It's an unpowered vehicle that has 3 or 4 wheels and is operated and controlled (driven) by one or more persons while seated in the the vehicle. Also called boxcart, cartie, bogie or simply kart.

In a few cases they are pushed by a team around a car park or even a village. Though in most cases the event takes place on a hill. Karts start at the top of the hill and gravity gets them to the bottom, sometimes with the aid of an initial push or a ramp.

Nothing. Race and derby mean the same thing in Britain. The soapboxes in most events set off one at a time down a hill, with the winner being the driver who completes the course in the quickest time. Normally drivers get several attempts to set the fastest time. In addition, awards can be given for the best engineered kart, best novelty kart and spirit of the day. At a few events the karts race each other in a knockout contest.

No. Sometimes the organisers try differentiate their race from others by dropping the word Soapbox, especially if the event is solely a speed event.

At most events there will be a mix of speed and novelty soapboxes. As their names suggest speed karts are constructed with a single objective: to complete the course in the shortest possible time. Appearance is dictated by whatever the designer thought was the most appropriate to achieve that goal. Novelty soapboxes are built to put on a show for spectators. Creativity outweighs function. A 10 foot high lighthouse, a gigantic spider, a water spouting whale and of course the inevitable De Lorean car complete with 'working' flux capacitor are the sort of soapbox you are likely to see at a race.

Well, the World Record is just over 100mph. But that was set in Canada on a very long hill. In the UK the fastest speed you might expect to see on a few of the current courses is around 50mph. In the main top speeds are nearer 30 to 35mph.

Mostly in England during the spring and summer months. There's a fixture list here.

Most are free as many events are held on closed for the day public highways and this makes it difficult for the organisers to charge an entry fee - though you may be asked for a voluntary donation. Just about every race is a means to raise money for local good cause, so expect a range of food and drink outlets as well as activities for the young one to encourage you to spend. Some events take place on private land and these generally charge to watch, a typical adult ticket around £5.

In principle, yes. But be aware that the Red Bull races are hugely expensive to put on and are stage managed and choreographed for the spectators and especially for the TV audience. Crashes, kart disintegration and mayhem are the main part of the entertainment. Your local race will probably be less eventful with no or smaller jumps but nevertheless still enjoyable, specially for the kids.

Just enter. There are few personal restrictions.

Each event has its own set of rules and specifications although there is much commonality between them. It's possible to build a soapbox that will conform to any race regulations that currently takes place in Britain. Even if your kart is a few centimeters too big, no one will turn you away. These are fun events after all.