Kids' ride-on racing proves motorsport can be dangerous without engines

Over here in England, we have our fair share of bizarre sporting activities. Take, for example, the annual Cooper’s Hill Cheese Roll competition in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. This is where people looking for a serious injury kamikaze themselves 180 metres down an uneven 1:2 gradient in pursuit of a runaway cheese wheel. Now, we’ve found the American equivalent.

It’s called Barbie Jeep Downhill Racing, and takes our archaic cheese chasing ritual and catapults it into the 21st century with the help of kids' ride-on toys from Walmart.

Held by the excellently named ‘Rednecks with Paychecks’ in Saint Jo, Texas, this unique motorsport event is simple; set up the flimsy, plastic miniature SUVs at the top of a horrendously steep, muddy hill and kick your heels to nudge yourself over the edge. Then let gravity do the rest of the work.

As you can see from the video above, enthusiastic Texans riding child-size toys down a hill is a recipe for disaster. A highly entertaining disaster.

Rather than try any of this nonsense at home, click play and watch/wince as people face-plant their way to victory. And props to the bloke who rode his mighty Barbie chariot the wrong way. You sir, are a legend.