Teams

Yellow Submarine by Western Graphics

Garage Headquarters: Silver Plume, CO

Driver: Bob Horn

Mechanics: Tony Rawe (co-pilot), Rodney Borquez, Tony Pena, Brenda Rawe

Nuts and Bolts:

The Yellow Submarine by Western Gravitics hails from Silver Plume, Colorado, perched just above the historic Georgetown Loop Railroad. Perhaps inspired by their setting to make transportation history themselves, members of this team regularly take part in the Boulder Kinetic Sculpture Challenge; and they’ve made a name for themselves on the soapbox circuit, too. Bob Horn, a 45-year-old machinist and motorcycle mechanic, remembers, “One of our first attempts at racing made the ESPN ‘SportsCenter’ highlights for its ignominious crash on the ramp at Red Bull Soapbox St. Louis.” Bob is being modest – the racer didn’t just crash: the vehicle literally tore up the manmade track, stripping it down to the support beams (search for “Spocktoberfest” on YouTube). This is a team with real entertainment potential.

At Red Rocks, the teammates – who also include printer Rodney Borquez, production finishing expert Tony Pena, sales manager Brenda Rawe, and production manager Tony Rawe (all four of whom work for C2 Media) – will be launching their version of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine. Bob dryly calls it “the fastest underwater vehicle in the race.” A stickler for detail, he comments, “The artistic style of Peter Max is our focus for a craft made of graphic laminated styrene on top of a five-wheeled, steel-ladder style chassis, and we’re creating mod costumes to go along with it.” If they can avoid demolishing the track, these contenders will beat the Blue Meanies...and, they hope, the other competitors.