BISBEE, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Bisbee Coaster Race is a Fourth of July tradition and has been for more than 100 years.
It started when Bisbee was a booming mining town, and now, it’s become a family tradition for a lot of people.
"This was started by some old miners back in the day to have some fun on the fourth," said Vice President of the Bisbee Coaster Committee, Michael Donahue. "They built soapbox derbies, and they got in them, and they came down the canyon, and then they made a race out of it, and it just kept building momentum and building momentum.”
On Friday, 16 kids, ages 9 to 16, are participating in this year’s race. The drivers will drive down Tombstone Canyon to see who finishes the fastest.
"Sometimes it gives me butterflies because I go really fast,” said coaster driver Leandro Donahue.
He and many of the other drivers are second and third-generation drivers. And like them the coasters have also been in races for decades.
"One of the coasters that we race was actually built back in the 70s... it was raced in the men's division," Michael said. "We're actually doing the race in memory of the gentleman that built it and raced it.”
Leandro drives the car. He says he remembers winning the race for the first time a few years ago in front of the original owner.
“I’m proud to still be racing his coaster that he built long times ago,” he said.
Leandro is competing in the senior division, while his brother is competing in the junior division. Leandro says he's looking to go faster than his 53 miles-per-hour drive last year.
"It's fun to see your parents, family, everybody, friends, proud that you won, or that you even tried and went down, that you gave it a shot,” he said. "I'm just trying to carry on what they had for more generations to come.”
The race starts at 8 a.m. in Old Bisbee. Roads to Tombstone Canyon will be closed starting at 6 a.m.
“It's all volunteers. We do it because we love this event, we just enjoy doing things for the kids,” Michael said.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
