05/05/2026
Today at Kiwanis, we had the pleasure of hearing from Mr. Jonathan Gordy of Gordy Enterprise, who shared about the Southeast Georgia Soap Box Derby—an incredible annual event in our community!
The local track at Partin Park has been in use since 2016, when Clint Williams generously built the ramp free of charge. Since then, it has become a staple for family fun and competitive racing right here in Southeast Georgia.
Jonathan Gordy stepped into the role of Race Director in 2022 and has helped grow and support this long-standing tradition. This past Saturday marked the 34th annual local race—and it was also his final race as director, as he is stepping down from his position now that his children have gotten older.
We appreciate his time, leadership, and dedication to the program over the years! The new Race Director will be David Pickels, and we look forward to seeing the derby continue to thrive under his leadership.
One of the most special parts of the weekend is the Super Kids Race, held the day before the derby for local children with special needs. This year, they had an incredible 64 participants!
Racers compete in Masters, Stock, and Super Stock classes, and it’s all about skill, gravity, and aerodynamics—kids position themselves as low as possible in the car to gain speed down the track.
Fun fact: scenes from the movie Blue Lightning were even filmed on our very own local track!
Thank you, Mr. Gordy, for sharing your time and for all you’ve done to support this amazing community event!
