FORT WORTH, Texas — The sunny days ahead in Fort Worth signal the beginning of the 31st Annual Solar Car Challenge, where 32 teams of high schoolers across the nation will race their solar-powered cars at Texas Motor Speedway.
The race begins on July 14 and will feature four days of racing to see which team's car goes the greatest distance. The winner is determined by whichever car drives the most miles accumulated over the four-day period, while facing challenges like car breakdowns and weather conditions. Of the 32 teams across 12 states competing this year, 16 are from Texas.
“This is the brain sport,” race founder Dr. Lehman Marks said. “It’s not just about building the car, but how to drive that car, solve the inevitable problems that happen with the car, and keeping your team intact through four grueling days of racing. Doing the Solar Car Challenge makes these students better equipped to face the challenges they’ll have in life.”
Marks established the Solar Car Challenge in 1993 to help motivate students in fields of science, technology and alternative energy.
“Students who take part in the Solar Car Challenge have a 23% greater chance of going into a STEM career than students participating in other STEM programs. This is the top project-based STEM program in the country,” race founder Dr. Lehman Marks said. “We teach the kids how to build a plan, come up with a budget, fundraise, how to engineer the car and manage the project, all while they’re learning about how to harness energy from the sun to make a car go down the road.”
Students build the cars raced from scratch with their own ideas. Some teenagers spend nearly three years designing, funding and building their solar creations in preparation for the race. In the days leading up to the race, the solar cars will face rigorous evaluation by a panel of judges at the speedway.
A cross-country version of the race happens biannually, and alternating years are hosted at the Texas Motor Speedway track.
The race is free for the public to attend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during each of the four days. The opening ceremony event will be Sunday, July 14, at 8:30 a.m.
For more information about the Solar Car Challenge event schedule, click here.
