Rize's wooden cars race downhill in a wild test of nerve

Competitors and spectators gathered in the Tunca neighborhood of Rize's Ardesen district for the 16th edition of the Formulaz Wooden Car Races, an annual tradition that pits homemade wooden vehicles against a steep, winding mountain track in a playful nod to Formula 1 racing.

The starting signal was given using a decades-old method still favored by organizers, in which a thick, whip-like rope is struck sharply against the ground to produce a loud cracking sound that sends each group of racers speeding downhill.

Eighty competitors in total took to the 1,400-meter course this year, split into separate men's and women's categories, with 60 men and 20 women testing their handmade cars against the track's sharp turns and steep drops.

For the first time in the competition's history, organizers introduced a dedicated category for racers aged 45 and older, drawing 20 entrants eager to prove that the sport's daredevil spirit knows no age limit.

Each wooden car was carefully inspected before the race to ensure it met safety and construction standards, a routine step that nonetheless failed to prevent several vehicles from losing wheels mid-run.

Racers geared up in protective equipment built for speed and impact alike, wearing rubber-soled shoes, thick wool socks, helmets, and padded arm and knee guards to cushion the inevitable tumbles along the rocky course.

Along the most treacherous stretches of the track, organizers lined the path with stacked hay bales, a low-tech but essential safeguard against the sharp drops and hard landings that have become part of the race's folklore.

Hand-painted signs planted along the course added a touch of dark humor to the danger, warning racers with messages like "falling off the cliff is forbidden" and "caution, wooden vehicle may appear," alongside more practical notices marking blind curves and sudden stops.

Not every car made it to the finish line intact, and several competitors were seen abandoning their broken vehicles altogether, sprinting the remaining distance on foot while clutching the wreckage of their handmade racers.

Racers described the track as demanding and packed with far more sharp turns than a casual glance downhill might suggest.

Others said the atmosphere of the competition lived up to its reputation, and called the experience exhilarating from the moment the starting rope cracked against the pavement.