The K-State Solar Car Racing Team completed yet another exciting summer of solar racing. In May, the team finished second at the Formula Sun Grand Prix held at heartland Park in Topeka. During the three-day qualifying race, the team completed 526 miles in two consecutive days and earned a spot on the pole position for the 2003 American Solar Challenge in July.

The 2003 American Solar Challenge was a cross-country race that stretched over 2200 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles down Route 66. Teams were allowed to race between 8:00 am. and 6:00 p.m. each day between four major staged stops. The race spanned 11 days with college teams from across the U.S. and Canada competing to have the lowest overall time of the four stages. In order to compete in the race, teams had to complete a weeklong inspection that included dynamic maneuverability testing. It was in the figure eight test that K-State defended its title by completing the course in 13 seconds when a time of 22 seconds is considered passing. The team has always focused on safety and handling of the car, evidenced by this being the third cross-country race in a row where the K-State team has won the figure eight event.

The team finished eighth overall in the 2003 American Solar Challenge from a field of more than thirty teams and was the highest placing team running terrestrial-grade silicon solar cells. All of the cars that placed higher had a significant advantage with more powerful and much more expensive space-grade solar cells. The team was able to beat several schools with the high-grade solar cells, including Iowa State and Stanford, by operating reliably and running efficiently.

Team members are now working hard on a new car for competition in the 2005 American Solar Challenge. It will be unveiled in April 2005 at the Engineering Open House. In addition to a thorough redesign to minimize weight and aerodynamic drag, the car is planned to have a more powerful array featuring high-grade solar cells. To help fund this new solar array, the team has launched an Adopt-A-Cell campaign to bring in support from friends and alumni of K-State. In exchange for a small financial contribution, each adopter will receive a certificate of adoption with the location of his or her cell on the car, and will be recognized as a sponsor of the team. To learn more about how to contribute, visit the solar team web site.

Jay Nightingale
MNE senior