Racers raised more than £30,000 earlier this year by hurtling down the slalom course in Dunorlan Park.
Nicole Piesse Turner, event organiser from Crazy Jeans Events, said next year will ‘be bigger and better and will raise even more money for charity’.
Presenting a cheque for £30,859 to charities Taylor Made Dreams and Hospice in the Weald at the launch of the 2020 event, Ms Piesse Turner, said: “I’m so proud to be from Tunbridge Wells where the people are able to raise such a great amount for charity because that is what it is all about.”
She told sponsors, racers and celebrity ambassador Rosemary Shrager who attended the launch at Grange Bentley in Dowding Way: “Last year was so phenomenal and so emotional, and despite the weather, we still raised an overwhelming amount for charity.”
Ms Shrager, who has put her name to the wacky race again this year and is joined by former F1 Ace Max Chilton, said she was ‘privileged’ to be involved as a celebrity ambassador.
She said: “I’ve been involved from the beginning and I feel so privileged because everybody puts so much effort into it that it deserves support.
“Next year it will most certainly be bigger and better and will raise even more money for charity.”
“I am going to go down in my own kart, with Max, in the first session. I always wanted to be a racing driver. When I was young I had a little dream and when my children were young, I used to say ‘let’s go racing!’ and so this is it!”
Smashing
Crazy Jean’s Soapbox Kart Race returns on June 27, 2020 when around 40 soapbox karts decorated by racers compete to be the fastest to the end of the downhill course.
“Entrants all get a basic soapbox, which they can personalise and modify to be as wacky and crazy as they like,” explained Ms Piesse Turner.
She said that this year eight local schools from the West Kent Independent State Schools Partnership will be adding kart building to the Year 9 curriculum.
Pupils aged 13 and 14 will design, build and race their soapbox karts at next year’s event. The partnership is a collaboration between independent and state schools which aims to provide fun and inspirational learning opportunities for pupils.
“The schools’ involvement for 2020 is an exciting addition and is a sign of its value within the community and across West Kent,” continued Ms Piesse Turner.
Julie Lodrick from Kent College Pembury said: “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of this amazing initiative, the key thing is this event is about community and getting all our children in Tunbridge Wells involved.”
Jon Wood from the Judd School added: “This is a great thing to get involved in, the children racing their karts and probably smashing the adults’ race times as well, we’re very excited to be there on the day.”
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