ESPN will televise the 69th All-American Soap Box Derby Championships presented by Levi Strauss Signature(r) live on Saturday, July 22 from 4-6 p.m. ET.

Powered by gravity, regional champions will arrive at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio, for a world championship of amateur racing and week-long festivities surrounding the event.

Veteran IRL IndyCar Series announcer Vince Welch will host the telecast with analysis by Soap Box Derby historian Jeff Iula. Reporters Krista Voda and Shannon Spake will cover the pits and share the stories of the talented youngsters who will race for glory.

By building their own cars with the help of a parent or adult, these kids are learning the basics of racing,said NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver and reigning Daytona 500 champion Jimmie Johnson, the national spokesperson for the All-American Soap Box Derby, who will also serve as a contributing reporter on the telecast. wouldn't doubt that the next generation of NASCAR stars might start off in a Soap Box Derby car.

A youth initiative of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), the All-American Soap Box Derby presented by Levi Strauss Signature brand is the premier youth and family oriented racing program in the United States involving boys and girls (ages 8-17) around the world. The Derby season runs year-round and is comprised of more than 450 races with the goal of advancing to the All-American Soap Box Derby (AASBD) finals -- held annually at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio.

Show plans include:

• Explanation of how the cars are built, inspected, and raced
• Follow the last-minute changes associated with not passing inspection
• A feature on Richard Childress, NASCAR owner who competed in the Soap Box Derby as a 13-year-old in 1959, and sponsored a local SBD event this year in Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Coverage of a celebrity race with Jimmie Johnson in the starting line-up.
• Highlights of Saturday morning Soap Box action leading up to live coverage of the medal rounds.

ESPN2 will re-air the event on Thursday, July 27 at 3 p.m. ET and Saturday, August 5 at 6 p.m. ET.