Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was singing the praises of three of his younger constituents on Tuesday as he congratulated the winners of the 63rd Greater Washington Soap Box Derby, held last month on the Capitol grounds. The winners of each of the three racing divisions all reside in Hoyer’s 5th Congressional district.

Emerging from a field of 40 racers in this year’s competition were Haley Luense of Accokeek, who won the Stock Division race, Robert “Robbie” Reuss of Waldorf, who won the Super Stock Division, and Robert McDaniel of Bowie, who won the Master’s Division.

The three racers will go on to represent Washington in the All American Soap Box Derby World Championship in Akron, Ohio, on July 31. And while many Hillites will be busy at the Democratic National Convention, Luense, Reuss and McDaniel, along with an estimated 500 soap-box champions from around the country, will be attending a celebration in “Derbytown” along with their families all next week.

“I am very proud of Haley, Robbie and Robert, three outstanding young people,” said Hoyer, who has sponsored a resolution to bring the Washington derby to the Capitol grounds for the past 12 years. “We are fortunate to have such talented and fierce competitors in the 5th Congressional District of Maryland. I wish each of them success as they head to Akron.”

— John McArdle