Forty-one years ago, Jamie Jones and Charles Danielson rolled down William Street side by side, competing in the soap box derby in Fredericksburg.

Both of them will be back this year.

Jones and Danielson served as car inspectors for this year's soap box derby, The Free Lance-Star Classic.

And this Saturday they'll both be there to watch relatives compete where they did back in 1969.

Danielson's 13-year-old grandson Dylan Spears will be in the race, much to his grandfather's delight.

"I used to go down there and just watch [the race], he said. "I couldn't wait until [my grandchildren] got old enough."

Danielson said he really enjoys working on the soap box derby cars with his grandchildren.

"I work late days for them," he said. "[The derby] is all about the kids."

Back in the 1969 race, Danielson's own car was the very first lie-down car in Fredericksburg.

Today, the lie-down design, in which the racer lies backward instead of sitting and crouching low, is used only in the Masters division.

Danielson has fond memories of creating his soap box car out of floor boards and plywood.

"The only things they gave you back then were the steering wheel, axles and wheels," he said. "Now they have kits, and all the cars look a lot more similar."

Danielson won an award for Best Constructed Car.

Jones, whose photo is on the promotional T-shirts for this year's derby, said he designed his car after a fish.

"[The shirts] were a bit of a surprise," he said. "I had actually never seen that picture before."

Jones beat Danielson in their race and won the derby in 1969.

"I don't remember much about that day except winning," he said.

Jones, who has a few second cousins competing in this year's race, traveled to Akron in 1969 with his family to compete in the national competition.

Both ex-racers remember the derby as being much larger and more popular than it is today.

Though the the number of racers has risen significantly, Danielson said there were more spectators in 1969.

"There just wasn't as much going on back then," he said. "Now everybody is playing soccer and baseball."