Red Bull gives them wings; Swampscott team heads to Philly for soapbox derby

SWAMPSCOTT-Team Deuces Wild is getting ready to hit the streets of Philadelphia ? in a souped up baby buggy.Swampscott resident Dan Baker, a 25-year-old consultant, and his cohorts will be flying down Lyceum Avenue wearing diapers in the Red Bull Soapbox Race.With Baker will be seasoned Soapbox veterans Adam Eschner, Eric Gemme, and Will Thiel, as well as a new teammate Andrew Leugers.Last year, their concept involved racing a toilet and this year their theme is even more immature ? literally. Baker said their racer would look like a baby buggy and it would be one pimped-out perambulator.Besides standard features like a blanket, teddy bear, and retractable sunshade, the Deuces Wild stroller will come packed with extras like front-wheel brakes and spinners on the wheels.?Our skit will involve booties, bonnets, and gratuitous violence plus the ever-popular sight of men in diapers,” Baker said.Deuces Wild was one of 39 teams that were selected from nearly 250 applications to take part in the derby, which will be held on Sept. 6.Don’t be fooled, this is not your average boy scout derby n not when you’ll see the Whack-a-Mole-bile, the Pork Chop Express and the Killa Bees speeding down Lyceum Avenue. Known as one of the steepest hills in the Philadelphia metro area and best known for its annual bicycle race, the hill promises to challenge even the best of these human-powered soapboxes as they reach speeds over 40 mph. Teams of up to five members each will be judged on three things: speed, creativity, and showmanship.All racecars must be entirely human-powered ? no stored power or external energy sources are allowed, but the vehicle must have a braking system. All vehicles must be less than six feet wide, less than 20 feet in length and no more than seven feet from the ground. The vehicles must weigh no more than 176 pounds.When it came down to the final heat at Red Bull Soapbox Race in Providence last year, Team Deuces Wild had a chance to take it all. But to hear the Baker tell it, they threw the race.?We totally sandbagged because the runners-up got to go rally racing,” he said. “And we wanted to do that instead of taking the first-place prize.”The Red Bull Soapbox Race is a national race for amateur drivers, which is fueled by creativity and competitive fun – not to mention the need for speed. The unique non-motorized racing event challenges both experienced racers and amateurs alike to design and build outrageous, human-powered soapbox dream machines and compete against the clock in a downhill race.Baker said a television advertisement he saw a couple of years ago piqued his interest in entering the derby.