Andrew Lappitt and Dan Honig avoid 'The Amazing Race' elimination

Not much has gone the way of "Fraternity Brothers" Andrew Lappitt and Dan Honig recently, as costly mistakes and some bad fortune have relegated them to the back of the back during the recent legs of The Amazing Race 13.


However team "Dandrew" finally found some good fortune during last night's broadcast of the CBS reality competition as they avoided elimination by finishing last in what was revealed to be The Amazing Race 13's second -- and final -- non-elimination leg.

Instead of being eliminated, Dan and Andrew will get to continue in the race's tenth leg but will have to overcome a Speed Bump, a special task that only they will have to complete.

"We're low on money and we've got a Speed Bump, to have all these things against us we need a miracle to not be eliminated," a disappointed Dan said after finishing the leg and being informed that he and Andrew survived to race in the competition's next leg.

Andrew, however, was more optimistic of his team's predicament.


"I'd rather be the underdogs going into it," he said. "Being the underdogs is always more fun, people like seeing the underdogs win."

The Amazing Race 13's ninth leg began with the four remaining teams leaving from Old Square, a public plaza in the oldest part of Almaty, Kazakhstan that served as the competition's eighth Pit Stop.

Following the mandatory rest period, the "Brother and Sister" team of Nick and Starr Spangler were the first to depart at 9:21PM.

After opening their departure clue, Nick and Starr were instructed to make their way to Almaty's airport and travel nearly 2,000 miles to Moscow, Russia. Once in Moscow, they were told to take a taxi to a local monastery, enter a church on the grounds, and light a candle in order to receive their next clue.

"Every country is a new mystery," said an excited Nick after getting in a cab and leaving for the airport."


"A new learning experience," added Starr an equally excited Starr.

After arriving at the airport, Nick and Starr were disappointed to learn that the earliest flight to Moscow would not depart until 6:05AM the following morning, allowing the other teams ample time to catch up to them.

Nick and Starr were followed by "Mother and Son" Toni and Dallas Imbimbo at 10:47PM, "Separated Couple" Ken and Tina Greene at 11:17PM, and Andrew and Dan last at 12:41AM.

Each team arrived at the airport and was able to get tickets for the same flight as Nick and Starr. As the teams waited, Dallas and Starr got more time to talk and develop their growing relationship.

"Dallas and I have really been able to connect," Starr later said of getting to know Dallas. We spend a lot of time together just talking and getting to know one another, and he's a pretty incredible man."


"Coming into this race, I never thought that I would have any kind of relationship. But things just happen in the world," said Dallas later as well. "I'm glad that I met Starr, she's a very cool girl.

Nick didn't seem worried that Starr would be distracted by her new relationship when it came to their team's competitiveness in the race.

"At the end of the day I'm not concerned about it getting in the way of the race, I know Dallas isn't gonna let it get in the way of the race," he said.

Because they left their shoes at the children's puppet theatre during the last leg of the race, Andrew and Dan were forced to -- begrudgingly -- use some of their money to purchase new shoes before flying to Moscow, which Dan noted was a notoriously expensive city.

After each team boarded their 6:05AM flight and arrived in Moscow, Andrew and Dan were the first team to find a cab and head to the monastery.


They were followed by Nick and Starr, Toni and Dallas and Ken and Tina.

While the taxi drivers for Andrew and Dan and Ken and Tina both got lost, Toni and Dallas' driver had no trouble finding the monastery and arrived there first. After falling behind Toni and Dallas, Nick and Starr were able to follow their taxi and arrive at the monastery only slightly behind them in second place.

Each team found the church in the monastery and lit their candle before receiving their next clue, which told them to travel via taxi through Moscow to Kolosok Camp, a decommissioned military base, and search its grounds for the next clue.

Andrew and Dan were the third team to arrive at the monastery and receive their next clue. They were followed by Ken and Tina in last place.

After briefly taking the lead, Nick and Starr lost a large amount of time after their cab driver got lost and agitated Starr by having to stop and ask for directions numerous times.


Toni and Dallas were the first team to arrive at Kolosok Camp and learn that it was time for the leg's two Detour options: "Boots" or "Borscht."

"Boots" required the teams to don the uniform of a Russian soldier and then join a military marching squad and learn a traditional parade march. After learning the march and performing it correctly along with their squad for one lap on the parade grounds, the team would be given their next clue by the drill sergeant.

"Borscht" required the teams to don the uniform of a Russian soldier and then travel to a mess tent and serve borscht to 75 Russian soldiers awaiting a meal. After properly serving the soldiers, the team would be given their next clue.

Toni and Dallas decided to do "Boots," as did Andrew and Dan upon arriving in second and Ken and Tina who arrived slightly behind them in third.

Due to continued communication problems with their driver as he repeatedly got lost trying to find the military base, Nick and Starr did not arrive to the base until well after Ken and Tina. Upon arriving, they choose "Boots" as well.

However, Dan and Andrew's bad luck continued as they were the only team to have trouble putting on traditional foot wrappings that were part of their uniforms. Then, thinking that a military uniform was only needed to do the "Boots" challenge, Andrew and Dan changed back into their normal clothes and headed to "Borscht" before realizing that they needed their military uniform regardless of what challenge they chose.


After finally putting on their military uniforms properly, Andrew and Dan switch back to "Boots" initially, but then switched challenges a third time and went back to eventually complete "Borscht" after Dan was unable to get his marching rhythm correctly.

"Dan and I have made more dumb mistakes... a compilation video has to be made showing all of our mistakes. It'd be the best thing ever," Andrew said later.

"Yeah, it'd be very long," added Dan.

Although Andrew and Dan struggled, the other three teams were able to complete the "Boots" challenge relatively easily, with Toni and Dallas finishing first, Ken and Tina finishing second and Nick and Starr finishing third.

As the teams finished, they were given their next clue instructing them to make their way to a bakery in the town of Zhukuvsky.

Upon arriving at the bakery first, Toni and Dallas received a clue that informed them that it was time for the leg's Roadblock task, which required each team to pick one member to carry fifty 55 lb. bags of flour from a delivery truck and into the bakery. After delivering the bags. the shop owner would provide the team with their next clue.


Dallas decided to represent his team for the challenge, as did Ken after his team arrived second and Nick after he and Starr arrived in third.

Although Dallas began to tire midway through the challenge, he was still able to be the first one to complete the challenge. 

"It was incredibly difficult to watch Dallas perform this task," Toni said after the Roadblock challenge. "I knew he was pushing himself beyond his limits."

After completing the Detour task, the teams received clues that instructed them to travel to Neskuchny Sad Park, a "fun garden" that would serve as the leg's Pit Stop.

Ken was able to finish moving the flour bags soon after Dallas and he and Tina left the Detour in second place. Nick also had little trouble moving the bags as he and Starr left for the Pit Stop in third place.

Andrew and Dan arrived last to the bakery. After Dan completed the Roadblock challenge, the team left for the Pit Stop in last place.


Toni and Dallas were the first team to make it to the Pit Stop, where they were greeted by The Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan and told that they had each won a trip to the Dominican Republic.

Ken and Tina followed in second place, while Nick and Starr finished in third.

After experiencing an additional delay after having to haggle with their taxi driver over the fare and eventually surrendering most of their remaining cash, Andrew and Dan arrived at the Pit Stop last, but were relieved when Phil told them that the leg was a non-elimination leg and that they would be able to remain in the race.

The Amazing Race 13's next episode will air on Sunday, November 30 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.






About The Author: John Bracchitta