Soapbox teams line up for F1-style seaside derby

Ramps provide added thrills for riders and spectators

Soapbox teams are putting the final touches to their machines for annual races down a seaside town's streets.

More than 40 teams will line up on the grid in Formula 1-themed races for the Bideford Soapbox Derby on Sunday.

The racing kicks off at 12:00 BST from the market at the top of the town down to the quay, with ramps on the way to give it added thrills.

Racer Andrew Bowers told BBC Radio Devon that entries among the gravity-powered soapboxes included a bath filled with baked beans.

Expect entries of all shapes and sizes

"Some people will use existing frames of a buggy or a go kart, it varies," he said.

"Some big, some small, some will definitely fall apart, but it's a good laugh."

Brakes were also essential to stop flying into the quay at the finish, he said.

"It's very steep, so you imagine putting a cart with a person on it and just throwing it down over four ramps, they're going to fly," he said.

"There is a spec for riders and karts that you have to keep to to make sure that it's safe because ultimately it is dangerous, so you have to be careful."

Organisers said the event raised more than £26,000 last year and it is on course to repeat the same amount this year for north Devon-based charity ChemoHero.