Ashby Soapbox Derby 19th May 2024

The first Ashby Soapbox event was a resounding success. It was an extraordinary day with the sun shining brightly, drawing crowds of spectators along Market Street to witness the thrills and spills of 40 teams racing down the course.

The sight of so many smiling faces, enthusiastically cheering on their favourites, was truly heartwarming. The event showcased some incredibly creative designs, with our personal favourites including Team Margot & Scooby Gang. The highly coveted top spot for the most creative design for the juniors went to The Flying Duckman, followed by Road Racer Roosters in 2nd place, and Blackford - Bye in 3rd place – In the seniors  1st place went to Midland Motorbikers 2  in 2nd place Hill Top Dads and in 3rd The Going Show. These were judged by the Mayor of Ashby de la Zouch Town Council  Cllr Avril Wilson.

Some participants navigated the Kingswood kicker ramp with grace and flair, while others encountered mishaps that resulted in captivating crashes and stunning photographs.

Team Ashby Locals clinched the trophy for the fastest time in the seniors race, clocking in at a mere 20.65 seconds. They were closely followed by Team Man Within Compass with a time of 20.70 seconds, and in 3rd place was the Midland Motorbikers, completing the course in 20.93 seconds. Whilst in the junior race in 1st place Blackford - Bye with a time of 21.54 and in 2nd The Flying Duckman with a time of 22.08 & in 3rd Newton Riders finished with a time of 22.84.

A massive round of applause goes out to all the teams who participated. We sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed the event and will consider returning next year! A heartfelt thank you from all the Ashby businesses - without their support, this incredible event would not have been possible.

Some participants elegantly navigated the Kingswood kicker ramp with grace and flair, while others encountered mishaps that resulted in captivating crashes and stunning photographs.

Hot weather helped draw the crowds and BID Manager Stuart Benson said the day was a huge success.

We estimate 5,000+ turned out across the day, lining the length of Market Street and at times were six or seven people deep. If you look at the drone footage online, it'll give you some idea. It's hard to quantify.

We've had phenomenal feedback from the businesses, with those that opened up ona a Sunday for the event recording their best ever takings. All of the bars & cafes were very busy.

The traders in town have never seen Ashby as busy as that before, people really came out to support the event, it was a big success. 

People are already asking us if we will do it again next year? I think we'd be stupid not to!

One of the outcomes of the event is that people both local and visitors came into the town centre to see what it has to offer and will hopefully return.

The crowd were spurring on the teams to take to the ramp, cheering "kicker, kicker, kicker" as they came down the course. People wanted to see a bit of action and did not leave disappointed with one kart tipping, another into the barrier and one even went on to 2 wheels but somehow managed to keep it up right!

Lastly I would like to thank the businesses within the Ashby BID group who made this event possible.