The hot rod of the soapboxes is launched in wolfsdorf
Ten-year-old tim gruner will probably be at the soapbox race on 2. On the occasion of the wolfsdorf church fair in september, uwe krautz stole the show from all the other participants with his BMW dixi replica. He has his grandfather jurgen gruner and his godfather denny gruner to thank for this. With about 150 hours of work, the two men from lichtenfels have built a vehicle that is absolutely worth seeing, with its narrow windshield opening and its long "snout" reminds you of an american hot rod.
A taste of racing
Already last year tim gruner raced in wolfsdorf with a borrowed soapbox and got a taste of racing air there. But this year he will start with his unique BMW-dixi replica – and no matter how the race turns out, the spectators will cheer and celebrate him.
Tim's grandfather jurgen, a mason by trade, stumbled across the BMW dixi from 1929 while researching possible soapbox designs on the internet.
The vehicle construction
The 55-year-old started work as early as november of last year. First he made the frame for the car completely out of wood. Gruner used precious woods like walnut for the radiator grill and dashboard or trim made of moor oak for the bodywork. The chassis is made of solid birch wood. After only two months of construction, the soapbox was ready to race.
The fine work
Now the fine work began. The built-in chain steering proved to be too impractical during test runs. The designer found a replacement in the form of a brand-new steering gear from an audi 80. Gruner drove all the way to the upper palatinate to get the part for the job. In addition to about 150 hours of work, the man from lichtenfels invested around 700 euros in the soapbox.
Even the wooden steering wheel is self-made and made of precious woods. Also the procurement of the parts took a lot of time. The wheels of the approximately 130 kilogram drive come from mopeds and are equipped with drum brakes. Even various instruments such as the speedometer are not glued to the dashboard, but are original BMW parts.
On 2. September in action
Who is now curious about the 7. Wolfsdorf soapbox race on sunday, 2. September, at 13.30 o'clock to the start going soapboxes has become, which should not miss the spectacle. Organizer otto fischer is looking forward to the event and hopes for dry weather, because the race cannot be held if it rains, if only for safety reasons. If you would like to participate actively with a soapbox, please contact otto fischer at 0173/8068448.