Carty Races Will Form Part of Grant Park 100 Celebrations

Fun loving folk are being encouraged to take part in Forres’ very own answer to the wacky races as part of an event to celebrate Grant Park being gifted to the town 100 years ago. 

Teams are being invited to make their own soapbox carties which will then be raced in Grant Park on Saturday, August 24, the day of the centenary celebration.  

The GP100 Soapbox Carty Race is being sponsored by AJ Engineering & Construction Services and there will be a cash prize for the race winners and another for the best themed/designed car.  

It is just one of six free competitions that people can get involved in.  

Jack Lowes, who earlier this year completed his graduate apprentice with AJE, has been co-ordinating the event.  

He said:

“It has been great fun coming up with the concept for this part of the Grant Park 100 event and I am delighted that AJ Engineering is involved.  

“This is a competition that is open to anyone aged 12 and above, including grandads who will have the past experience.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for school friends to get together, work mates, local clubs or even families to work together to create something really fun.

“There can be as many people as you like involved in the design and construction of the cart, but only three people, one driver and a maximum of two pushers, can participate on the day.” 

Other stipulations are that the cart can only be powered by non-driver team members physically pushing the cart around the flat, grass track.

No cart with any other form of thrust will be accepted.

It must be capable of being steered and have a minimum of four wheels.

The main frame of the cart must be wooden.

A design example is shown in the competition details available on the website GrantPark100.com. 

The race will run in two 30-minute heats, split across the day.

The first part will be the quarterfinals, a knockout race where two randomly selected teams at a time will race against each other.

The winning teams from this stage will progress to the semifinal and finals. 

Jack who has a first-class degree in Design & Manufacturing from Robert Gordon University added:

“To anyone taking part, my advice would be to keep them as lightweight as possible and to avoid material that may ruin in windy or wet conditions.

“Although we will all be hoping for sunshine on the day.

“We’d also advise teams to reach out to local companies for sponsorship and for naming on the carty just like Formula 1. 

“For sourcing the carty wheels and other materials please try the Moray Waste Busters at Waterford who are already supporting Grant Park 100 and may be able to help with materials.”

Entries to the event are limited to eight teams and registration of your team at https://grantpark100.com/competitions/ is necessary to secure a place in this traditional yet innovative race.

As well as the Carty Races, other competitions include, photography, vegetable animal, digestive biscuit, floral art and decorated cake.

The deadline for registering on the website  for all competitions is July 24.   

The digestive biscuit contest, where keen bakers are being asked to create a modern twist to the digestive biscuit, is relevant because Sir Alexander Grant invented the sweet treat. 

Ann Rossiter, a retired home economics teacher, has volunteered to co-ordinate the competitions. 

She said:

“These competitions are a great way for people to get involved in this fantastic event.

“With the range of different competitions, there is something for everyone and all ages.

“All of the contests in one way or another will have a connection to Grant Park or have a historical link to the town.

“For example, the floral art and vegetable animal competitions recognise the wonderful Forres Flower Shows which ran in the town for 90 years and, of course, the hard work of the team at Forres in Bloom who do such a wonderful job of keeping the town blooming with their vibrant displays, not only in Grant Park, but throughout the town.”