Teams from Mississippi and New York schools win solar car race
Round Rock, Texas, July 31, 2007
Source: UPI
http://www.upi.com/Energy/Briefing/2007/07/31/miss_ny_schools_win_solar_car_race/8341/
Teams from Mississippi and New York have won in the Texas-to-New York Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge. The Solar Car challenge required students’ solar cars to use only the sun for power. The Newton County Solar Team from Decatur, Miss.; the Houston Solar Car Team from Houston, Miss.; and the Newburgh Free Academy team from Newburgh, N.Y., won their respective divisions. The nine-day, 2,020-mile race began July 16 at Dell’s headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, and finished in Newburgh, N.Y. Nine teams from six states took part in the race.
Four teams participated in the Open Division, which allows teams to use various technologies, body styles and dimensions. The Solar Car Challenge also had the Classic Division, which requires adherence to specific types of solar cells, motors and body design. Tying for first place in the Open Division was the “Sundancer” team from Houston, Miss., and the “Sol Machine VII” team from Newburgh, N.Y. Team “Hightech Redneck” from Newton County took the Classic Division.
“Each year I am astonished at the level of dedication, critical thinking and teamwork that these students display,” Karen Bruett, Dell’s director of K-12 business development, said in a statement. “Each team used 21st-century skills to turn a high school road trip into an exemplary science and engineering project. I know this year’s event will not only help them in their future careers but also contribute to the future of environmentally friendly technology.”