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Jr. Schooners gearing up for 2nd Annual Soap Box Derby at June 11’s Street Festival

June 4, 2016   ·   0 Comments

By Michelle Janzen

 

The Shelburne Jr. Schooners Softball league are once again hosting a Soap Box Derby, being held at this year’s Street Festival, which will be held Saturday, June 11.

After last year’s inaugural races, the Jr. Schooners are hoping to see more entries, and so is this reporter.

A gravity racer, or soapbox, is a motorless vehicle which is raced on a downhill road either against the clock or against another competitor. Although most are built for the purpose of recreation, some gravity racing teams take the sport more seriously and compete to win.

They are propelled by gravity and can achieve speeds upwards of 112 km/h (70 miles per hour).

Originally, gravity racer cars were built from wooden soap (or apple) crates and roller skate wheels, but they have grown more sophisticated over time, with materials like aluminium, fiberglass and even CFRP being used.

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 are usually entered into in a spirit of fun rather than serious competition. Often, they will be fundraisers for charity. Many, but not all, events impose the following rules: The car must have no motor, the car must have at least four wheels, the car may have to have some type of brakes, the driver must wear a helmet, and a push at the top is allowed for 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 typical gravity racer cart is usually made of steel, and has four wheels arranged as a fixed rear axle, and a steerable front beam axle – usually with a very simple single central pivot. A seat is arranged at the back, and perhaps the seat area is enclosed, as in the original soap-box design.

More sophisticated designs might employ a fully enclosed body. The types of wheels employed vary according to what can be obtained easily – wheels from baby carriages, pushchairs, prams, and discarded bicycles being common. Ready-made wheels are also available from hardware suppliers. Steering is typically actuated using a rope connected to the ends of the steerable beam (which can then double as a useful manual pulling device).

More sophisticated steering methods are sometimes seen. Brakes are also commonly used, and most soap-box cart racing contests require these

Gravity racer carts also make great construction projects for children, requiring only an intuitive sense of engineering, and a few basic construction skills. There are also predesigned kits available, though for many this defeats the purpose of the exercise.

A gravity racer gets its energy solely from the force of gravity (assuming no starting push is permitted). However, performance can be greatly affected by the combined effects of various forms of drag and also the moment of inertia of the wheels, and also of course by the skill of the driver in choosing optimal lines.

For more information and registration forms go to Jr Schooners Soap Box Derby page on Facebook.

         

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