Kids Start Your Engines! The Soap Box Derby Is Coming To Town

On your mark, get set…and grab your tools!

Open Source Gallery’s Soap Box Derby and Workshop culminates in a race down 17th Street at 12pm on Saturday, August 29. And although the kids may be neck and neck as they swoop down the street, an educational experience plays a major role in this race to the finish line, which they’ve been doing since 2008.

The ages of these racers and inventors range from 7-15, and the kids “construct functional, eco-friendly soap box racers out of recycled materials,” according to the description from Open Source’s Workshop and Derby description page.

The process first involves the design of their soapbox cars. They do so on paper — the old-fashioned way. Calculations are made (who said math wasn’t important?) and physics is incorporated.

Of course, it’s all done without any fossil fuels. Kids scour the outside for recycled items and are then supervised by counselors as they use tools to build their own creations.

And then they take to the road — no driver’s license required. But the stakes are high as the kids test the ergonomics of their creations. In last year’s race, the New York Times reported that 8-year-old Peter Burke was sweating out his invention. “Well, my car is really humongous, and I’m a little worried about getting through the obstacles…I’m definitely concerned here with the braking mechanism,” he said.

The three-judge panel includes Oriana Leckert of Brooklyn Spaces, Peira Moinester of Brooklyn Music Factory, and Bill Oberkehr of Solarize Brooklyn CB6. We’ll see how tough they’ll be — this is serious business.

If you’re coming out to cheer them on, here’s what you need to know:

Open Source Soapbox Derby
When: Saturday, August 29, 12pm
Starting Area: 257 17th Street, (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
How much: Cheering on the racers is free!