There was a space ship, a giant cheese wedge, a flying credit card and a high-speed telephone. All of them had wheels, and all were headed straight downhill in the second annual Sand Hill Challenge.
It wasn’t exactly your Norman Rockwell soap box derby. The Challenge mixes the competitiveness of venture capitalists with the goofiness of the Stanford Band. Held September 20 on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, the races drew 48 entrants–many of them Stanford alums–and a crowd of 20,000, including 300 accordionists who played "Lady of Spain." The event raised $135,000 for charity.
For the second year, the speed division victory went to Mohr Davidow Ventures, whose torpedo-shaped vehicle hit 43 mph. "It’s fun to win," says driver Larry Mohr, ms ’67 , mba ’70. "But I’m nothing but ballast in the car." How much did the venture capitalist invest in his high-tech soapbox? "That’s confidential."
