Not just about the speed
Hundreds of people will hit the Coast this April to watch teams break speed limits down Stanmore Bay’s Brightside Road.
The Whangaparaoa Rotary Club is preparing to celebrate their 10th Soap Box Derby this April 8 and 9.
The event, which was brought to New Zealand from the United States around 15 years ago, first ran on the North Shore in 2008.
The event is a franchise of the All American Soap Box Derby and is where trolleys are imported as kitsets and built by teams from either schools or local clubs to race.
The build has to be exact with no external parts or products.
In the USA there is a education programme which uses the tools and values of Soap Box Derby racing to introduce science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to students in an enjoyable, engaging way, providing project and standards based, inter-curricular learning opportunities.
This programme is designed to develop STEM competencies such as prototyping, research, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration and teamwork and contains activities that engage learners.
On the day there will be carnival rides, on track entertainment and market stalls. Races start from 9am and run until 4pm.
Winners will attend the All American Soap Box Derby World Championships in July.