THE Soapbox TT, one of the most popular events staged in Comber in recent years, is returning next year.
Comber Regeneration Community Partnership (CRCP) has been given the green light to bring back the popular event on August 10, 2024.
The town hosted its first TT in 2019 where a crowd of over 7,000 attended to see the thrills and spills offered by the soap box race.
The event was then called into question after a number of false starts over insurance issues, however five years later the issues have finally been resolved.
The previous course saw racers go down High Street and into The Square, with a number of jumps and obstacles in the way. However, next year there are plans for a more exciting course.
Organiser, Roy Murray, said the CRCP are delighted to be able to bring this ‘fantastic event’ back to Comber.
“After finally resolving the issues with insurance, the Comber Soapbox TT will be back next August,” he said.
“This event brought over 7,000 people into the town in 2019 and we’re hoping next year will be even bigger and better.
“The Soapbox TT was a fantastic event which brought trade to multiple businesses in Comber. We received amazing support from the community in 2019 and I’m sure the town will rally around this event too.
“Keep an eye out for entry forms in the New Year and calls for volunteers so this event can run as smoothly as the last one.”
The event in August 2019 had vintage cars, a market, a barbecue from local restaurants and children’s entertainment and the same is expected next year.
People described it as ‘brilliant’, ‘one of the best soapbox races they’ve done’ and said it gave a ‘buzz’ around Comber.
The Comber Soapbox TT is named after the Ards TT which ran from 1928 until 1936. The course started in Dundonald and drivers raced along public roads through Newtownards and Comber before traveling back to Dundonald. Consisting of 30 laps of this 13-and-a-half mile circuit, racers reached speeds well in excess of 100 miles per hour.
Although the Soapboxes won’t reach those speeds, entrants can start designing and building their machines for the chance to win awards including for the fastest times, best spirit, best crash and burn and even a prize for the slowest down the hill.
