Teams

Legalize Jarts

Garage Headquarters: Oxford, OH

Driver: Jim McWilliams

Mechanics: Karl Reiff, Colin Beatty, Joel Gaydos

Nuts and Bolts:

Evidently, Colin Beatty, Joel Gaydos, Jim McWilliams, and Karl Reiff thought that instead of racing a soapbox, they’d be getting up on a soapbox, because they’ve centered their Red Bull Soapbox Race entry around a message: “Legalize Jarts.”

For those of you who have never experienced the thrill of a near-death experience with a recreational projectile, perhaps a word of explanation is in order. “Jarts” are lawn darts – typically twelve inches in length, with a point on one end and fins at the other. They’re used for play in many corners of the globe, but not in North America, where they are deemed to be a hazard and their sale has been banned. On October 13, the “Legalize Jarts” team, who went to Miami University of Ohio over a decade ago and have remained friends ever since, will be wearing costumes with “bloody” Jarts sticking out of them as they make their, um, point to the strains of Lionel Richie’s “Stuck on You.” These guys are so fired up that they need encouragement about as much as they need a hole in the head. “We’re going to have fun,” says McWilliams, the team’s driver. “We’re most excited about the JumboTrons and seeing our faces fifty feet tall!”