The Hour

Soapbox racing is the latest speed sensation that is taking Scotland by storm.  And no, it’s not like Loose Women on wheels.
 
Father and son due David and Jonny Ackroyd are leading the charge under the banner, Formula Gravity.  They have poured their time and money into this skilful sport that is as much about design and engineering as it is about daredevil driving.

“When we started it was just another Dennis the Menace style soapbox racer, with four wheels and a frame.  But we just kept going with it more and more, until it just much more technical.”

By contacting professional designer the father and son team were able to modify an unassuming pile of scrap into sophisticated piece of racing kit.

Piloting their latest design is fearless 17-year-old Jonny.  This young driver is also soapbox racer top speed world record holder, managing to clock up a formidable 62 mph in their Nimbus kart.

“You don’t really have time to feel anything; you’re just focusing on where the next corner is and what your line into it is.  When you’re sitting at the top, usually on a ramp, looking down at a big hill, there are a lot of nerves.”

Inside the soapbox racer the controls are Spartan - brake, a parachute and a steering wheel – simple.  So is it an expensive hobby, can the next soapbox star-in-waiting conceivably raise the funds.

“This cost about £1,500.  But other cars out there, made by big companies for training purposes, they can spend six figure sums, several hundred thousand pounds on building and development costs. Or you can get the parts from the scrap and build something that is just as good.”

The sport is really taking off with races across the country – terrific opportunity to catch a fleeting glimpse of the nation’s latest dare devils.
 
Kris Yule is the organiser of a large soapbox event, taking place for the first time in the Cairngorms.  Sixteen of the top racing teams across Britain are coming to compete down a two mile stretch of road.  The event is completely free, all weekend, and is an opportunity to see these talented people testing the limits of man and machine.