Beware Mumbai! Red Bull Soapbox race back in your town

Words by Yash Sunil

The internationally acclaimed Red Bull Soapbox Race is set to be hosted in India this weekend for the second time after being introduced in 2012. The Soapbox Race is to be held at Supreme Business Park in Powai on the 13^th of November.

To those new to the concept of a Soapbox Race let me explain. These are downhill races in which teams compete against other teams in hand-made machines that are not powered by an engine but are pushed off the top of a hill by a team, following which gravity takes over. The teams and their machines are judged on three things – showmanship, speed and creativity.

The rules for the Soapbox race are simple, the machines can be designed in any way the teams’ imagination allows them to but should be but cannot exceed two metres in width and six metres in length and more than two and a half feet tall and cannot weigh more than 80kg. The Soapbox should be fitted with a functional steering wheel and brakes to keep the madness in control at all times. The Soapbox can only have one driver in the car and the other teammates act as the horsepower pushing the Soapbox.

Sadly the registrations for the Soapbox races have ended for this year but don’t worry, you can still go and watch the madness in Powai that starts at 4PM. And hopefully, if you do get inspired by all the crazy over there, you might just take part in the Soapbox races in the coming years. Expect to see come really crazy, whacky and innovative ideas at the Red Bull Soapbox races.

Some of the crazy and whacky teams that can be expected in this year’s Soapbox race are teams like the Reel on wheels, team Batblazed, team SVAG-R, team Renegades and team Carma along with many other teams that are going to take part in the 2016 Red Bull Soapbox race.