AMERICAN NOTES: Et Tu, Junior?

Is nothing sacred any more? Is there no area of American life beyond taint? Last week, for the first time in the 36-year history of the All-American Soap Box Derby, the winner was disqualified for cheating. James H. Gronen, 14, of Boulder, Colo., forfeited his first-place trophy and a $7,500 college scholarship when X rays disclosed that his car had been rigged to unfair advantage.

It was no simple fix, either. An electromagnet in the vehicle's nose was connected by wire to a battery in the rear. The nose of each car lined up for the race rests flush against a hinged metal plate that drops forward into the asphalt at the start, allowing the vehicle to roll forward down the inclined raceway. As he settled back into his racer, Gronen's helmet touched off a lever that activated the battery and magnet, and as the metal plate fell forward the magnet's pull toward it gave his vehicle enough extra starting impetus to win. If that weren't enough, it turns out that Gronen's cousin, Robert Lange Jr., won the Derby last year, and both boys live in the same house hold. Boulder parents whose sons raced in last year's contest are now asking the local prosecutor if their boys were beaten in unfair competition. Said Ohio Summit County Prosecutor Stephen M.

Gabalac: "It's like seeing apple pie, motherhood and the American flag grinding to a halt."