The roads of the Aldeias do Xisto are hosting another edition of the National Soapbox Racing Championships. There are already five races in the Aldeias do Xisto Circuit which count towards the championship:
9 July: Mosteiro, Pedrógão Grande
5 November: Gondramaz, Miranda do Corvo
19 November: Sarzedas, Castelo Branco
2 and 3 December: Pedrógão Pequeno, Sertã
The competition categories are:
- Category A
- Traditional
- Modified
- Tuning
The National Soapbox Racing Championship has brought back a very old traditional activity in Portugal within an environmentally friendly format connecting with our scenic, cultural and gastronomic heritage. This is open to all those who have the ability and skill that the activity requires.
Soapbox Racing
The soapbox vehicle forms part of the childhood imagination of several generations of children, who spent whole days handcrafting their soapboxes with wood and steel bearings, and then dashing intrepidly down the slopes. It was as close as you could get to the Formula 1 races you have seen on television. And they were fought over with the same verve.
“The soapbox may contain three or four bearings (almost always used, disposed of by car mechanics) and is constructed of a wooden body with a moving axle at the front, used to control the soapbox as it travels down the street. The brake should be a little longer than the distance of the soapbox to the ground and it needs to be in a diagonal position; to slow down the speed you should pull the piece of wood or a bar of iron to a position where it touches the ground”(1)...or the soles of shoes can be used as brakes until you wear them all out, to the despair of the mothers.
(1) Source: Wikipedia
Don’t let yourself be outdone, get involved.
We bet you can still drive.
