Gravity racer

Soapbox are constructed of wood, plywood, fiberglass, carbon fiber or similar materials themselves or mounted from prefabricated kits, vierrädrigere small vehicles. You do not own drive device, but moving on downhill grades by the slope force. The steering ( Schwenkachslenkung ) the soap acts by steering ropes or other steering device on the solid front axle. Through their swinging the direction change takes place. You can be fast up to 50 km / hr.

History

Since 1904, organized with self-made "Children automobiles " in Germany races for children. Oberursel ( Taunus), near Frankfurt, is considered the birthplace of the children car race in Germany. 1904 and 1907 found in the Taunus instead of several such races, which were inspired by the great events of Gordon Bennett Cup in 1904 and the Kaiser 's Prize Race of 1907. The participants, almost exclusively boys, and their fathers and relatives tried the racing cars as lifelike as possible to recreate in miniature form.

The soapbox sports later developed completely independent of these early races. The name comes soapbox (English: Soap box ) from the USA. The name soap box, the translation of " Soap Box ", was the American newspaper photographer Myron E. Scott of the Daily News in Dayton, Ohio, one, as in 1933 he photographed young children when tinkering of automobiles. For this purpose, they used wooden packing crates in which companies supplied soap means and cheese to retailers, but also discarded prams, metal trays and the like. He called in his reports the small vehicles "soap boxes". It would have to be "cheese boxes", ie cheese boxes. The first major " Soap Box Derby ", so soapbox race took place on March 19, 1933 in Dayton with 362 reported small riders, including a few girls instead. From 1935 until today, the U.S. and at the same time World Championships in Akron, Ohio, aligned. The decisive factor for the choice of this location was that the city administration introduced a permanent racing available to the race organizers. Main sponsor was until 1972 the company Chevrolet, part of the General Motors Group. In Germany stepped up in 1972, the General Motors subsidiary Adam Opel AG as main sponsor and organizer on.

Race in Germany

Only after the Second World War, the American soapbox sports came to Germany. The first big soap box race in the post-war era were held in 1949 in Germany. The starting point was the efforts of the troops stationed in Germany at one of the youth serving recreational activities. The city was still in its heyday in America BoxDerbys soap were the model for the rebirth of the German soapbox race.

In the first ten years were proud figures are reported. 60,000 German boy had driven soapbox involved were 214 cities. 1949, ie the first year of organized grouping of soapbox race with a final championship, 12 major events in various cities of the former American Occupation Zone of Germany and Berlin were settled.

The championship race was in Munich at the Theresienwiese meadow, on a wooden track of 220 m in length, with the launch of a high ramp that swung himself up to the foot of the Bavaria statue. A year later, the championship was held in Stuttgart, on a road race track in front of 20,000 spectators.

The Opel era

The year 1951 brought the big boom. Opel had founded an organization headquarters in Rüsselsheim and expanded its activities by the Soapbox derby on the entire country from. 1951 was also the first time uniform sets of wheels, and the Adam Opel AG, as patron and creator of the German Championship called on to compete for the big prize Opel. In order for a special incentive for the work and participation all soapbox racers was given. Training aid and for the first winner of a 14-day trip to America, to attend the World Cup in the soapbox races in Akron, were advertised as part of the large Opel Prize. In addition, 20 were happy boys do for 18 days, a Germany - tour through the most beautiful areas of the home.

This created through the auspices of the Adam Opel AG, based the race of both the audience and the organizers themselves were held in front of large audience unlikely scenes and enthusiastic participation throughout Germany. Many clubs, especially clubs ADAC, put their staff available, and also newspaper publishers helped.

In 1952, new operators have been added; ADAC took the race nationwide. The Federal Cup was first held in that year, as in all subsequent years, the Duisburg city forest on the Uhlenhorst road. Through the collaboration of organizational headquarters at Opel in Rüsselsheim with the ADAC clubs throughout Germany, the Opel dealers and the Bureau of the ADAC Munich, the frame was set, which should prove itself over many years. The training aid, which got a lot of participants, who can help in many cases, to secure the future of these young people. The fun and excitement of youth in the construction of this road vehicles was an inestimable value for the troubles of the company Opel and other organizations.

For organizers, ie motor - sports clubs and Opel dealers, there was a nearly 100 - page manual in which all the details of the circuit, soapbox and the necessary and related advertising have been proposed. Soapbox races were in fact competitions with a large local and nationwide response. Slide advertisement, billboard advertising, insertions, insurance, directed tasks, admission badges, newsletters, invitations are a few keywords that characterize the extent of the organizations. How to verified the prescribed technical specifications of the vehicles, the following list makes clear: There were six PrüfsteIlen - to control the axes of the brake cable, the steering wheels, the steering column, the Radeinschlages and the track width. In the first five controls there were 36 items that were tested per soapbox. The final inspection was then carried out in the sixth passage.

By 1972, Opel supplied wheels and steering for the boxes and was also the specifications, which was oriented towards the American model. This was necessary because the winner of the "German soapbox derby " was supposed to compete in America to the All- American Soap Box Derby.

