Tag Archives: Soapbox Race
Dai Competes In the 2011 Red Bull Soapbox Race
In front of over 115,000 spectators, Daijiro “Dai” Yoshihara was asked to pilot a custom, one of a kind soapbox racecar in the 2011 Red Bull Soapbox Race held in downtown Los Angeles this past weekend on May 21. Team Import Tuner Magazine of Source Interlink Media, made up of highly regarded racecar designers and engineers, developed a soapbox racer that replicated the concept car Scion FR-S. Although Yoshihara and his team didn’t get to see the podium, being able to build such an innovative soapbox car and be a part of such an amazing race was definitely a win-win result.
In a collaborative effort between Five:Axis and Design Craft, the designers and engineers developed a soapbox version of the original Scion FR-S. At initial glance, the Scion FR-S soapbox car resembles something out of a cartoon as the wheels sit almost as tall as the car. The shell was made of fiberglass and was painted in an eye catching metallic red paint which all sat on top of an all aluminum frame.
Being that this was the first soapbox race for Yoshihara, it was hard to know what to expect for this type of event. However, with Yoshihara’s background in drifting and racing, it was certainly an easy transition. “At first, I was kind of nervous,” explains Yoshihara. “I’ve never competed in this type of event before but as the day went on and watching the other competitors, I became more excited than nervous. It looked so fun so by the time it was my turn, I was ready to roll!”
Yoshihara navigated through Red Bull’s challenging course swiftly and with minimal problems. The course consisted of jumps, tight turns and a 90 degree banked corner. Able to make it through the course in practically one piece, Yoshihara and Team Import Tuner Magazine crossed the finish line among 35 other teams.
For more information on Dai, please visit www.daiyoshihara.com.