Teams

Testoster-Rod

Garage Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

Driver: Zach Calev

Mechanics: Jason Dabel, Conner Wishard

Nuts and Bolts:

If any group at the Red Bull Soapbox Race in San Francisco has the cojones to go balls to the wall, surely it must be Team Testoster-rod. This all-male ensemble (natch) from The Academy of Art University has more ambition than Arnold Schwarzenegger and more muscle than Maria Shri…ah, make that Arnold Schwarzenegger, too. Their pheromones are more powerful than even those of Gavin Newsom (and they don’t need gel to keep their hair in place, either). These men are as macho as they come – PLUS they’re artists, and there’s nothing more appealing than a tough guy with a sensitive side. They’ve got the race in the bag, so to speak, before it even starts.

Transportation design student Zach Calev says, “We wanted to apply our design and building skills to a hot rod–inspired soapbox. The frame will be constructed of welded steel tubing, the body will be made of fiberglass, and the majority of the components will be based on those of bicycles.” The chassis is being welded in a Northern California barn belonging to Jason Dabel, a fellow transportation design student; and final assembly will take place in the San Francisco bachelor pad of Conner Wishard, a sophomore studying product design. The effort will climax at the race on October 18, where, Conner promises, “Anyone who likes to watch can see our Testoster-rod go from limp to pimp!”