Dozens of kids and their parents from around the state are in Colorado Springs this weekend for the annual Pikes Peak Soap Box Derby. This is a regional qualifier. The winner will advance to the national tournament in Akron, Ohio next month.
Technical inspections were held Saturday. Race director Jody Shanklin explained that volunteers weigh each of the cars and then looked them over to make sure the construction is consistent for fairness sake. The cars are then locked away in storage overnight so that no one can modify them before the race.
"It’s the fun of competition, for one thing, but it also promotes child-parent bonding because they have to build the cars together," Shanklin said.
All of the racers must be between the ages of 10 and 19 years old. Families from as far away as Gunnison and La Junta are in town to compete. Costilla Street will be closed east of downtown Sunday morning for the event.
