soapbox racing red bull style

Today was the day many had been waiting for. 45 teams from all over the west/mid-west gathered at Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the 2008 Red Bull Soapbox Race. Teams ranging anywhere from 2-4 people brought their homemade racing machines to the event to first be reviewed by the attendees, then subjected to racing mutilation. Speeds reached 25 mph on average, the ride was narrow and steep, and plenty of brakes gave out enough to keep the packed house cheering and staying throughout the entire event. Each team had to first start their race with a skit based on the theme of their machine, followed by 1-2 teammates jumping in for the often ill fated ride to the bottom. Personally my favorites were the Chick Magnet and the Emage El Camino, but none of the machines were built overnight. People put some serious time and money into them and the crowd ate it up all afternoon. Also, if you haven’t had some Red Bull Cola yet you should grab some, it’s really good and I’m not even much of a cola drinker. All in all the event was pretty humorous and really well organized, and in usual Red Bull style every detail was paid attention to big and small. Hopefully they bring it back to Denver next year because this was a blast. Check the photos to see what you missed!