Soap Box Derby in Vallejo

I heard on the news this morning that there would be a Soap Box Derby in front of the Library. I decided to go take some photos.

Someone at the event saw me photographing the racers as they went by and kindly told me how the race works. The gist of it is that 2 kids race at a time. The total weight of each car and driver is made to match. After the first race, the cars are brought back to the starting line to race again. The drivers switch lanes and they switch wheels, too. They race a second time and the total times of the 2 races are added together to see who won.

I wonder why the cars have to carry the same weight? Galileo proved in his famous experiment on the Tower of Pisa that a 10 lb and a 5 lb weight dropped at exactly the same time will reach the ground at the same time because the effect of gravity is the same on each, regardless of weight. Perhaps weight is a factor in variables such as drag and wind, in which case it would make sense to have vehicles of the same weight. Then you're left with the skill of the drivers as being the main variable.

In any case, it looks like a lot of fun and something that families do together.
Click here to see the photos (If you like surfing music, turn on your speakers.)

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