Bus Derbies requires each bus to be well outfitted with a qualified team. During each road trip, each bus is occupied by a minimum of four people: one driver, one navigator, one greaser, and one gopher. The gopher doesn’t always have to be in the bus when it’s on the road. Some busses operate with more people in it when on the road. And most busses have support either at base camp or, for longer trips, that follow the bus.
Teams decide how they’ll operate. We keep the top team of each structure here as a preview and example.
Team 1 (SMLLC), #2
Margot just recently splintered off from their previous team when they found a new bus during an excursion. A natural born greaser, Margo fixed up Tiny Blue in just six weeks and gathered some friends and family to help out. The bus just has a small Mazda at base camp for support, with friends and family rotating in as they’re able to fill in as gophers and navigators. Though Margot’s been steering Tiny Blue from behind with thoughtfulness and care, they usually rely on aspiring drivers coming up the ranks to take the helm for each trip. To date, that Margo hasn’t seemed to find that bit of magic that keeps a driver with a bus permanently. Even so, Tiny Blue has steadily held in the top fifty.
Want to learn a bit more about Margot’s Journey? Click here.
Team 2 (Partnership), #12
Clare & Lizzy partnered up in a strategic move after they realized they both had a strong ability to both steer and navigate the road and the interpersonal relationships that develop during longer trips. They often switch roles during trips, with the navigator napping after plotting a course. Long time greaser Jade has stuck with them through just about everything. And they have a constant stream of newbs coming in as gophers, always ready to shout out the course to the current driver while the navigator naps. It’s a unique strategy that some say keeps this dynamic duo from reaching the success they could reach if they would just specialize.
You can read more about Clare & Lizzy’s journeys here.
Team 3 (S-corp), #5
Jerry heads up Team 3 with an established, dedicated team. With two support cars, a bike rack that travels on the bus, and seasoned trippers consistently rotating on and off the bus for each race, Team 3 is a well-oiled machine.
You can read more about Jerry’s Team 3 here.