Solar Racing Team Slips Back

by George Zamora

CLEMSON, S.C., June 24, 1999 -- New Mexico Tech's Corona has slipped back to last place in the 29-car racing field after yesterday's completion of the fourth day of Sunrayce 99, a ten-day, solar-powered road rally which is winding its way down highways in the Southeastern United States.

New Mexico Tech's solar racer dropped to the back of the pack after logging only 15 miles on its low-charged batteries on the 150-mile stretch between Charlotte, N.C., and Clemson, S.C.

New Mexico Tech's Corona was one of the 10 sunshine-powered vehicles which did not complete yesterday's course within the allotted eight hours as stipulated by Sunrayce 99 rules.

Sunrayce 99 continues today with a 135-mile leg to Mercer University in Atlanta, Ga.

On Friday, June 25, New Mexico Tech's solar racing team and all 28 of its Sunrayce 99 competitors will get a respite from racing with a "Rest Day" planned for the stay in Atlanta. Racing resumes on Saturday, June 26.

Teams from colleges and universities throughout North America, including New Mexico Tech, have been racing through five states this week, from Washington, D. C., toward a finish line at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. The team with the lowest cumulative time over the 10-day road rally wins the event.

The top three finishing teams will receive trophies and cash awards. Scholastic achievement awards will also be granted for technical innovation, engineering excellence, artistic talents, teamwork, and good sportsmanship.

The biennial solar-car race was created by General Motors and the U. S. Department of Energy in 1990 to promote educational excellence in mathematics, science, and engineering by offering students a unique and highly valuable "hands-on" educational opportunity. Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) joined GM and the DOE as a co-sponsor of the event in 1993.