I was listening to Bill Cosby's 200MPH routine which then lead me to listen to his Go Kart routine. After enjoying that I thought I'd look up soap box racing on you tube.
As kids we used to race home made karts down the hills up at Waikato University on a Sunday. There were no cars around on the streets and the campus was on the side of a big hill.
It seems there's a whole comunity of illegal soapbox racers that run huge races in the early hours of a Sunday morning.
It looks like a heap of fun, check it out.
There seems to be a growing movement in Australia too.
Cheers
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Mike Murphy
Melbourne Australia
Last edited by Aussie Mike; 03-08-2008 at 05:25 AM..
Reason: spelling
Brings back a lot of memories of Summer street hill when I was a kid
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COB-66 Young at heart old fart.
Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.
If it doesn't matter what gear your in you have enough torque.
VK3KDN
That would be more fun than rocker cover racing and its green for the enviroment it uses no fuel and recycles junk.
all we need is a big hill like conrod or back wards down the cutting no that would be exciting.
cobra club soapbox nationals. whos up for it. no insurance run what u brung no officals no organisers that can be suied just a group of guys and gals that turn up for some fun.
Its the only racing that is helped buy weight. thought i am not going to swallow concrete to go faster . maybe a few beers will help with the nerves.
oz.
I reckon it'd be great fun to build one. I could probably do a better effort than the 4x2 pine and lawn mower wheel creation that lead to several doses of gravel rash as a kid.
The problem would be finding suitable hills. Australia being as flat as it is means you'd need to travel a fair way to find a decent spot. Where I grew up in NZ you can't turn 360 degrees without seeing either mountains or ocean or both.
Cheers
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Mike Murphy
Melbourne Australia
Our near finsihed CR is basically a go cart at the moment (admitedly a very big one)
We coud pull the motor out, and roll it up to the start line and let it go.
FWIW, a group here in So Cal (the San Fernando Valley, to be exact) has been doing this for a couple years It was featured in Hot Rod Magazine about one year ago. And yesterday morning or earlier today, apparently one of the riders was killed when he smacked a parked SUV. Tore his helmet off, etc. I haven't seen the actual news story...just heard it briefly on the TV this morning when I was getting dressed. Been too busy today to look it up, but I'm sure it's out there. Apparently the organizer(s) may be cited with some kind of misdimeanor for unlawful assembly or illegal use of a non-motorized vehicle or something, but no felonies. Sad.
TARZANA (KABC) -- A man was killed on Sunday when his homemade soapbox racer spun out of control.
Witnesses say Michael Joseph Garcia, 22, of Sun Valley, was a member of a group called the San Fernando Valley Illegal Soapbox Federation.
The group held a race Sunday where the deadly crash happened.
The racers met around 7:00 A.M. near Reseda Boulevard in Tarzana.
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Shortly after the race began, Garcia racer lost control of his soapbox and crashed into a parked car, witnesses said.
Police say Garcia suffered serious injuries and was transported to a hospital where he died. Garcia was wearing a helmet, but it's unclear if it was properly secured as it flew off upon impact, police said.
The group calls themselves the Illegal Soapbox Federation because its races technically pose a "public safety risk." The soapbox racers can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and can become difficult to control, despite the cars' brakes.
The world of illegal soap box racing
An Idea.
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