Teams

The Spooners

Garage Headquarters: University of New Haven, CT

Driver: Jason Bernstein

Mechanics: Jessica Emerson, Matt Wodzisz, Emily Gorecki

Nuts and Bolts:

To say that the members of Team Spooners are vibrant and outgoing is an understatement. "We're great friends from college!" exclaims Jessica Emerson, a 20-year-old art student at the University of New Haven. "And we're soapbox rookies," admits junior Emily Gorecki, who is studying interior design. Rookies or not, the team’s motto was inspired by the granddaddy of auto experts, Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

It’s clear that they’re pretty stoked about the competition. "We know there are going to be crazy little cars, with lots of crazy people, looking for a crazy good time!" declares Jason Bernstein, a firefighter-EMT as well as a student. Music and sound recording student Matthew Wodzisz nods in agreement while he enthuses, "But we all create one big, bad team who are unafraid to be wacky together!" The group’s silverware-drawer racer design has nothing to do with UNH, by the way – this crew is so open to the possibilities that they found inspiration in Emily's kitchen – simple as that. Whether the crowd on Waterman Street will go nuts over a drawer remains to be seen, but Emerson beams characteristically, "Win or lose, we are all in it for a great time, and great friends!"