Devon Prep’s Solar Car Team Races from Dallas to LA

DEVON, Pa. - July 27, 2013 - PRLog -- Devon Prep's Solar Car Team, The Devon Panel, arrived in Dallas, Texas last Saturday to prepare for the 2013 Solar Car Challenge, an 884 mile open road race from Dallas to Los Angeles open to high school teams only. The team went through vehicle inspections on Sunday and Monday. The race began on Tuesday and continues until next Tuesday, July 30.  Devon Prep’s team is the first and only Pennsylvania high school team to participate in this national competition.  

The Devon Panel is driving the same car, “Sol Tide”, they built two years ago, with a few upgrades including new batteries, solar panels, a new motor and a motor controller. The car’s skin has been redesigned as well.  The car measured 15 ft. X 2 ft., and is covered with five solar panels. The car can travel as fast as 43 mph, but is being driven about 22 mph throughout most of the 8 day race.

Although they passed all the qualifying tests, the first day of the actual race proved disappointing for the team, which consists of nine Devon Prep students and several of their fathers. The boys had sprocket and battery trouble on Day 1, leaving them little time to accumulate many miles on their own. However, after working diligently on the car and fixing the problems, they were able to make it up on Days 2 and 3.

The 14 cars participating in the race make regular stops along the route to LA to display the cars and talk to the media. The race will take the participants from Texas to New Mexico to Arizona to California.

The Devon Panel has competed in the Solar Car Challenge for the past two years, coming in 4th in 2011 and taking 2nd place last year. Both of those races were held at the Texas Motor Speedway. According to Jacob Riedel, team captain, and founder of the Solar Car Club, their goal this year is to outperform what they did last year, which means they hope to win.

The Solar Car Challenge, http://www.solarcarchallenge.org/challenge/, began in 1993 as a high school extra- curricular program named the "Winston Solar Challenge." The program's popularity has since grown rapidly and become its own non-profit entity. More than 65 schools in 20 states now take part in the race.  The Solar Car Challenge is designed to motivate students in STEM:  science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students learn how to plan, design, engineer, build, and race roadworthy solar cars.  The end product of each education cycle is the Solar Car Challenge: a closed-track event at the world famous Texas Motor Speedway, or a cross country event designed to give students an opportunity to show the country the product of their efforts.

To read Devon Prep's Solar Car Team's blog during the race go to http://www.devonprep.com/events/2013-solar-car-challenge-blog/.

To see photos of The Devon Panel go to http://www.devonprep.com/2013/07/devon-prep-solar-car-team-competes-in-open-road-race/

Devon Prep is a private, Catholic, college preparatory school for young men in grades six through 12 conducted by the Piarist Fathers. The school, which is located on a 20 acre campus in Devon, PA, educates nearly 300 students who hail from the five county Philadelphia area.  For more information call 610-688-7337 or visit devonprep.com.