A field of 40 hand-made soapbox racers braving steep drops, two jumps, a 90° turn and scary speeds, all in pursuit of soapbox 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 bagpipe, a taco truck, a rolling sushi bar, Care Bears, a giant roller skate, masked luchadores and more zooming down Grand Avenue and taking a sharp turn onto 5th Street next to Pershing Square Park. The teams come from all over California as well as from Washington, Colorado, Arizona and Iowa. College rivalries will be in high gear as teams from USC, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Riverside, CSU Northridge, Chapman University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Arizona State, Northern Arizona University and Iowa State take to the track to compete for school pride.
WHAT: 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. In 2009, more than 110,000 people flooded the streets of Downtown Los Angeles to experience the race. And now it’s back!
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. As the only race in 2011, the Los Angeles event will be the tenth U.S. Red Bull Soapbox Race to ever take place, with the first stateside race held in St. Louis in 2006. While these teams definitely feel the need for speed – they can reach speeds of over 40mph in their racers - they will need more than just velocity to win. Judging is based on three criteria: speed, creativity and showmanship, so expect to see a healthy slice of style added to soapboxes’ blur-inducing speed.
All driving machines must be entirely human-powered – no stored power or external energy sources allowed – though they must have a braking system.
For more race info visit www.redbullsoapboxrace.com.
WHERE: 5th and Grand Ave Downtown Los Angeles
FREE TO PUBLIC
WHEN: Saturday, May 21, 2011
11:00 am – Pits open
12:30 am – Opening Ceremonies
1:00 pm – Race begins
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