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High schoolers from 10 states drive solar cars at Texas Motor Speedway [Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas](Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 15--FORT WORTH -- The blistering sun is a mixed blessing for teens racing hand-crafted solar cars around Texas Motor Speedway. While sunshine is great for generating solar energy, extreme temperatures can affect the performance of solar cells, which work best at about 75 degrees, officials said. With temperatures topping 100 degrees again Tuesday, 16 teams of high school students from 10 states launched a four-day competition with cars they designed and built. Unlike most events at the speedway, this "race" is not about speed. The team that racks up the most laps on the 1.5-mile oval wins. Last year's winners went about 400 laps. "It's nice to have clear skies because the batteries will charge. Solar cells work better when it is cooler," said Lehman Marks, the event's director. "You're going to lose 15 to 17 percent of efficiency when it's so hot." To cope, teams sprayed water on the solar panels to cool them. Students sat under tents in pit row and did car maintenance in an infield garage. Anyone caught without a hat faced a one-lap penalty, Marks said. In odd-numbered years, the teams are supposed to race cross-country; in 2007, competitors traveled from Austin to New York. But this year, the tight economy hampered fundraising, so the event is being staged at the speedway. A Nevada team that built a solar car as a class project needed to stay within a $5,000 budget. Students from Mineral County High School in Hawthorne, Nev., held a bake sale and other fundraisers and got a $2,640 grant from Intel so they could make the trip, coach Dave Ferguson said. "Our goal is to finish the race without any breakdowns," he said. At one point, the vehicle for first-year competitor W.T. White High School in Dallas stopped midlap and had to be picked up. Racers worked to troubleshoot a wiring issue, said Lesley Scott, a driver. "It's been great, because we completed a solar car that actually runs. It's what we've worked for, and it's good to see a success," said Scott, 18, a 2009 graduate. "Hopefully, a lot more laps to come." Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge Hosted by Dell Computer and the Winston School in Dallas, the challenges began in 1993 to help motivate students in science and engineering and increase alternative energy awareness. Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Interstate 35W and Texas 114, north Fort Worth When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Thursday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday Admission: Free Online: See schedules, team bios and daily score updates at www.winstonsolar.org\challenge JESSAMY BROWN, 817-390-7326 |