Red Bull Brings Soap Box Derby Action to Salt Lake City for the First Time
June 15, 2025
50,000 fans were on hand Saturday afternoon despite the 97-degree heat to cheer on 48 competitors at Red Bull’s first soapbox derby event in Utah. Fifty-one total carts attempted the one-mile course that ran down Main Street from capitol hill that was littered with jumps and obstacles along the way. The course was designed to test not only the craftsmanship of the designs but also the driving capabilities and navigation know-how of the teams. While most of the carts made it to the bottom others fell prey to the bumps along the way.
Along the hill crowds lined the guardrails of the course, sidewalks and rooftops of the surrounding apartments buildings in the area trying to get the best view possible of the action. Fans cheered the racers on and made audible gasps whenever a team would wreck into the haybale lined barriers along the way.
Photos by: Paul Tefertiller
The designs featured many ties to Utah with some of them featuring the Delicate Arch, Grandma Sycamore’s Bread and covered western wagons. Beyond that the designs were inspired by anything from Sponge Bob to Lord of the Rings, from Nintendo Game Cube to a can of beans, from a pink version of Falkor to An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. Most of the competitors came from Utah but some came from out of state, including from as far away as North Carolina.
With a crowd that more than doubled Red Bull’s initial estimate of attendance when they announced the event, fans and businesses are hoping for a return in the future or more similar events from Red Bull making their way to Utah.
“The Energy of the crowd was amazing today! Standing at the start gate and looking down the course, it was so cool to see so many people in the crowd cheering us on,” said Matthew Henke of Team Desert Rats. “Our team, we’re all friends and also engineers, so this was honestly the best bonding experience to bring this cart to life. We were like kids with a bunch of toys getting to build together.
Event Winners
● First Place Winner - Team Desert Rats Fievel Gone West from Kanab, UT
● Second Place Winner - The Billy Groats & The Troll’s Bridge from North Salt Lake City, UT
● Third Place Winner - The Seussual Suspects & The Cat in the Hat can Go Faster Than That from Salt Lake City UT
● Smith’s Fastest Speed Winner - Not So Evel Knievel & Evel’s Rocket 2.0 from Denver, CO
● Maverik Fueled for Adventure Winner - Orcs and Dorks & Grond the Gate Smasher from North Ogden, UT
