Brunei’s First Soap Box Derby!

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A soapbox car is a motorless vehicle capable of holding a driver (usually a child) built for the purpose of racing or recreation. They are propelled by gravity and can achieve speeds upwards of 112 km/h (70 miles per hour). Originally, soapbox cars were built from wooden soap (or orange) crates and rollerskate wheels, but have grown more sophisticated over time, with materials like aluminum, fiberglass and even CFRP being utilized.

In the United Kingdom a soapbox car has been called a buggy, trolley, cart. It is currently popularly called a go-cart, although that now more often refers to a similar vehicle with a motor, spelt “go kart”. In Scotland and northern England it has also been called a bogie, cartie/cairtie, guider or piler. In Wales it is often referred to as a gambo. In Australia they are called billy-carts.

In addition to being built by children, there are organised competitions and races (“soapbox or billycart derby”) that often engage the enthusiasm of adults. However, these things are usually entered into in a spirit of fun rather than serious competition. Often they will be fund-raisers for charity. Many, but not all, events impose the following rules:

The car must have no motor
The car must have at least 4 wheels
The car may have to have some type of brakes
The driver must wear a helmet
A push at the top is allowed for extra speed

Soapbox cars weigh an average of 150 pounds (68 kg) and reach top speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h). Many cities have permanent tracks where drivers compete for prizes.

A few weeks ago, SM Sayyidina Husain played host to the inter-school/college push cart competition. This is the first tournament held in Brunei Darussalam in which the “Go Kart” is designed by the students without engine and racing on a 300 meter downhill track. A total of 17 “Go Kart” entries from 15 schools and colleges participated in the tournament. This tournament is scheduled to be held again in November next year.

The schools & colleges which participated: