Photos: Red Bull Soapbox Derby Racing

Nonmotorized soapbox carts raced through downtown Los Angeles on a custom course with turns, jumps, and obstacles. Teams of up to five members performed skits before pushing their carts along the route from Grand Avenue to Broadway along 1st Street. Hundreds of spectators lined the course. Carts represented food themes such as cereal, ramen, hamburgers, taco trucks, and hot dogs, alongside movie themes including “Dune” and “E.T.” Some carts faced setbacks, including a fire truck that lost a tire and a boat-themed cart named “Deep Trouble” that stopped after losing momentum. An O.J. Simpson White Ford Bronco-themed cart finished in 37 seconds but received a near-perfect score from judges. Forty teams from across the country competed, judged on creativity, showmanship, and speed.

"The Red Bull Soapbox Race is a race of nonmotorized carts that make their way down a custom course consisting of turns, jumps and obstacles. Teams of up to five members performed a skit before propelling their carts down the course. The drivers had to navigate obstacles in hopes of logging the fastest times. Hundreds of spectators lined the route which began at Grand Avenue and ended at Broadway along 1st Street."

"Besides some food groups being represented in the race, other carts had movie themes like "Dune" and "E.T." A fire truck cart lost a tire but still made it to the end of the course. Another cart, which looked like a small boat with a prophetic name, "Deep Trouble," had just that when it ran out of momentum and stopped along the course."

"The crowd roared with laughter and cheered even louder when a cart with an O.J. Simpson White Ford Bronco theme traversed the streets of Los Angeles once again. It finished the course in 37 seconds but couldn't escape a near-perfect score from the judges. Forty teams from across the country were selected to compete."

"The teams were judged on their creativity, showmanship and speed. Los Angeles has long been known as a city of cars. Car culture, low riders, the Petersen Automotive Museum and a vast network of freeways are a testament. Now it has to add this wacky cart race to the list."

Read at Los Angeles Times