Red Bull Soap Box Derby features crazy cars, racers

ATLANTA, Ga. —  More than 49,500 screaming fans lined 10^th Street at Piedmont Park to watch 36 teams race their way to soapbox glory!

The Red Bull Soap Box Derby returned to Atlanta this weekend. It was last here in 2009. The derby included Batman, past presidents and Fred Flintstone flying down 10th in their non-motorized soap box vehicles.

Judges scored each team based on speed, creativity and showmanship.

Each team performed a skit before pushing their vehicle off a ramp and down the hill. At least one driver navigated the vehicle through the course, including two jumps before crossing the finish line.

In the end though, there could only be one winner, and SweetWater’s flying fish, with its retractable fins and wheelie popping ability, won the title of Soapbox Champion.

“It was a total team effort,” remarked SweetWater’s Team Leader, Brian O’Connell. “It’s a challenge to figure out how you can work within the limits and still do something that gets the crowd excited. It was a narrow margin; we just inched it out. It was fun to bring it home to Atlanta.”

Race viewers were able to name their favorite, too. The People’s Choice Award went to the Atlanta Rollergirls Racing Devils. The girls, with their wild costumes, hilarious skit and imaginative craft skated their way into the hearts of thousands of fans, who were able to text their votes during the race.

The Atlanta event was the 12th U.S. Red Bull Soapbox Race to ever take place, with the first stateside race held in St. Louis in 2006. The global event dates back to 2000, when it first took place in Belgium, and has since visited almost 30 countries. Other stateside pit stops planned for 2012 include Red Bull Soapbox Race Texas, which is set to take place in Dallas on September 15.

WSBTV