Wicklow Team Wins Red Bull Soapbox Race in Belfast

The Pretengineers earned their Wiiings in front of more than 35 thousand fans.

A team from Wicklow Town has raced to victory at the 2026 Red Bull Soapbox Race in Belfast, wowing crowds of more than 35 thousand people at Stormont Estate.

'The Pretengineers' took home the top prize after impressing judges with a mix of speed, creativity and showmanship.

The Wicklow crew of Luke Symes, Seán O’Dowd, Marcus Davis-Kunze and team captain Thomas O’Neill beat 39 other teams from across Ireland in the gravity-powered contest.  Homemade soapbox carts fly down a 610 metre course packed with jumps, ramps, water hazards and obstacles.

Thousands lined the course across Sunday as the colourful event returned to Ireland for the first time in a decade. The day was as much about entertainment as racing, with teams judged on costume, performance and engineering skills as well as speed.

Here's the moment they were announced as winners:

View this post on Instagram

The winning Wicklow team stood out from the start with their inventive cart and energetic performance, earning high praise from a judging panel.

Red Bull Soapbox Race first launched in Belgium in 2000 and has since become a worldwide event, attracting huge crowds with its mix of creativity, chaos and downhill racing.