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After the completion of all regional qualifiers for the Red Bull Soapbox Derby, this weekend will see the National Finals taking place in Mumbai on 2^nd December. The first of its kind in India, the Derby is here not only to challenge all that is conceptualized of cars but even of, who can make cars.

In the road leading towards the Finals, the organizers traveled with the participants all over the city, filming reactions to parking their car-like (and yet not quite) creations. The finals will see seventy teams competing against each other for the grand prize and possibility of representing India in the World Finals in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The Delhi regional qualifiers which had been adjudged by motosport and rally circuit veterans, Mr. Ashish Jha and Mr. Gaurav Gill saw the team ‘Armored’ (USIT, IP) winning the first position who will now be competing in the National Finals representing the city. The hosts of the finals will include the familiar faces of Cyrus Broacha, Jose Calvaco and Ramona Arena, while the judges will comprise of Rannvijay Singh, Lisa Haydon and Kunal Vijaykar.

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On 6^th October, 2012, the Red Bull Racing Can Delhi Qualifiers were held in the IIT-Delhi Campus. Twenty-seven teams from all over the city and neighboring regions competed in the first round of this international competition. The teams were picked out of a number of contestants on the basis of their model design and creativity in fashioning a functioning car out of Red Bull cans. This was the first and the regional round of the competition, the winner of which would proceed to the national round in Mumbai on 20^thOctober, and the team that won there would get a chance to compete in the international round in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Meanwhile here, the twenty-seven teams were pitted against each other in races between two or three cars. Their models were attached to a remote-control driven chassis and the winner of each proceeded to the quarterfinals of the qualifiers. Some cars toppled and had to be retrieved by the crew, while others were expertly maneuvered by their makers around the rubber track.

After twelve qualfiers and four quarter-finals, the finals comprised four teams whose self-titled names were, ‘Metal Mayhem’, ‘Aerobolt’, ‘Bull Racers’ and ‘Armoured’.

These teams were then judged on the basis of their design and creativity and the final race rankings by Mr. Gaurav Gill and Mr. Ashish Jha, who are both established members of the rally car and motosport Indian circuit.

The teams were questioned on their choices in designing or the overall weight of the car which may have been the compromise between maneuvering ease and speed. The combined score of these two rounds decided the winner of the qualifiers. ‘Armored’ comprising two USIT, IP University students won the race, as well as the overall tally, and will be competing in the nationals in October.

Image credits: Additi Seth

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