Getting to grips with soap box cornering is Paul’s grandson, William Johnson.
Preparations for the new Anzac Day Soap Box Derby are humming along, with news that a handful of starter kits are still available for late entrants.
The Soap Box Derby is a feature race add-on to this year’s Cambridge Cycling Festival on April 25.
Charlotte Johnson with her granddad, Paul Johnson, gets the feel for one of the soap boxes checked over last Saturday.
Almost all the 40 soap box starter kits have been sold, leaving just a few still to go. Each $50 kit comes with everything needed to build a soap box and includes the cost of entering the race.
The remaining kits are available via the Cycling Festival’s Facebook page.
Several people currently working on their soap boxes gathered at the Waikato Veteran and Vintage Car Club’s Cambridge HQ in McLean Street last Saturday to get a spot of advice and ensure they were following regulations. The soap boxes must be self-propelled and non-powered, and must not have pedals.
A final gathering in late March will bring all race entrants together for safety checks and a pre-race practice run.
Club committee member and Soap Box Derby organiser Paul Johnson said the event has the support of Cycling Festival champion, Sarah Ulmer. Ebbett, ITM Cambridge and the Cambridge Lions have provided sponsorship in some form or another.
The race down Cambridge’s Victoria Street will have five heats, followed by a final and a soap box ‘train’ which will be dragged back up the street to allow spectators a more leisurely view of the finished boxes.
More information on the event is from Paul on 021 688 211.
