Students from all over the country were in Twentynine Palms yesterday, as they made the final stop on their trip from Texas to California in their solar cars, before leaving for Los Angeles today. Z107.7’s Cody Joseph was there yesterday giving live updates, and reporter Taylor Thacker talked with some of the participants as they arrived at Luckie Park…
The crowd cheered and clapped and everyone gathered around anxiously to see the first solar car and their team. The car named “Sundancer” pulled in to Luckie Park and the current driver competing in the Solar Car Challenge climbed out of a small, solar car made of steel and aluminum frame with a huge board of solar panels on the roof. This car is made entirely by high school students using simple tools such as hammers, wrenches, razor blades, and hack saws. The car took about a year to make. Trey Franklin, a member of a team from Houston, Mississippi, said, “The inside is very cramped. It has enough room for only one person. There is no air conditioner other than a small fan.” Franklin also said, “Our top speed ranges from 70-80 mph, but we can’t sustain that speed for long, so we average about 28-35 mph in good conditions.” The teams enjoy meeting the other teams and have fun in their race. Kristen Black, also part of the team from Houston, Mississippi, said, “The trip has been fun, but it’s also really tiring.” The teams resume the last part of their race today at 9 a.m.
SOLAR CAR CHALLENGE IN TWENTYNINE PALMS
