The City of Birmingham Band will be looking to make an impression at the National Finals in Cheltenham in September, but they may also have an eye on the line-up for the British Grand Prix in the years to come after enjoying a fantastic day at Wolverhampton's Soap Box 'Krazy Races' challenge.

Soap box racers

Held in the city centre, they built a 'soap-box' racer that was sent down a special 350 meter race track piloted by principal cornet player Sarah Timms, taking in turns, chicanes and even a water challenge.

The 'Brummy Brassy Racers' entry even come with a special CBBB1 number plate — although thoughts of having aerodynamic trombone pipe exhausts were banned on safety grounds!

To add to the family atmosphere the team made up of members of the cornet section performed their own fanfare to herald their entry onto the startling line, before it hurtled down the track not once, but three times to gain their fastest time.

The event raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support, with the band's entry just missing out on a place in the top-10 shoot out after coming 11th.

Great top speed

Band spokesperson/F1 manager, Barbara Dunscombe told 4BR: "It was a great day out for everyone.

Our entry was spearheaded by Nigel Tyson our soprano player who got a chassis and designed it in typical soprano player fashion — mad and with a great top speed, and our principal cornet Sarah was the bravest person to volunteer to drive it!"

Barbara added: "We had three runs down the track but just missed out on the final, but it didn't matter.

The band performed a great concert in the lunchtime interval in the pit stop area that was hugely appreciated by the crowds and the response to seeing Sarah hurtle down the track in her band uniform was brilliant."

Our entry was spearheaded by Nigel Tyson our soprano player who got a chassis and designed it in typical soprano player fashion — mad and with a great top speedCBBB

Mountain challenge

It was the latest fun packed initiative undertaken by the band who are fund raising for the Cheltenham National Finals, after hiking up a mountain in the Lake District with instruments in tow earlier this year.

"It's all part of what we all like doing,"Barbara added. "Who knows now — perhaps next year more bands can enter their own soap-boxes to see who is the fastest brass band in the world."