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It's the Wacky Races! Competitors take part in the Red Bull Soapbox Race in London

 

Neela Debnath
Monday 15 July 2013 13:22 BST
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Just like the weather, the competition was heating up at The Red Bull Soapbox Race at London's Alexandra Palace over the weekend.

Around 70 amateur competitors took part in the wacky race which involved driving around the track in a homemade, motorless soapbox, relying on courage, gravity and possibly some Red Bull to get them across the finishing line.

Click here or on 'view gallery' to see more images

There was a colourful and imaginatively-designed array of vehicles, from soapboxes shaped like Mexican wraps to one inspired by Olympic athlete Usain Bolt.

The winners of this year's race were the Phya-Bird team from Newcastle, with Coffin Dodgers and Does My Scrum Look Big In This? coming second and third respectively.

The victor of the race is not solely determined by the first vehicle to cross the finish line but also the creativity of the design. Teams were made up of four members, who were required to design and build the vehicle which can be any shape and made of any material that fits in with the guidelines.

The competition is held all over the world and past races have taken place in South Africa, Australia and Sweden. The event has been taking place since 2000 and there have been over 40 soapbox races, this year's competition returned to London after a nine-year gap.

Video: Sebastian Vettel takes part in a soapbox race

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