Nearly a thousand spectators came along to watch Otterton’s Soap Box Derby on Easter Monday – the first time the event had taken place since 1993.

Entrants driving home-built motorless vehicles competed to see who could travel the furthest distance along the hilly and winding road that runs past Stantyway Farm.

The competitors and the local sponsors helped raise around £2,500 for the redevelopment of Otterton’s play park.

A total of 18 vehicles took part in the two event categories for adults and juniors. They included one in the shape of a locomotive, and a dinghy on wheels entered by Sidmouth Lifeboat. A Bicton College entry featured a stylish tool box and footplates welded from spanners and wrenches.

Exmouth Journal: Otterton Soap Box DerbySam Walker, the farmer at Stantyway who was one of the event creators, was the first down the course, but he crashed halfway down.

The overall winner of the distance challenge was Simon Firth who travelled 714 metres along the road in a baby blue saloon donated by Otterton resident Graham Fordham – he beat Matt Seager by just one metre. Firth also won the Constructor’s Trophy, judged by retired engineer Ralph Melhuish who inspected the cars in a pre-race display at a show ring on the Otterton Community Field next to the course.

Exmouth Journal: Some of the vehicles on display before the eventIn the junior category the winner was Team Finn and Archie who travelled 647 metres, with The Mowers (Alfie Gray, Thomas Witherby and George Walker) in second place with 634 metres. The Mowers also won the event prize after the best spectactular unintentional stunt when their vehicle careened left and climbed one of the steeply sloping verges.

Exmouth Journal: The unintentional stunt by The MowersOtterton parish councillor Ian Simpson, who helped to create the event, said: “We were staggered by the amount of interest in the Otterton Soap Box Derby - not only from competitors but from those from the village and from far further beyond who came on the day.

“We want to thank everybody including our local business sponsors and members of the public who came and made it the success it was.

“This was our first time creating this type of event complements our other fundraiser - the Otterton Reindeer Run. We are hoping to make this an annual event and, judging by the interest we had, that will be the case.”

Winners, competitors and fans repaired to The King’s Arms pub afterwards where some of the entries - or what was left of them - went on show.