Teams

The Great Gazoo

Garage Headquarters: East Longmeadow, MA

Driver: Patrick Hellyer

Mechanics: Dave Ayers, Matt Bean, Melanie Samay, Dan Reid

Nuts and Bolts:

The Great Gazoo team from East Longmeadow is a tough nut to crack. First of all, where is East Longmeadow, anyway? A little research shows that it’s in the south-central part of Massachusetts, just east of – you guessed it – Longmeadow. So then what exactly is a Great Gazoo? That, friends, is one of the more obscure characters ever introduced in “The Flintstones” cartoon series, a green space alien who crashed in prehistoric Bedrock. Teammates Dave Ayers, Matt Bean, Patrick Hellyer, and Dan Reid credit the only woman on their squad, Melanie Samay, with the idea.

“’The Flintstones’ is Melanie’s favorite show, and she drew the sketch on our Soapbox application form,” says Hellyer. “Now we’re trying to create the car using a steel frame, wood, papier mâché, fiberglass, and whatever else it takes!” The five friends all grew up in East Longmeadow. Hellyer now works as a contractor in the area, while Ayers is a manufacturing manager, Bean serves as dean at East Longmeadow High School, Reid is CEO of a food service company, and Samay – she of the brilliant sketches – is an art teacher. “There’s a good chance we’re going to win this race,” Hellyer states. “We’re going to show everyone the true meaning of domination.”