A great time to get on the soap box
Cookham Dean: Creative kart designers are gearing up for 15th Gravity Grand Prix
The organisers of Cookham Dean’s annual soap box race are planning for their ‘best ever’ day for the 15th event on Sunday.
The Gravity Grand Prix involves about 30 homemade, unpowered karts hurtling downhill through the village for 700 metres.
Typically, crowds turn out in their hundreds – sometimes thousands – to cheer the competitors on.
It starts at the junction of Church Road and Spring Lane and finishes in Hills Lane, just uphill from Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
The Cherry Pickers of Cookham Dean, who stage the event every September, have had ‘a record number of karts’ enter this year’s race.
In addition, the Cherry Pickers have set up ‘more offcourse attractions than ever before.’
Running this Sunday, September 11 in Cookham Dean, the racing starts just after 1pm and finishes with the prize-giving at 4.45pm.
The entering karts, which are all built by their drivers and support teams, are a mix of speedy runners and the (often slower) fun karts.
Last year saw a triumphant return of the classic event, after a 2020 hiatus due to COVID-19.
Each year, prizes are awarded for best design, best engineering, top speed and those carts that most reflect the fun and zany spirit of the family event.
The Cherry Pickers hope to raise at least £15,000 on the day, with all the profits going to the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.
The Gravity Grand Prix started in 2007 and over that time, more than £150,000 has been raised for the Air Ambulance.
The leader of the organising team, Max Stevenson, said: “Following last year’s very successful event, we have been planning for a year to make this the biggest and best Gravity Grand Prix so far.
“We hope that lots of people turn out to support our kart racers and the very important charity that we are raising funds for.”
Entry to the event is free and plenty of free parking is available.
More information is available at www.gravitygrandprix.co.uk