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Krazy Races Sheffield: Supporting a Team in a Pickle

Building a pickle! See how Ruth Amos, Colin Furze & Evolution teamed up to build a giant pickle gravity racer to take part in Krazy races soapbox Derby in Sheffield. 

This Summer Evolution Power Tools were invited to lend a hand at Krazy Races. An exciting high-energy, free-to-attend Soapbox Derby that was set in the heart of the city of Sheffield, saw us support two of the UK’s greatest content creators, Colin Furze and Ruth Amos, to build an imaginative gravity racer. The build brought together some of the local schoolkids and a charity close to our hearts. Here’s how it all came together, and how the team got on.

Our Sheffield Roots

Evolution Power Tools was founded, and is still based, in Sheffield, which we felt made this collaboration even more fitting. The city’s steel and engineering heritage runs deep, so we were delighted to help and support the build, supplying some of our metal working tools to help bring the design to life.

The Creative Team: Ruth Amos & Colin Furze

Leading the build with their engineering expertise.

Ruth Amos, the award-winning inventor behind ‘Kids Invent Stuff’ and long-term Evolution partner. Her channel takes ideas from children’s wild imaginations and turns them into real, working inventions, a perfect fit for this project that is rooted in young imagination.

Alongside Ruth was UK Youtube legend Colin Furze, with over 13 million subscribers and 15 years of crafting some of the most extreme engineering projects on the internet. If anyone could turn a child’s sketch into a real-life soapbox capable of hitting a race track, it was this perfect pairing. Colin was also the man behind the wheel, racing through Sheffield in a giant pickle! Evolution were proud to be invited along to help make it happen. 

The Design: From Classroom to Creation

The design process found Ruth and Colin on visits to three local primary schools across Sheffield to run a design challenge for the pupils, asking them to dream up their ideal Soapbox racer. The winning entry came from a young student, Isabelle, age 10,  who submitted a design unlike any of the others in the competition, a giant pickle!

It was bold, memorable and although an unlikely choice for a gravity racer, it turned out to be surprisingly aerodynamic for downhill racing. Born from Isabelle’s mind the pickle had style, and speed, proof that not all kids' ideas are completely out of this world.

Building the Pickle

With the design finalised and locked in, it was time to build. Evolution supported Ruth and Colin with some expert metal cutting kit from our metal working range to help bring Isabelle’s giant pickle to life.

  • The Evolution S355MCS-G2. Our 2nd generation heavy-duty metal cold-cutting mitre chop saw, used for the precise cuts the frame demanded.
  • Our 125mm cordless angle grinder, part of a growing collection of cordless metal-cutting tools, was used for shaping and finishing work.
  • One of our Magnetic Drills, which Ruth was very excited to use, was used to help construct the roll cage, being able to attach it to the metal gave more accuracy on a vital element of the build. 
  • Our multi-tool was also used to help cut through the resin that created the pickle ends.

       

Racing with Reason - Supporting Roundabout 

The build wasn’t just about competing, it was about raising money for a great local charity, Roundabout. Based in Sheffield and Rotherham the charity is dedicated to ending youth homelessness. 

It’s a cause we’ve backed before. Evolution has previously supported Roundabout through ‘Bangers and Cash’, where teams buy budget cars for around £500 and drive them across Europe to raise funds. Krazy races gave us another opportunity to get behind an organisation doing vital work in our own area.

Race Day - Release the Pickle!

The race itself lived up to the hype, Sheffield city centre was transformed into a custom downhill track, complete with bends and jumps to add to the challenge, all free for the public to come and watch and have a fun family day out. 

With 24 teams and over 10,000 spectators lining the route, the pressure was on. The pickle soapbox held its own, finishing in the top 7 and qualifying for the Grand Final.

While the team missed out on the overall win, they picked up a meaningful memento, the ‘Team’s Team’ award. Voted for by all the other competing teams as the day’s favourite team, a great nod to the spirit the build was made with in the first place.

Watch the build and see the pickle in action!

The Pickle is now on display at the Kid’s Invent Stuff Invention Shed, located in Gulliver’s Valley, Rotherham.

Final Thoughts

Right from the design concept through to a fun-packed day, Krazy races was a reminder of what happens when local heritage, creative collaboration and community spirit comes together.

A huge thanks to Ruth Amos, Colin Furze, Isabelle and all the primary school pupils who took part in the design challenge, and everyone at Roundabout for making the day a truly memorable experience.

Want to see more?

Check out Ruth’s channel ‘Kids invent stuff’
Check out Colin’s channel on Youtube
Learn more about Roundabout and how you can support their work


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