Teams

Agony of Da Feet

Garage Headquarters: North Greenbush, NY

Driver: Steve “Meadowlark” Kirk

Mechanics: Greg “Air” Brown, Dave “The Glide” Gauthier, Ho “Dr J” Lee, Dave “Sweet Pea” Sadowsky

Nuts and Bolts:

Greg “Air” Brown, Dave “The Glide” Gauthier, Ho “Dr J” Lee, Dave “Sweet Pea” Sadowsky

NUTS AND BOLTS: Start whistling “Sweet Georgia Brown” folks, because one, uh, ballsy soapbox team from upstate New York is going to be channeling none other than the Harlem Globetrotters come race day – albeit in a minimalist sort of way. Rather than impersonating the trickster basketball players themselves, Greg Brown, Dave Gauthier, Steve Kirk, Ho Lee, and Dave Sadowsky will be performing the Globetrotters’ classic basketball weave costumed as human-sized sweat socks.

It’s not the craziest thing these guys have ever done, but it is typical. Sadowsky and Kirk recently finished a 100-mile swim to raise funds for a children’s charity, and at events like the Red Bull Flugtag human-powered flight competition and the Red Bull Dragsterday human-powered drag race, the teammates have portrayed characters including Mighty Mouse, Popeye, and The Three Stooges to excellent effect (even setting a North American distance record at Red Bull Flugtag Baltimore in 2006). “The Soap Box Derby seemed like the next logical choice, because we’re all basically adolescent boys trapped in middle-aged bodies, and we’re all into building stuff,” says Kirk, who will drive the team’s racer down Waterman Street. “This event should bring our team even closer together – and will keep our wives rolling their eyes for another year.”