Teams

What Grassy Knoll

Garage Headquarters: Staten Island, NY

Driver: Eddie Boljonis

Mechanics: Steve Trotto, Sr., Steve Trotto, Jr., Eddie Trotto

Nuts and Bolts:

Last year, Eddie Boljonis, Eddie Trotto, and Steve Trotto traveled from their homes on Staten Island to the arches of St. Louis to compete in the Red Bull Soapbox Race. “I believe we placed sixteenth, and we had eighteen long hours’ drive home to digest what we had witnessed and conceive the beginnings of our entry this year, which we call What Grassy Knoll,” Steve says. “We are going to be mocking one of the great tragedies of the twentieth century, insulting the memory of one of New England’s favorite sons, and for good measure, we’re even going to be blemishing a beloved children’s character with one of our props, Where’s Oswaldo.” Blinking innocently, he adds, “How can we lose?”

This year the team is evenly balanced – in terms of Steves and Eddies – by the addition of Stephen Trotto, Jr., a student at the Art Institute of Chicago who is son to Steve and nephew to Eddie (Trotto, that is – Eddie Boljonis is a friend of the family). It may be hard to tell them all apart on race day, as they’ll be dressed alike as Secret Service agents, but their car will be easy to spot: it’ll be the only vehicle in the race emblazoned with the presidential seal.