Teams

Weed Racer

Garage Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA

Driver: Kim Kirk

Mechanics: Tracy Lewis, Eddie Lewis, Jimmy Quick, Patty Quick

Nuts and Bolts:

Just because you’ll never see the age of thirty-five again and have children who can text more rapidly than you can talk doesn’t mean that you can’t live life in the fast lane once in a while. Take Tracy and Edward Lewis and their friends Kim Kirk and Jimmy Quick. They’ve all reached that mid-thirties landmark and have kids too old for Sesame Street, but the four Philadelphians are game for adventure and will be contending with the other thrill-seekers at Red Bull Soapbox Race. However, a peek at the group’s blueprints reveals that the family life may have influenced their concept just a little bit – instead of launching a speed racer, they’ll be driving a Weed Racer: a flowerbox steered by garden gnomes!

“Our soapbox was inspired by the traveling gnome,” says Tracy as she tries on a long, white beard for the approval of her teammates. She, Edward, and Jimmy are Philadelphia police officers, while Kim is a child-care provider, so they’re building their vehicle in the Lewis garage on weekends, primarily from wood, bike hardware, and cardboard. (The pointy gnome hats are another construction challenge altogether.) “This is an opportunity to exercise a little creativity and skill and have some fun in the name of friendly competition,” Tracy comments. “Although,” she adds, “our kids think we need counseling.”