Down Hill Soap Box Racing in PA and MD

A friend introduced me to the world of the M.I.S.F.I.T.S. before the sun even thought about rising over the quaint Poconos town that would be their unwilling race track for the day. Three run-ins with the police and four heats later, we were stopping at a small pub for an early Sunday brunch to celebrate the East Coast Illegal Soap Box Cup. All in all, it's a pretty nice way to look back on Fall of 2009.

OK, let me explain something about illegal down-hill soap box racing: it's daft. People spend their Saturdays building karts so they can spend their Sundays crashing karts, and from what I can tell the crashes happen pretty often. Of course, the fact that my friends find it fascinating and addicting has lured me out to try it on more than on occasion. So far I've been scolded by the police 3-4 times and actually raced 0 times. I plan to rectify that some day, but for now let me just give some highlights of the sport.

Crashes, gashes, and top-speeds around 50 MPH. Let's not forget the hair-pin turns, wet pavement, and frigid, early mornings. Yeah, that about sums it up. And even with all of that insanity, it's still one of the most enjoyable ways I can think of to spend a Sunday morning. I was home by 1 PM, so I can't really even complain that I missed out on part of my day. After all, doesn't a brush with near-death and assorted Poconos police departments sound better than sleeping in? These guys (and girls, if you want to get technical) are hardcore racers, gear-heads, and/or adrenaline junkies, but they will welcome new faces with open arms. So, if you find yourself seeking thrills on a sleepy weekend, look them up. It might be a race-day!

As always, apologies for how over-due this post is.