January 22, 2016 4.50 pm
This story is over 93 months old
Daredevil soapbox racers to zoom through Lincoln village
Soapbox fun: Around 2,000 people are expected to attend an event this year which will see inventive adrenaline junkies shoot down a winding course in the village of Coleby.
Around 2,000 people are expected to attend an event this year which will see inventive adrenaline junkies shoot down a winding course in the village of Coleby near Lincoln in their own modified soapboxes.
The Coleby Downhill challenge is returning for the second time on June 11 and 12 after the success of the first event in 2014, during which 12 soapboxes took part and £1,400 was raised for charity.
Photo: Chris Walker
This year, over 30 soapboxes, sidecars and gravity bikes (bikes fuelled only by gravity) have signed up to put their speedsters to the test.
The course snakes down Coleby Hill, described in 2014 by racers as “one of the best in the country”. Racers even reached speeds of over 40 miles per hour.
Photo: Chris Walker
Accompanied by family entertainment throughout the weekend, the ‘gravity bike’ class will form round 2 of the 2016 National Gravity Bike Championships.
Timed practice will take place on Saturday June 11, and continue throughout the day.
The Downhill Challenge starts at 10am on Sunday June 12, with results and presentations at 4pm (timings subject to change and will be confirmed nearer the event).
Organised by the Hykeham Lions Club and partners, in aid of local charities including LIVES, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance.
Organiser Jeff Harwood said: “We are almost full for applications for people to take part, but people can visit our website for more details or follow us on Facebook.
“It’s a really fun day for racers and spectators. The best way to describe it is ‘Lincolnshire’s own wacky races’.
“In the past we have seen some great soapboxes, including a Doctor Who postbox. In 2014 we raised £1,400. As this years event is so much bigger we hope to exceed that amount.”
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Villagers in Fiskerton remain cautious yet optimistic in the face of potential flooding, a month after they were advised to evacuate following a considerable amount of rainfall.
Several residents have continued to vigilantly monitor the River Witham’s water levels, prepared with sandbags outside their homes as a precaution after Storm Babet damaged two sections of the riverbank. But, despite the looming threat, there is a prevailing sense of confidence among the community, suggesting that further flooding is unlikely.
News that a £165,000 improvement project on the Handley Monument in Sleaford will commence early next year has been supported by local residents, who feel it is a much needed addition to the town centre, but it hasn’t come without its fair share of criticism.
North Kesteven District Council unveiled its plans for the historic Handley Monument in Sleaford, with a view to improving the surrounding area and also lighting up the monument to attract more attention to its role in the town’s history.
Whatsapp
