Red Bull Soapboc Race in L.A. Sept. 26

RED BULL SOAPBOX RACE SET TO SPEED THROUGH THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES FORTY-SEVEN TEAMS GEARING UP TO RACE DOWN GRAND AVENUE ONTO 5TH STREET

WHO: A field of 47 hand-made soapbox racers, driven by men and women daring enough to brave steep drops, a 90° turn and scary speeds in pursuit of achieving glory. But this race is far from your stereotypical childhood derby, and these are no ordinary vehicles! Angelenos can keep their eyes peeled for a giant nose, a bunk bed, a time-traveling DeLorean, Pac-Man, an Aztec temple and more zooming down Grand Ave and taking a sharp turn onto 5th Street next to Pershing Square Park. The teams come from all over Southern California as well as from Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and Nevada.

College rivalries will be in high gear as teams from USC, UCLA, Pepperdine, Cal Poly Pomona, CSU Long Beach, CSU Northridge, Loyola Marymount University, Oregon State University and University of North Texas take to the track to compete for school pride.

WHAT: Not to be confused with the youth soapbox derby, Red Bull Soapbox Race is a national race for amateur drivers, which is fueled by creativity and competitive fun – not to mention the need for speed. This unique non-motorized racing event challenges both experienced racers and amateurs alike to design and build outrageous, human-powered Soapbox dream machines and compete against the clock in a downhill race.

The first Red Bull Soapbox Race took place in Belgium in 2000, and has since visited almost 30 countries including Austria, England, Jamaica, Czech Republic and Australia to name a few. The first U.S. event was held in St. Louis in 2006 and the event is making two U.S. stops this year in Atlanta (August 29) and Los Angeles (September 26).

All driving machines must be entirely human-powered – no stored power or external energy sources allowed – though they must have a braking system. Secondly, all vehicles must be less than six feet wide, less than 20 feet in length and no more than seven feet from the ground. And finally, all soapboxes can have one or two drivers, but when the crafts reach the start ramp they must weigh no more than 176 lbs

For more race info visit www.redbullsoapboxrace.com.

WHERE: 5th and Grand Ave Downtown Los Angeles

FREE TO PUBLIC

WHEN: Saturday, September 26, 2009
11:00 am – Pits open
12:45 am – Opening Ceremonies
1:00 pm – Race begins