Teams

Tracy-Air

Garage Headquarters: Tracy, CA

Driver: Allison Santos

Mechanics: Joe Atienza, Wes Helm, Jeff Santos, Kyle Santos

Nuts and Bolts:

Jeff Santos has always stayed involved in his kids’ lives, whether that meant getting to know the friends who came over to hang out, or helping to build high school homecoming floats in Tracy, California. But now that his daughter Allison is a 22-year-old student at Modesto Junior College and his son Kyle, 21, is embarking on a career as a mechanic, Jeff says that he wants to “move on” – to the more adult silliness of a soapbox race.

Pitching in with the Santos family on an entry they call Tracy - Air are Joe Atienza, 21, a professional trainer who attends Delta College, and Wes Helm, also 21, who works in a hospital and is in the process of becoming a fireman. “This is a great group of kids who have busy schedules,” notes Jeff, a youthful 49. Besides being the father figure of the group, Jeff knows a lot about cars: he’s a manager at New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI), which produces the Toyota Corolla, the Toyota Tacoma, and the Pontiac Vibe. Still, constructing Tracy - Air will mark the first time that he or any of his teammates have ever worked with fiberglass, so it’s a learning experience. “We have a ‘one for all’ attitude and we love to party,” Jeff comments in anticipation of October 18. “Each one of us is jazzed to partake in this event!”