Teams

DOWN HILL SURVIVORS

Garage Headquarters: Greenfield, OH

Driver: Chris Dodds

Mechanics: Amy Ater, Michele Dodds, Tammy Wells, Tim Wells

Nuts and Bolts:

Chris Dodds, the driver of "Swiss Hit or Miss," is a competitionaholic. He won, for example, the 2001 National Beltsander Drag Racing Championship, and even on the job at McClain High School in Greenfield, Ohio, his stellar skills result in honors. Chris was the local Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year for 2006 and also coached his students to the 2005 Sally Ride Science/Hasbro TOYchallenge National Championship.

The determined contender has hand picked an outstanding crew to back him in St. Louis. Joining Chris will be Michelle Dodds, a nurse practitioner who is often invited to attend sporting events because of her exceptional talent: singing the national anthem. His colleague Tammy Wells was a natural to serve as their entry's art director; her artwork is a perennial favorite at a local auction for charity. Tim Wells, who works at a company that makes emergency rescue gurneys, has several patents pending on his innovations, and parts from a gurney will be key to the team's blueprint. Finally, Amy Ater, an English teacher, was a member of a state champion volleyball team before becoming a volleyball coach. They're a savvy bunch and primed to compete, but even Chris admits that winning isn't all-important. The main thing, he says, is that "we are fun and all good friends."