Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Red Bull Soapbox Derby debuts in Utah with several local-themed carts.
- Judges include Utah locals, including comedian Tyler Bender and Olympian Natalia Grossman.
- The free event is expected to draw 20,000 spectators, with races starting at noon on June 14.
SALT LAKE CITY — At least two bee-themed soapbox cars, a Delicate Arch and, yes, two racers dressed as chicken nuggets in a chicken nugget box will soon be speeding down a street by the state Capitol.
Red Bull's Soapbox Derby first event in Utah will bring in racers from across the state, as well as participants from coast to coast next month, who have some interesting vehicle designs. It'll also be judged by several locals, including one of the state's newest reality television stars.
Event organizers have recently released details about the free June 14 event at the Utah State Capitol, including the winning designs from over 40 teams that will compete.
Several designs have ties to the race's host city and state, while still delivering on "the outrageous, the preposterous and the ostentatious" that the company wanted when it announced it would come to Utah earlier this year.
For example, Nick Justice of the Salt Lake City-based team "Raise Hell, Praise Whale" designed a replica of the whale from "Out of the Blue," a sculpture in Salt Lake City's 9th & 9th neighborhood, complete with a gnome also found in the neighborhood.
"Driving Buzzed" is from Cleveland, but plans to dress in a beekeeper suit, as they drive down the Utah Capitol streets in a 6½-foot tall beehive topped with Utah's beehive-themed state flag. "Beeline To The Finish Line," from Park City, has a similar concept but with a honeycomb rally car instead.
There's also "Beehive Bandits" from American Fork, which designed a pioneer wagon-themed soapbox cart, while "Delicate For" from Centerville turned Utah's famed Delicate Arch and Salt Lake City's "Bonneville Bombers" turned the state fish — Bonneville cutthroat trout — into carts.
Even a few local brands are honored through carts. "The International Dinner Club," a team from Sandy, designed a cart that's a loaf of bread from the local bakery, Grandma Sycamore's Home-Maid Bread. Salt Lake City's "SaltFire" cart was designed like SaltFire Brewing Company's anglerfish logo.
There are a few other designs that stand out even if the local ties aren't as prominent.
"The Nugget Bros," from Saratoga Springs, took Chick-fil-A chicken nugget fandom to the next level, designing a chicken nugget box cart and for the team decked out in Styrofoam cut-out nugget suits to race in. "Napoleon Dynamite," from Millcreek, redesigned Uncle Rico's van from the iconic 2004 comedy. Carts designed like an apple and a raccoon-infested trash bin will also compete in June, as will a cart mimicking a design from the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes."
The full field can be found on the event website.
All of the vehicles will travel down a hay bale-lined course along the Main Street hill between the state Capitol and Temple Square. Red Bull, which debuted its derby in 2000, announced in February that it would bring the zany event to Utah for the first time, as it named Salt Lake City as one of three U.S. host cities for 2025.
A panel of local judges will vote on top performances, speed and creativity during the event. Those were also named last week:
- Tyler Bender, a comedian, actor and digital content creator from Utah.
- Mike Brewer, a Utahn and world champion skydiver, is also a member of the Red Bull Air Force.
- Natalia Grossman, a Red Bull athlete and Olympian climber, now lives in Utah.
- Dave Kindig and Kevin Schiele from KinDig It Designs.
- Mayci Neeley, a cast member from "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives."
"Red Bull Soapbox Race is one of the wildest events that I've seen, so it's sure to be loved by the state of Utah," Grossman said in a statement. "I'm excited to be a judge to see how the teams bring to life their designs and if they can make it down the course."
Event organizers previously stated that the event is expected to draw approximately 20,000 spectators. Gates to the state Capitol event will open at 10 a.m. before the first races take place at noon on June 14.
The event will also be streamed live on Atmosphere TV.
