Teams

Cheesesteak Chariot

Garage Headquarters: Conshohocken, PA

Driver: Chris Pagoda

Mechanics: Thomas Wood, Warren Holzman, Barrett James, Jose Maldenado

Nuts and Bolts:

Chris Pagoda can describe his Soapbox Race team in three little words: “We ride bikes.” But given that he and Warren Holzman, Barrett James, Jose Maldonado, and Thomas “Woody” Wood own no fewer than twenty bikes collectively, that may be an understatement. Not only do these teammates – who work in professions ranging from sales (of bicycles, naturally) to engineering and even blacksmithing – jump on their bikes every chance they get, but they often do so at The Wall. “Several of us live within a few blocks, and we’ve all ridden and even raced up and down this Manayunk landmark,” Chris explains. “One of us, who will remain nameless, was even arrested riding down it.” Thus, Chris continues, the appeal of Red Bull Soapbox Race is simple: “We ‘legally’ get to dress up like a bunch of condiments, build a giant cheesesteak, and then ride it down the most notorious hill in Philadelphia and not get thrown in jail!”

These five cycling enthusiasts tend to have fun in everything they do, whether it’s touring with Linkin Park, Disturbed, and Stone Temple Pilots (Jose), setting a Guinness World Record (Woody), or creating the pretzel sculpture for Manayunk’s Pretzel Park (Warren). They’re building their Cheesesteak Chariot at Warren’s metalworking business, Iron Studios, and they’re confident that they can finish the project on time – as long as they don’t get too distracted during coverage of the Tour de France.

Website: www.cheesesteakchariot.com