Comic book heroes, mythological characters, television personalities and other interesting personages braved the Atlanta heat, crowds and even each other on Saturday afternoon for only one purpose: to battle it out at the Red Bull Soap Box Race.

The race, which was free to the public, began at 1 p.m. on 10th Street, where 39 teams and their crafts glided down an obstacle course of twists, turns, hay bales and one fun jump for the chance to win the crowd’s votes and the judges’ scores.

And though this was a race, high speeds were definitely not the only way to win. The 48,500 people in attendance and the all-star panel of judges also selected the winners based on their creativity and showmanship and, perhaps more importantly, their crashes.

In addition to the display of 39 soapbox masterpieces racing or crashing to the finish, team costumes were also an essential part of the race, with themes ranging from the comic book characters in Batman for team KA-POW to the movie character creations in Tim Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” for team The Candy Man Can.

But despite the loved costume creations, the high speeds and the vehicle-crumpling collision of the soapbox teams present on Saturday, only four teams were able to make it to the winner’s circle.

Among the victors, team Respect My Authority, the only winning team not from Georgia, walked away as the People’s Choice, winning a private showing of the Red Bull Soapbox Race at a local restaurant with 20 friends.

As one of the first cars to go down the track that afternoon, Respect My Authority of Lutz, Fla., won the love of the crowd early on with a comical “South Park” skit and an oversized Big Wheel as its ride.

In third place, the TEKE’s of Marietta, Ga. came away with a chance to race NASCAR-style at a raceway driving school.

The TEKE’s, whose members are in a fraternity at Southern Polytechnic State University, impressed the judges with their gangsta’ getups and low-rider soapbox car.

In second place, team Equus Vires Maximus of Roswell, Ga. won a full day of driving at the Skip Barber Mazda Driving School.

Sporting gladiator fatigues, the cute driving couple for Equus Vires Maximus earned its high ranking with its ingenious soapbox creation: a two-seater chariot drawn by moving horses.

Finally, in first place, The Beer Connoisseur Magazine team of Atlanta took the top prize, an all-expenses-paid weekend of NASCAR at the Charlotte race in October.

The Beer Connoisseur Magazine took the top prize with a copper “mash tun” (a critical device in beer brewing) craft that reached the second highest speed of the day.

But speed was not the only winning attribute for this team, as the look of its lederhosen-clad members could not go ignored.

“We started in this event for fun, but once we got into it, we decided to win,” explained Matthew “Colorado” Keaton, the lead designer of The Beer Connoisseur Magazine team. “My advice to future racers is to make sure you bring sexy back.”

And though lederhosen is an extremely sexy costume to sport, The Beer Connoisseur Magazine was not the only team that sought to bring sexy back Saturday. Rather, several other teams left their marks on onlookers that day.

Leaving the crowd roaring in laughter, the Fur Bus team of Atlanta performed an outlandish striptease that left each member wearing only yellow shaggy underwear to match their furry ride. To make things even better, this bizarre team ended their race down 10th Street with a crash that sent inflatable dolls spiraling out the windows and the half-naked driver running to the finish line.

While the appeal of inappropriate humor caught the ears of many audience members, others, like Georgia State University sophomore Christian Hart, preferred the daring crash of the spinning teacup vehicle made by the team Mad Hatters of Cincinnati.

With regards to the history of the race, the Red Bull Soap Box Race is a national race for amateur drivers that has produced more than 35 races all over the world, with the first soapbox race ever held premiering in Brussels in 2000. The next Red Bull Soap Box Race will take place in Los Angeles on Sept. 26.

Each race selects between 40 and 50 contestants with crafts that are less than six feet wide, less than 20 feet long and less than 176 pounds in weight.

With free admission to an afternoon of beloved character costumes, showy soapbox cars, speed and plenty of spills and crashes, it is no wonder why the Red Bull Soap Box Race has met with success both here and the world over.

To learn more about the Red Bull Soap Box Race, visit http://www.redbullsoapboxusa.com.

— Contact Tammie Smith