Mzansi’s boldest, most reckless, and most gloriously unqualified engineers have just a few weeks left to lock in their spot on the starting grid. Miss the deadline, and you’ll be watching from the pavement instead of flying down it.

This year marks Joburg’s return to the grid and South Africa’s eighth Box Cart Race overall, with the action rolling back onto Sandton Drive on Sunday, 4 October 2026. The course is steep, the jumps are real, and the only thing missing right now is your cart.

The Deadline: Friday, 17 July 2026

That’s the line in the sand. Teams of up to five can submit their cart concept and crew over at redbull.com/boxcartza, and the brief couldn’t be simpler: give the judges something wild enough, creative enough, and entertaining enough to earn a place on the grid. 

There’s no waiting list. No late entries. Once applications close, the field is set. full stop.

So What Actually Is a Box Cart Race?

For the uninitiated: Red Bull Box Cart Race is a downhill race for hand-built, completely engine-free machines that have absolutely no business being on a public road. Gravity only. No motors, no batteries, no catapults, no excuses. Your cart does, however, need working steering and brakes because the hill is steep, and your crew is counting on you to not take them out on the way down.

Every team rolls with a driver and a co-driver, up to five members total. Before you race, you perform a skit at the start line to win the judges over, and then you point it downhill and hope for the best. Carts are scored on three things: speed, creativity, and showmanship. The fastest cart doesn’t always win the one that tells a story nobody saw coming just might.

Mzansi’s Track Record Speaks for Itself

South Africa remains the only African nation to host the race, and the local edition has built a properly entertaining reputation. The most recent races tore down the steep, cobbled streets of Bo-Kaap in Cape Town, with the 2022 and 2024 editions each pulling in more than 22,000 spectators.

The reigning champs? The Potjie Boytjies from Stellenbosch, who took the crown on wait for it a potjie pot on wheels. Living proof that the best concept is the one nobody sees coming.

Sandton Joins a Stacked Global Calendar

The 2026 global calendar is filling up fast, with confirmed editions already locked in for Belfast, London, Denver, and Los Angeles. Now Sandton Drive joins that list. The only question left is whether your cart will be on it too.

Don’t Sleep On This One

The deadline does not move. Applications for Red Bull Box Cart Race 2026 close Friday, 17 July 2026. Build something ridiculous, point it downhill, and get your entry in at redbull.com/boxcartza before the gate slams shut. 

Check out the official announcement clip here: instagram.com/p/DYUXviOjqBI

Red Bull Box Cart Race is a free event for all spectators so mark your calendar for 4 October regardless. But if you want to be in it rather than watching it, don’t leave your masterpiece on the drawing board.