Champions banquet

The annual Quincy Derby banquet to honor this year’s champions will be June 24 at Madison Park Church. Time and additional details will be announced in the coming week.