Red Bull Soapbox Race 2017

Los Angeles, CA

Over the years, we've done quite a few things with our friends over at Red Bull, from small events to custom indoor skateparks. Here’s a little history about the Red Bull Soap Box events. Red Bull held their very first event in 2000 in Brussels and from then on hundreds of events have been held all over the world. The rules are simple, the vehicles that are entered into the race must have steering and braking capability. However, they are judged on a combination of factors such as the time it takes to complete the course, creativity of their designs and the showmanship of performance at the starting line.

The race required a few obstacles to be made, such as a couple of speed bumps and small ramps. This always adds a fun element because the soapbox racers usually have little to no braking capabilities with the speeds they are reaching. Red Bull contacted us because they had specific dimensions needed for the ramps in this event but also to be built to withstand the weight and pressure of the soapboxes. Once we finalized the design they wanted, we began to cut and drill all the pieces in our warehouse. They wanted us to paint them and eventually add their Red Bull graphics. So we worked with their internal graphics department to create their wraps or decals.

A month before the event, we had to go out to the venue for a test run with Jay Leno. A couple of drivers tested out the ramp, made a couple promo clips and hung out with THE Jay Leno. What an experience! After that, we headed back to the shop to complete the rest of the ramps and add all the finishing details. The day before the event, we delivered them to the race track in LA. When we unloaded the ramps, all the drivers couldn't get their jaws off the asphalt because they knew their soap box cars didn't have much of a chance surviving our custom ramps.