Red Bull claims to give you wings, but this Saturday, it’s giving teams the chance to honor Olympic gods in Gainesville’s first chariot race.
UF is Red Bull’s eighth stop in its 12-university tour. The race will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Vault Night Club parking lot.
Kevin Kelly, the Red Bull emcee for the race, said each team’s chariot must have two wheels and a strut, which is used to help pull the cart. Two team members must pull the cart while the other drives.
“You’re going to have to expect the unexpected,” Kelly said. “It’s like a science fair meets a rodeo.”
Each team is limited to three participants and will race its custom-built cart down a course on the venue’s parking lot. Teams will represent an organization and will race head-to-head until the top two teams advance to the finals.
Kelly said the entered carts must not be pre-made and cannot contain external energy sources or sharp edges.
The fastest team will win the Hermes Prize and will be given a secret Red Bull experience. Other awards include the Archimedes Award, given to the most creative team and the Greek Spirit Award, given to the fan favorite.
“We’re going to try to put some spare wood and bike parts together to see what happens,” said Jacob Lepera, member of team “Broseidon,” which represents Gator Skim club. “We’re going to wear togas and be spontaneous.”
Lepera said his team plans on building its chariot the day before the race and hopes its cart holds together.
“Red Bull does nothing normal,” Kelly said. “Every race features a cast of characters that will help you remember a good time.”
According to Kelly, the original race, which was held last year in Athens, Ga.
This year, the race has expanded into a national tour to help people promote and brand Red Bull.
The event is free and open to the public.
To enter the race, visit redbullchariotrace.com
