Teams

BONE DADDY

Garage Headquarters: Collinsville, IL

Driver: Ben Krewson

Mechanics: Larry Donaldson, Dave Fohne, Ammie Pratt, Joe Sheehan

Nuts and Bolts:

With events like baseball's World Series (go Cards!) and Red Bull Soapbox Race preoccupying the citizenry of St. Louis, it's easy to forget that Halloween is right around the corner. Fortunately, one spirited group of Illinoisans, Team Bone Daddy, have designed a ghoulish race car to remind us that it's time to stock up on pumpkins and treats.

The racer's design in devilishly clever. Team driver Ben Krewson explains, "Our car looks like a rib cage with feet, hands, and skull attached." The entry's blueprint reveals that underneath its skeletal facade, this vehicle actually has the bones of a thoroughbred. Team captain Dave Fohne, who constructed the car with his buddy Larry Donaldson, is a skilled machinist who used to do nuclear repair on military ships and now works as a technician for a steel mill. He and Donaldson did such a good job – welding and fabricating all the drive linkages, developing a push-bar cum roll-bar, creating ball joints for precision steering, and installing a solid rubber bumper and even a seat belt – that the sturdy car initially weighed more than contest rules allow. They quickly made the necessary modifications, and with teammates Ammie Pratt and Joe Sheehan, they're ready to launch Krewson into competition at Forest Park. Only time will tell whether the rookie driver stands a ghost of a chance.