Family on TV Red Bull race
The Robertson’s soapbox mission
A family-run garage in West Lothian has been selected for this year’s Red Bull Soapbox Race in London while featuring in a TV documentary on the race.
The Robertson family, who run The Garage in Whitburn, will take part in the race at Alexandra Palace on July 7 which sees drivers race downhill in homemade, un-motorised vehicles
They have also been selected as one of the teams to feature on Dave and Redbull TV.
The TV cameras were out to film the Robertsons on Thursday May 11 and will return to track the family’s progress as they build their soapbox vehicle.
The team, consisting of captain Ian Robertson, driver Jack Robertson and pit crew Mhairi Robertson and Trapper Paton, have started construction on their vehicle which is called Rock A Sauris.
Each team must put on a performance before the race that relates to their vehicle and Mhairi explained the idea behind Rock A Sauris.
She said: “We’re a prehistoric stone age band from Scotland. We’ve caught a dinosaur and we’re driving it but it breaks off the cage after getting excited by the rock band playing and takes control of the car.”
The team’s idea means that Jack, the driver, plans on completing the race while wearing a full-size inflatable T-Rex costume.
The Roberston family are used to building extravagant vehicles and their creations have been one of the main features in local galas over the years.
Ian also has vast experience in bogey racing after competing in them himself as a kid before moving on to building them for his children, Mhairi and Jack, when they were younger.
Ian said: “We are a family who are community focused. We have entered floats at our local gala days for twenty plus years and have secured first prize every year.
“We construct all our floats in five nights leading up to the gala and use as many free or recycled items as possible.”
The Garage was also voted Scottish Motor Trade Community Garage of the year in 2015.