Teams

Chili Dog Explosion

Garage Headquarters: Atlanta, GA

Driver: Terrence Georges

Mechanics: Garrett DeHart, Thomas “Pete” Ellis Jr., Jeff Lupton, Jan Reavis, Jason Timbert, Steve Watson

Nuts and Bolts:

“What’ll ya have?” If that phrase doesn’t immediately ring a bell, you must not be from Atlanta, because everyone in The ATL knows that “What’ll ya have?” is the first thing you hear from the carhops at The Varsity. Established in 1928, The Varsity is the world’s largest drive-in restaurant – the downtown location alone can handle 600 cars, and on a day when Georgia Tech is playing at home, The Varsity is often visited by as many as 30,000 people.

Seven of those Varsity devotees are Garrett DeHart, Thomas “Pete” Ellis Jr., Terrence Georges, Jeff Lupton, Jan Reavis, Jason Timbert, and Steve Watson, members of the Red Bull Soapbox Race team called “Chili Dog Explosion.” In an old warehouse in Atlanta’s Lakewood Heights neighborhood, this group of thirty- and forty-somethings – whose jobs involve graphic design, stay-at-home-dad duties, home building, carpentry, movie prop expertise, and brilliance with scooters – is engineering a racer that looks much too sleek to support a food-tray loaded with The Varsity’s goodies. “It will be made from onion rings and chili caulk,” winks Garrett, the team’s captain. (Garrett also notes that they’re putting Terrence behind the wheel because, when it comes to driving, he’s a real hot dog.) With experience in the Atlanta Downhill Challenge, and a crowd-pleasing plan to hand out free food, these teammates feel like their victory is practically guaranteed. After all, Garrett notes, “Everyone loves The Varsity.”