SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - September 30, 2007) - More than 40,000 stood in the rain today to watch 35 teams take on Seattle's steep downhill course at Red Bull Soapbox Race. Teams from as far away as Miami came to race their homemade human-powered soapboxes down Fremont Avenue, navigating a berm, a chicane and a 7-foot start ramp before reaching the checkered flags.

In the end, Mr. T took home the first place prize with his A-Team and a perfect combination of flair and function. "It was amazing -- it was pretty crazy to see all these people turn out in this many cars. I was a little worried about the berm at first. I though we might end up doing a smith grind and going off the side of it, but we stuck in there and, yeah, it was awesome," exclaimed the team's driver, Kevin Walsh.

Local favorite Nickerson's Rainier Racer squealed into second place with their beer bottle on wheels. It was team Rollin' Troll of Fremont that nabbed third on the podium with their horizontal rendition of the tourist favorite, the Fremont Troll, that kicked its legs as it sped down the course.

Team Rollaroid 600 won the hearts of Seattle as well as the People's Choice Award with their retro racer modeled after an old school Polaroid camera. Of course, team member Jessi Kempin had a trick up her sleeve. "I was hitting on people all day!" she said.

CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE

It's a good thing that around Fremont there's freedom to be peculiar because today's racers were anything but ordinary. Cars included a replica of Bob Saget and the Olsen Twins, a homage to Mad Max and even everyone's favorite childhood toy -- Lincoln Logs. The SuperSonics dance team, local mascots Squatch and Blitz, Blue Thunder and even the Red Bull NASCAR show car also made appearances on the track.

Deciding the winners were today's judges, including Olympic Gold Medalist Amanda Beard, hip-hop legend Sir Mix-A-Lot, SuperSonics power forward Nick Collison, local news anchor John Curley, Red Bull Air Force member Othar Lawrence and motocross legend Travis Pastrana who quipped, "The people, the energy -- I mean it's freezing cold, it's raining and there's 40,000 people lined up to see this stuff. It really lived up to everything I had thought plus some."

While speed was abundant, there were also a few spills. High school hopefuls Bull-A-Cuda took a short swim with their craft as it crashed into the side of the berm, while the local engineers on team Din and Tonic only made it as far as the chicane before succumbing to the hazards of the road.

RULES OF THE ROAD

While these driving daredevils are the latest bunch to hit the road, there have been many before them behind the wheel. The first Red Bull Soapbox Race took place in Brussels, Belgium, in 2000, and has since visited over 30 countries including Austria, England, Jamaica, Czech Republic and Australia, to name a few. The first U.S. pit stop was in St. Louis in 2006.

It may be the most outrageous race around, but there are still a few rules of the road. All driving machines must be entirely human-powered -- no stored power or external energy sources allowed. Secondly, all vehicles must be less than six feet wide, less than 20 feet in length and no more than seven feet from the ground. Finally, all crafts must weigh no more than 176 lbs (not including the driver).

For more information, visit www.redbullsoapboxusa.com