Teams

Slave to the Brine

Garage Headquarters: Seattle, WA

Driver: Chris Small

Mechanics: Marcus Latham, Mike Zaccardo, Kimberly Lambert, Casey Hanell

Nuts and Bolts:

Pickle Rocket says it all, doesn’t it really? This group of Western Washington University engineering grads has two things in common. First, a love for pickles (hence, the inspiration for their soapbox) and second, more love for “anything mechanical that goes fast,” admits team captain Chris Small. Back to the pickles. Two team members, Marcus Latham and Casey Hanell (former freshman roommates) moonlight as pickle producers under the The Pickle Plan label. Word is their spicy garlic dill pickles are to die for. But they are also known for their crudely-sketched pickle jar labels, like the one featuring Marcus riding a pickle with fins and a rocket nozzle blasting off. “We all agreed that this was the perfect opportunity to create a life-size replica,” adds Small. They’ll do so by constructing their soapbox with tubular steel, wheel chair parts, mountain bike handlebars and disc brakes. “To us, soapbox is a combination of racing, engineering, fabrication, creativity, art, and general craziness.”