Teams

The Wizz Kids

Garage Headquarters: Easton, PA

Driver: Prateek Lal

Mechanics: Daniele "Sauce" Tedesco, George Armenante, Kristin Belerlein

Nuts and Bolts:

When it comes to cheesesteaks, Philadelphians have always had a range of choices. But they've never had to choose their favorite cheesesteak soapbox racer – until now. When Red Bull Soapbox Race comes to Manayunk, the lineup will feature not one, but two cheesesteak-themed entries. Prateek Lal, captain of the "Wizz Kids," believes his team will have the edge in authenticity. "We're going to capture the essence of a Philly cheesesteak using artificial ingredients that are truly artificial!" he jokes. Prateek, who lives about an hour and a half north of Philadelphia in Easton, is a 27-year-old founder and president of Adept Group, a packaging consulting firm. Joining him in his cheesy effort are his fiancée Kristen Beierlein (26), a respiratory therapist; Daniele "Sauce" Tedesco (25), a mechanical engineer; and George Armenante (27), an industrial designer. Among them, they've got the skills to put together a racer that’s fast despite all the calories it represents.

The team describes their skit: "A loaf of bread gets sliced, steak slapped on, wiz squirted, and the cheesesteak-mobile is revealed in a cloud of smoke. Bread guy joins meat and wiz guy to push the mobile along." Prateek adds unnecessarily, "The crowd goes f-ing nuts." Such spectacle is good practice for Prateek and Kristen, who are planning a lavish Indian wedding ceremony in Calcutta – it'll be just as elaborate, but without the wiz.