Teams

Top Run

Garage Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA

Driver: Andrew Howard

Mechanics: Eric Endrikat, Chris Endrikat, Aaron Krause, Jamison Nemec

Nuts and Bolts:

Andrew Howard, captain of Team Top Run, warns Philadelphia spectators, “Bring your oxygen masks, because we’re about to take your breath away, Berlin style.” Nudged by his co-pilot Eric Endrikat, he hastily adds, “That’s Berlin the band, not the city.” Think about that band’s biggest 1980s hit, factor in that Eric bears a resemblance to the Tom Cruise of two decades ago, and add the fact that this team’s racer looks more like a fighter jet than an automobile, and you’ve got it: they’re riffing on the movie “Top Gun.”

“Our skit, costumes, and awesome soapbox jet will drive the crowd wild,” declares Andrew, a 20-year-old Philadelphia mechanic who is looking toward getting a nursing degree. Eric, 19, a musician who works as an office assistant when he’s not touring with the band The Boils, explains that their pit crew consists of his brother and fellow band member Chris (a 17-year-old high school senior), and their friends Aaron Krause (a 20-year-old sophomore at Bucks County Community College) and Jamison Nemec (a 21-year-old pharmacy major at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia). They’re working nightly to put the finishing touches on their racer, which features extendable wings to glide them into the dangerzone. “We believe we’ll win,” Andrew states, “as long as we can stay under the weight limit – and keep Goose from dying.”