‘Hirdy Boys’ sprint to glory in seafront Soapbox Challenge
(Image above - credit Paul Grant)
What do you do with a spare Winlet glazing robot body cover? Turn it into a super-fast soapbox of course!
That’s what a team of four colleagues from Hird did when they entered the Bridlington Super Soapbox Challenge.
Pitting themselves against the best soapbox racers in the region, they did Hird proud by hurtling down a course in the town’s Marine Drive.
The Hull-based ‘Hirdy Boys’ teamStoreman Craig Tulloch, Workshop Manager Tony Sparrow, Painter Paul Smith, Engineer Tom Hardy, and Apprentice Kielon Ellerington – built their soapbox in two weeks.
Then it was off to the races to find out just how good their motor racing engineering skills had been – though, of course, there was no motor.
Craig Tullock explained: “We were up against 14 other carts and completed four runs. Each time we went faster, so we put up a consistent performance.”
In the first two runs, Craig was in the driving seat, launched from a large ramp down the hill, watched by thousands of spectators.
Then came a strategic switch.
“We realised no one else in the team was fast enough to keep up and push, which would have made us faster,” said Craig.
“So Paul got in the hot seat for the last two runs and I pushed.”
That moment of technical inspiration (eat your hearts out Mercedes and Red Bull), and Craig’s perspiration, shaved more seconds off the times.
So the Hirdy Boys completed the four runs in 48 seconds, 35 seconds, 33 seconds and 32 seconds – resulting in a 6th place finish.
Craig said: “We were pleased with the result. We went along with the intention of having fun and seeing how fast we could go, which we achieved.
“On the less serious side, there was another team of male ruby players, with a soapbox shaped like a rugby ball, and wearing pink tutus.
“The winners were engineering apprentices who built their soapbox from carbon fibre. So they deserved the trophy.”
Hird’s intrepid soapbox speeders each got a medal – and plan to race again, at the Humber Bridge Soapbox Derby, when the event returns in 2023.
