Locals race with handmade wooden cars

RİZE - Demirören News Agency

Formulaz, a traditional wooden car race co-organized by Red Bull and the Formulaz Association, has been held in the Black Sea province of Rize.

Wooden cars, which were first produced in the early 1900s and later increased in popularity, competed to be the fastest for the 13th time in the city’s Ardeşen district on July 17.

Competitors from all over the country have attempted to complete the 1.6-kilometer track with wooden cars of their own design as fast as possible, some reaching speeds of 70 kilometers per hour.

A total of 63 wooden cars built exclusively by the participants raced downhill on the course.

The racers whose wheels were broken were disqualified while some people were slightly injured when their cars overturned or hit the hay bales.

In the race, while the medical teams were waiting to intervene to those injured in possible accidents, the gendarmerie teams took safety precautions along the way.

Trophies and various gifts were given to the winners of the race.

The cars participating in the race were completely wooden and handmade and the dimensions of the cars are limited to a maximum of 170x70 centimeters, while hard tires mounted on the feet are used as brakes.

Another feature of race that perpetuates the Black Sea culture are the socks made from animal hair and black rubber shoes that all contestants are required to wear.