Soap-box racing? It’s all downhill

As automotive enthusiasts, we love engines, awesome driving experiences, a firm-and-not-squishy ride, killer styling and, of course, lots of power.

So, I wondered then if the crowd of people watching the recent Soap Box Races in Los Angeles, Calif., would be comprised of car lovers or people coming out for free Red Bull, a family day in the sun, or to witness the enthusiastic crowd enjoying a silly race through downtown.

Certainly the crowd was diverse, but I was pleasantly surprised by the tremendous number of car enthusiasts, celebrities from the automotive space, fans of car shows on TV, etc., who were there to support this event. Have you ever attended a Soap Box Derby or Race? It was an incredible, unforgettable time.

At the last minute, an automotive company asked if I would do some hosting at the event. I agreed, thinking it would be great fun.

Our group was made up of two cameramen, a director, a sound man, a producer and a makeup artist and we made our way to a spot that provided a view of the huge hill that the soap boxes would be zig-zagging down. It was a steep and extremely windy road, loaded with jumps along the way, and for safety's sake was padded with bales of straw stacked along the sides. Here we did the hosting segments for the show.

We then made our way up the steep hill for the first of what would end up being nine or 10 times to interview a few of the stand-out teams. I was blown away by the creativity of the competitors. Each of the nearly 40 teams had a unique theme. They built their own cars, some with rickety suspensions (most without any), some with two drivers (most with just one), all in costume and following specifications on which they would be graded.

There was team Angry Birds, honoring the beloved cell-phone game. There was team Wayne's World, with one of the best vehicles made of fiberglass and constructed by expert car builders. There was a team of boxers made up of Scottish guys with kilts and bagpipes and there was the iconic A Team. The Dukes of Hazzard team was particularly excited for the course's big jump, obviously, while team Lakers was hoping for a better finish than their pro-basketball counterparts this season. The silliest soap box had to be that of comedian and radio host Adam Carolla. It was a hot dog gone way wrong. There was no shortage of enthusiasm, passion for the event or competitive spirit in the air. And the creative juices were flowing ... downhill, mostly.

After interviewing many of the groups, their leaders doing most of the talking and responding to all questions in appropriate character, we went back down the hill to talk with the judges. All were celebrities, ranging from TV actors to sports stars. The judges were voting on creativity, team dance -- which took place prior to taking the plunge down the hill -- costumes, performance and speed.

One girl told me she was voting on crashes and hoped to see some great disasters. I really enjoyed speaking with John Schneider, aka Bo Duke from the "Dukes of Hazzard" TV series, as he is a respected car guy and has a great sense of humor.

After some laughs with the team of judges, it was back to the top for more interviews before the teams did their required dance routine and then pushed their group's driver down the hill, waiting to see what was in store. The crowds were laughing, clapping, oohing and aaahhhing at the adventurous spectacle. It was shocking and hilarious to see vehicles immediately lose all four flimsy wheels, costumes fly apart, vehicles disintegrate and drivers wipe out, get back in and then wipe out again.

The spectators had a blast at Red Bull's Soap Box Race. In fact, when the next race makes its way to Los Angeles, I intend to form a team and drive. People say that's crazy. No way, it would be a thrill, even if with no horsepower, very little style and even less engineering. I think we now have an alternate definition of automotive enthusiast.

Among her numerous accomplishments, Courtney Hansen is the author of "Garage Girl's Guide to Everything You Need to Know About Your Car," the host of Spike TV's "Power Block," the former host of TLC's "Overhaulin'" program and a writer with Wheelbase Media and Auto Shift Weekly magazine. You can email her by logging on to www.wheelbase.ws and using the contact link.