Soap Box Derby in Prime Time

The annual Soapbox Derby proved it deserved its promotion to a main event at this year’s HarbourFest. The derby moved from a Sunday morning schedule to Saturday evening alongside the main elements on stage at the Harbourfront Centre.

Billed as a kids event, there certainly were a lot of nervous parents, not from fear but anticipation. While the kids did the driving, there was speculation that some adults may have played a role in the design and construction of the racing vehicles, putting reputations on the line.

The event grew again this year with five children given special permission for a test run as their first-ever entry in the competition.

A series of one-on-one heats provided judges with racing times as entries competed in two categories: an open division with liberal standards for wheels, and a division where wheels meet a common soapbox standard. The open division is usually faster through the use of larger bicycle wheels and frames.

The photos show the line-up of contestants and crowd, and a series of photo starts, while the video shows a typical full-length race.

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