Privately, Mike agreed with the kids who called him "screwball," although he didn't like it much. Since the age of three when polio crippled his right side, he had been constantly reminded of his awkwardness, particularly when his twin brother Patrick was around. Patrick was as good at sports as he was at making friends, and Mike, who loved to collect junk or watch garage mechanics work, wondered if he could ever compete with his twin. It was not until he and Patrick received a rule book for the Detroit Soap Box Derby, that Mike saw a chance to put his own talents to work.