Bel Air Town Lions Club needed help in selecting an all-in-one controller to assemble the robust timing system for their second annual Soap Box Derby.
The need for this improvement followed their inaugural event, where the Lions Club was ‘eyeballing’ cars as they crossed the finish line. As they doubled in attendance and had much shorter times between cars, they needed a more precise automated process.

“[The Micro X2] served its purpose to perfection!”
– Robin Young, Bel Air Lions Club

Horner Automation donated a new Micro OCS X2 unit to run the photo-eye alignment at the finish line. The X2 controller allowed the Lions Club to track 45 heats of derby cars as they crossed the finish line. The cars traveled at approximately 20 mph with as little as 0.2 seconds between positions.

The Bel Air Lions Club held its second running of the Soap Box Derby on June 23, 2024, with 20 participants! Bel Air, Maryland, had authorized Soap Box races during the 1960’s and asked the Lions Club to bring back the Derby in 2023. The inaugural race was held in October 2023 and ran 10 cars. All Soap Box cars are owned or sponsored by local Bel Air businesses, with drivers aging anywhere from 9 to 11 years old.
The automated timing system of the Derby would not have been possible without the technical expertise of Bob Tice, with RJTICECO, LLC., who programmed the Micro OCS X2 and is a long-standing systems integrator with Horner Automation.
The Bel Air Lions Club is a civic organization which provides various services to the community free of charge. Not only is the Bel Air Derby a scholarship fundraiser for local high school students, but has also brought hundreds of viewers to their downtown area and drawn in local business. Horner Automation was happy to donate a controller to support such a great cause!