The After - Opel - time

With the departure of the Adam Opel AG from the soapbox sports in its wake the ADAC, important local sponsors and especially the whole Opel dealer network, the importance of the soapbox sports in Germany fell sharply. In Germany, the German Soapbox Derby Association based in the Mosel community Klüsserath has taken over the organization of the race.

Race in Switzerland

In Switzerland, is known as the oldest soapbox race event of the year 1934 in Beaver stone. First regulations and guidelines for the construction of the soapbox and the implementation of the races were issued in 1970 by the General Motors Suisse SA and Rivella AG.

After 1974 General Motors had withdrawn, the race of the Swiss championship ran until mid- 1990 under the patronage of the company Rivella.

Since the season 1991, the LISTA group had taken over the patronage along with the AMAG Group. Were morally and financially supports this patronage support from the Touring Club Switzerland and the Association of Swiss coachbuilder - VSCI. End of 1992, the TCS and the end of 1993, AMAG has retired from soapbox racing.

From the 2003 season could be won as another main sponsor along with the two long-term main sponsors LISTA and VSCI new CASTROL. As of the 2007 season, the main sponsor of this has been superseded by the company Motorex.

Race in Austria

In Salzburg, the Salzburger Nachrichten in the years 1973 and 1974 have been two races, at that time, carried out at the Salzburg Ring.

As of October 1977, the ÖAMTC organized jointly with the wonder world for several years Seifenkistlrennen or the Seifenkistl Grand Prix.

Was launched in 1996 from a private initiative of the soapbox Club Austria ( SKCÖ ), headquartered in Neumarkt am Wallersee, who organized more than 100 races until the end of 2009 according to own data, at which 6,000 children and young people involved.

Since 2007, the Austrian umbrella organization for the soapbox racing.

Fun race

Since the withdrawal of General Motors from the soapbox sports are next race after solid regulations and more frequently organized so-called "fun Soapbox Race ", in which not only the speed and creativity in the design is increased attention. Most of these non- cognate associations and commercial enterprises are organized for marketing purposes. In Switzerland, this " fun races " more popular. After the strictly regimented race lost its popularity, are increasingly " fun race " was held.

Regulate

The circuits are meters typically between 250 and 500 and have a slight slope such that a maximum speed of 60 km / h can be achieved on the condition at any point. The vehicles start from a launch pad. Is the safe when wet race course is no longer guaranteed, the race must be stopped. The winner is determined from the shortest total time of all runs.

The driver must always wear protective helmets and the companion be equipped with safe functioning brakes. For weight, overall length and wheelbase exact rules apply. In Germany, the German Soapbox Derby acts eV ( DSKD ) as an umbrella organization. For about 50 races that are hosted by different clubs and other organizations in Germany in the year, the children and young people start in three age groups:

• Junior class from 8 to 12 years, weight of the vehicle including the driver maximum 90 kg
• Senior class, 11 to 18 years, weight of the vehicle including the driver a maximum of 113 kg
• ELITE XL- class, 13 to 18 years, weight of the vehicle including the driver a maximum of 125 kg. For this class apply to body size and weight, additional conditions: Girls / Boys: minimum size of 1.75 m / 1.80 m or minimum weight of 60 kg/65 kg. Some operators, such as the Youth Services " The rascal " in Remscheid, put the vehicle purchase a special safety engineer.

Missing weight can be overloaded by ballast made ​​of wood or metal at all three ages.

In races in different places there are in these classes Heats for the annual German Championship, where the respective winners can participate.

Soapbox Museum

1982 has left on the initiative of the then Opel - employee Wilfried abbot of Oberursel their extensive archive Soapbox, Adam Opel AG. As in 1987, the Vortaunus Museum was opened, were the " quick boxes " first to admire in a special exhibition. Later, the colorful racer led a shadowy existence in a small room in the basement of the museum. After some remodeling and renovations in the main building of the Vortaunusmuseums, it was possible to give visitors a completely redesigned soapbox - to show exhibition.

In the newly designed space, the first floor of the museum, find a replica of a children's automobile, numerous soapbox, historical photos, parts, flags and much more his place. Short texts inform over 100 years of children's car - or soapbox derby.

The existing in the archives of original footage was revised and compiled the most impressive movie scenes to DVD " soapbox memories of the 50s and 60s of the 20th century." This piece of history will be shown in the exhibition space, museum visitors also.

The oldest "box" dates from 1949 and bears the inscription "Stars and Stripes - German Youth Activities U.S. Army". Meanwhile, get " growth " of the exhibition. The Youth Club Mettinger soapbox derby eV gave the Vortaunus Museum a cigar-shaped Senior crate, has won the Gerrit Eichholzer among others in 2000 in Stromberg the 52nd German Championship and the European Championship 3.

Since October 3, 2009, there is in Buggingen the first soapbox museum which features only soapbox. Under the leadership of the soapbox friends Buggingen, this museum was built by Martin Rapp. In the museum there are older and original soapbox from different countries.