Teams

Tandem's Pursuit of Glory/ Going Down

Garage Headquarters: Studio City, CA

Driver: Felipe Serrano

Mechanics: Sebastien Dessureault, Diego Serrano, Jennifer Morales, Alex Mora

Nuts and Bolts:

Tandem’s Pursuit of Glory is an international racing team. Sébastien Dessureault and Felipe Serrano met while studying abroad several years ago, and eventually – even though Sébastien lives in Québec and Felipe makes his home in Southern California – they founded a business together. Tandem International is a graphic and web design company that helps advertising agencies and small and medium enterprises cope with ever-changing workloads. “We thought that adrenalin, being creative, and competing in tandem were synonymous to the race and represented our day-to-day work,” Felipe says. “We’ll be co-pilots of a tandem vehicle that re-creates the O.J. Simpson police pursuit, simulating a white Bronco tailed by a squad car.”

As efficient in their race preparations as they are in their careers, Sébastien and Felipe have consulted a mechanical engineer for advice on how to make their complicated design roadworthy. Sébastien is constructing the frame of the vehicle at home in Canada with teammates Alexa Lavergne and Daniel Marrett. Once they get the racer past the U.S. border guards and down to Felipe’s place in Studio City, Jennifer Morales and Diego Serrano will also join the effort to add finishing touches. The enthusiastic crew, representing four nationalities and speaking three languages, are planning a skit that includes sirens, flashing lights, music, and a fittingly dramatic climax: Felipe explains, “Besides achieving a winning speed, our next biggest challenge will be making sure that the tandem structure holds together so that the suspect can be caught and arrested at the finish line!”