Krazy Races, one of the UK's largest free-to-attend "soapbox derby" festivals, is coming to Swansea city centre this Sunday. Around 15,000 people are expected to line the streets to watch brave contestants in their wacky and bizarre 'soapbox' handmade go-karts race past Swansea Castle, down Castle Gardens, and through the city centre – taking on chicanes, obstacles, water and many more challenges en route.
The event, sponsored by Gower College, will begin with an "opening procession" at 10.45am before the main racing begins at 11am. The first session of racing will run for two hours until 1pm when the event will pause for a lunch break. The racing will resume at 2pm and run until 4pm with the top seven soapboxes invited back to compete in a final race at 4pm. At 5pm the winners will be awarded their prizes. As well as the racing there will be a range of activities, entertainment, and food and drink stalls in and around Castle Gardens throughout the day.
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A Krazy Races spokesman said: "The event is fuelled by our amateur teams who will be entertaining the crowds and competing to be the best dressed, have the best-designed and the fastest soapbox karts powered by nothing more than krazy courage, wacky inspiration, gravity, and a bit of luck. Our competitors will work their way through a knockout style competition with only the fastest cars making it through to the final, where they will battle to take home the winner's trophy."
Organiser and founder Sarah Belcher added: "We're so excited. We've got lots of teams taking part and we're hoping to raise lots of money for our chosen charity Welsh Air Ambulance. We can't wait to see everybody there on June 18. It's going to be such a fun day."
Here's the information you need to know ahead of the event.
What is a soapbox derby?
A soapbox derby is a race involving several soapbox go-karts. 'Soapbox' go-karts were originally made from boxes that held soap, hence the name, but these days the term refers to a homemade go-kart made on a frame – but with no engine or other on-board power source.
Typically soapbox go-karts start their route with a push from behind before rolling. Sometimes you'll see competitors use ropes, handles, handlebars, or even their feet to steer, slow down, or speed up. You can read about the teams competing in the Krazy Races soapbox derby in Swansea on the event's website here.
When and where is the Krazy Races soapbox derby taking place?
The event is coming to Swansea on Sunday, June 18, to coincide with Father's Day. The racing will begin at Castle Gardens and the soapbox karts will race past Swansea Castle and through the city centre. There will also be activities and entertainment – including live music – and food and drink stalls in and around Castle Gardens.
The schedule for the day is as follows:
10.45am: Official event opening procession
11am: Racing starts
1pm: Lunch break
2pm: Racing resumes
4pm: Final race for the top seven fastest
5pm: Prize giving and awards (prizes include winner, second place and third place in the derby as well as 'best krazy designed kart' and 'most entertaining team of the day')
5.30pm: Event closes
What's the route?
What road closures are in place?
Partial road closures will be in place along High Street, Wind Street, Princess Way, and Castle Square. Diversions will direct traffic around the city centre and away from the roads used for the Krazy Races:
How can I take part?
There are already 30 teams set to take part and you can apply online here. The fee to take part is £150 plus VAT for general admission (teams of up to five), £150 plus VAT for charities, community groups, and education facilities, and £250 for companies/commercial entries. The event is free to watch.
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