51 le soap box who challenged each other along the Walls of Bergamo high yesterday, Sunday 12 May, at the 48th Soap Box Rally, finally back on the scene after 5 years of absence. The most famous wooden car race in the world, organized by Proloco Bergamo, with the direction of Roberto Gualdi, and the collaboration of the ASD Box Rally for the sporting part, took place with great participation of the public who cheered the drivers every descent, without and with obstacles.
The organizers thank the institutions and partners who, in various capacities, supported the event: Municipality and Province of Bergamo, Nettuno, Gruppo Carmeli, BCC Milano, Fassi, Pedretti Serramenti, Italianoptic. Lots of imagination among the competing crews: the cars, according to the historical regulation, dated 1955, must be equipped with “nice armour” in order to participate in the Originality Award: beehives, bricklayers, boats, animals, Scooby-Doo, the Avengers, the Cheshire Cat, Spider-Man, General Lee and many others paraded along the Walls.
On Saturday it took place at Pedretti Serramenti in Curno la punching, or the technical checks of the soap boxes in the race, and the most imaginative machine was also decreed: “Senti che paca!” triumphed! by Paolo Sartori, Michele Ravanelli and Michele Vegher from Trento who also wins the Gran Combined Award. The Speed Trophy it was instead won by “Team MM” Of Massimo and Fabio Mazzoleni from Zogno (in the cover photo), father and son who are back to running and having fun after ten years of absence.
Participated many young people coming from schools and community centers, among which, the Pinocchio Trophy was awarded to the youth group La Ragnatela of Mattia Berzi, Santo Aiello and Nicola Biondi from Chiuduno. They also “paraded” along the Walls 15 drift trikes and two vehicles from Speed Down Italia
The crews came not only from the Bergamo area, but also from Brescia, Mantua, Como, Milan, Cremona, and from Trentino, Veneto, Piedmont and Umbria. But not only. This year, a television crew from the area also participated in the 48th edition of the Soap Box Rally from Japan with two soap boxes competing. This is Nihon TV, one of the most important television stations in the Land of the Rising Sun, with its Sunday program “Sekai no hate made ItteQ” and its main frontman, Daisuke Miyagawa.
Radio Pianeta and speaker Toni Tranquillo “narrated” the race, at the start and finish respectively. To guarantee safety, the collaboration of everyone was important, especially of the volunteers present: the Local Police of the Municipality of Bergamo, the White Cross of Bergamo, the Radio Emergency Operations Unit, the volunteer nucleus of the Naz Association. Carabinieri – Bergamo section and Grumello del Monte section, and the civil protection of Albino.
