Originally published July 29 2005
Twenty teams kick off solar challenge race; three take early leads
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took first- through third-place leads respectively on the first day of the 2,500-mile, Austin, Texas to Calgary, Alberta North American Solar Challenge (NASC), Renewable Energy Access reports.
During the first day of the North American Solar Challenge (NASC), three teams have claimed early lead positions.
Twenty teams qualified to compete in the grueling 2,500-mile cross country solar race that began in Austin, Texas on July 17 and ends on July 27 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Solar World Congress 2005 With today's results, Michigan has the overall race lead with the lowest cumulative time.
The NASC is an educational event in which participants build and drive cars that run exclusively on solar power.
The cars left Austin's Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 N. Congress Ave., at 9 a.m.
The car that completes the 2,500-mile trip with the least cumulative time will be the winner of the 2005 NASC, the longest solar car contest in the world.
The University of Missouri-Rolla and the University of Waterloo also made it to Weatherford and are in fourth and fifth place.
The University of Minnesota had the best qualifying time in the May qualifying event in Kansas and will start first, with the other cars following at 1-minute intervals in the order of their qualifying times.
To qualify to compete in the NASC, each team drove its solar car at least 120 miles on the track at an average speed of at least 25 mph.
In addition to the qualifying laps, all teams had to undergo rigorous safety and reliability checks at Travis County Expo Center in Austin, Texas.
(Editors note: A list of qualifying teams, in start order, follows.)
Weather and energy management play important roles in the contest.
The cars mostly travel at highway speeds and are required to obey local speed limits, but in general the sunnier the day, the faster and farther the cars can run.
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