Wheels in motion ahead of big derby
The countdown is on as soapbox racers prepare to take to Timaru’s streets.
Crowds are expected to converge on George St, Timaru from 10am on Sunday for the return of soapbox racing. The novelty event, featuring an assortment of anything on wheels, used to run north along Stafford St between the Theatre Royal and Station St in the 1980s.
A fundraising group - TiMOru - is bringing back the event, to be run on a slightly different course, in aid of Movember, an annual campaign focusing on men’s health during November.
A pair of Timaru Movember campaigners, Richard Brown and Felicity Bruce, organised the November 19 event, with a starting point on George St, outside the Timaru District Council building.
Brown said 48 entries had been received, and organisers were still looking for volunteers to help set up from about 8am on Sunday.
‘‘We just want people to come along and support it, we need as much support as we can get,’’ Brown said. An assortment of soapbox racers would be on display in the courtyard outside the Speight’s Ale House on George St from about 6pm on Friday, Brown said.
Meanwhile, soapbox racers Gordon Grose, Marc Maskery, Paul Dunstan and Kurt Hayward said they were looking forward to the big event.
Maskey said he had based his design ‘‘on a stolen 1930s Nazi race car, remodelled by the allies’’.
‘‘It’s basically a transformed childs’ bicycle and an ironing board,’’ Maskery said. Grose said his model was made up of a ‘‘sack barrow, four village hall chairs and a kids’ bike’’.
Dunstan said his racer included parts from a ride on lawn mower, stormwater pipe and a computer steering console. Brown said anyone keen to help out was encouraged to email timorusoapbox@gmail.com, check out the TiMOru Soap Box Derby 2017 Facebook page, or visit nz.movember.com