Real-Life Wacky Races: What Is Red Bull's Soapbox Race?
On a summer day not long ago, people gathered in London to watch a race. Group by group, racers got into their vehicles. One vehicle looked like a rubber duck; another looked like a NASA spaceship.
It might sound like something out of the Wacky Races cartoons of the 1960s. But this is Red Bull's Soapbox Race.
In the early 20th century, wooden boxes were used to transport things — including soap. There were a lot of them around, making these boxes great materials for kids looking to build makeshift vehicles to play in.
And in Red Bull's competition, people have to build their own makeshift vehicles and race them along a downhill course one by one.
They're not made from actual soapboxes, though!
The vehicles are pulled downhill by gravity alone — so there are no motors or pedals. But they can be as strange or funny-looking as competitors want — in fact, it's encouraged.
Red Bull says the competition is open to "any amateur drivers fueled by creativity and competitive fun," and teams are judged on creativity, speed and showmanship.
Once they get to the starting line, each team has 20 seconds to put on a small show for the judges, which could involve dancing or presenting their vehicle in a comical way.
But like any race, the time it takes to reach the finish line is also important — and some of the soapbox cars are very fast. According to Red Bull, some vehicles have reached speeds of 112 kilometers per hour on steep hills.
Teams don't always make it to the finish line. At the London event, which took place on June 22, people watched as some vehicles fell apart, while others crashed into hay bales along the course.
Red Bull held its first soapbox event in Belgium in 2000. Since then, more than 100 of these events have been organized in different parts of the world.
