Residents of Atlanta Braved the Heat and Took to the Streets of 'Hot'Lanta for Red Bull Soapbox Race

/PRNewswire/ -- Red Bull Soapbox Race Atlanta featured some of the most outrageous racing around as 39 teams cruised and tumbled down 10th Street near Piedmont Park. An estimated crowd of 48,500 fans lined the streets and sidewalks, resembling a typical Atlanta rush hour traffic jam. The course presented obstacles with a few twists and turns and a daring jump that sent several crafts crumbling to their demise. This isn't your average derby. Red Bull Soapbox Race is judged on three criteria: creativity, showmanship and speed. After the final tally, it was "Beer Connoisseur" who claimed the top spot. "This was completely unexpected," said Christopher Miller. "I thought we had a chance, but had no idea that we'd pull it off. We made some lifetime memories today that will never go away."

While some contestants took a road trip of several hundred miles, it was an Atlanta sweep on the podium. "Equus Vires Maximus" rode their chariot into second place and frat boys, "The Tekes," finished in third.

RATE MY RIDE

The panel of judges, scoring creativity and showmanship, included professional skateboarder and "Life of Ryan" reality TV star Ryan Sheckler, fashion designer Mychael Knight and junior pro surfer Evan Geiselman. However, the judges weren't the only ones who had a say in this competition. Team "Respect My Authority" from Tampa, FL captured the hearts of the fans to win the "People's Choice Award" with their supersized big wheel. "We came to Atlanta to win the People's Choice Award. This is what we came for and we accomplished our goal," said Aaron Price.

CRASH TEST DUMMIES

Even though this was a race, not all of the crafts made it to the finish line. Some vehicles met their end after facing the perilous jump but took the fall in stride and entertained the crowd by finishing the race on foot. Nobody did it with more style than "Team Fur Bus" which captivated the crowd with their spectacular crash and sprint for the finish as they pushed their fur covered craft over the jump and passed the finish line. Additionally, The Candy Man Can was ultra-safety-oriented, remembering to utilize their fire extinguisher upon crashing into the hay bales to add to their overall performance.

The global event dates back to 2000 when it first took place in Belgium and Atlanta became the seventh pit stop in the US. After its debut in the Southeast, Red Bull Soapbox Race will hit the West Coast on September 26, 2009 in downtown Los Angeles.

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