Thrills and spills as Bideford Soapbox Derby takes to the streets this Sunday

Crazy wheeled creations will career down the High Street this Sunday (July 7) as the popular and exhilarating Bideford Soapbox Derby returns.

The town centre will be turned into a race track once again as 42 intrepid teams compete for the soapbox title as well as raising money for ChemoHero.

People are invited to line the streets from 11.30am to cheer the teams as their unpowered soapbox karts hurtle down the track, all vying for the fastest time – or at least the hope of finishing unscathed!

In their bid for victory, they must navigate a series of ramps, chicanes and the notorious ‘dead man’s corner’.

Each run will be livestreamed to a screen on the Quay and in the Pannier Market as well as on YouTube, thanks to Seth Conway Media.

Rebecca Edwards, event organiser from Out of This World Events, welcomed the fourth instalment of the Derby, which is raising money once again for ChemoHero.

She said: “It really is such a popular and special family friendly event and once again we have been overwhelmed by the donations, sponsorships and support from both from the teams entering and the public. We are getting ready to put on another epic event this Sunday.

“We can’t wait to see what the teams have in store for us this year. We are always in awe of the imagination, skill, team spirit and work that is put into each build.

“We have been told that amongst the 42 teams taking part, we can expect to see a Barbie cart, Only Fools and Horses, F1 replica carts and even a Tardis cart. To anyone who has not been to see this before, come on down and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere, it really needs to be seen to be believed.”

Competitors will hope to better the timings from last year, which saw 2023 saw the title for the fastest Soapbox go to GS Construct with their speedy trike that clocked an impressive 25.99 seconds to complete the course. AW Hockin’s noisy lorry finished second in 26.22 seconds with West End Precision narrowly in third place at 26.64 seconds.

Rebecca added: “No single use plastic bottles will be sold at the event and all traders will be using non plastic trays, cups and lids.

“We have a rent a cup for the day scheme available with a small levy charge that is returned when the cup is brought back at the end of the day. There will be a free water station available thanks to Plastic Free North Devon who are supporting the event with plastic free initiatives.”

To watch the race live, search for Bideford Soapbox Derby on YouTube and next year’s event is scheduled for July 7, 2025.

Timetable of events for the day

11.30am: Performance from Bideford Town Band

12pm: The first soapbox run

1.30pm: Performance from Xplosion Cheerleading

2pm: The second soapbox run

4.30pm: Trophies and medals