Eco-car teams return from competition triumphant
ShopGirls and UrbanAutos members claim first place awards at the event in Texas.
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Courtesy photo by Michael Werner
The UrbanAutos team (left to right) is comprised of Tim Wilson, Jasmine Bates, Brooke Nicholson, Aron Scalf, Aakash Sethi, James Vest and Luis Torres.
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Courtesy photos by Michael Werner
Theresa Taylor, 90, gets a ride in the parade lap from Granite Falls High School senior James Vest in the UrbanAutos team car at the Shell Co. Eco-marathon Americas in Houston.
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Courtesy photos by Michael Werner
The UrbanAutos eco-car is waved green to start another run in Houston at the Shell Co. Eco-marathon Americas.
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Courtesy photos by Michael Werner
ShopGirls (left to right) Semira Kern, Katie Jackson and Hoa Nguyen get driver Sara Rood ready for another early morning run at a crowded starting line at the Shell Co. Eco-marathon Americas in Houston, Texas.
They didn't return Monday night empty-handed. Both teams won awards at the event that began last week in Houston, where groups entered student-built cars and competed to travel the greatest distance on the least amount of fuel.
The UrbanAutos team of seven students took first place for their car in the UrbanConcept diesel energy category. Their two-seat, 444 pound entry, "Phillipe's Revenge," had a best run and a new Shell Co. Eco-marathon Americas record of 186.5 miles per gallon. The ShopGirls was the only all-girl team to enter the competition and won first place in the safety award category.
"The competition overall was just a success," manufacturing teacher Michael Werner said. "It went really well for the UrbanAutos group."
The car the UrbanAutos team entered in last year's event didn't meet weight restrictions and could not compete. This year's car had zero problems during the competition, said team manager Aron Scalf.
"The team pulled together and we won something this big being from as small of a school as we are," he said. "It means quite a bit to me. It was nice to see everyone happy and enjoying it."
Scalf, a senior, was one of two students on the team who drove the car at the competition. He was a little nervous during his first run but then the adrenaline kicked in, he said.
"After that I could really focus," he said.
The competition didn't turn out exactly as members of the ShopGirls team had hoped it would. The team wanted to set a goal of 678 mpg with their car the "Iron Maiden," but had one qualifying run of 378 mpg. The run earned the team second place in the prototype diesel division.
Technical difficulties involving a loose chain kept the team from finishing more runs, said sophomore Pooja Sethi. The team still had fun, she said, and was happy to win the safety award given to teams that demonstrated safety in their vehicle design, construction and behavior at the event.
"I think we learned a lot from going to the race this year," she said. "We're planning on building a new car because we have all these ideas and we think we're ready for a new car next year."
Both teams earned $1,000 each for their first place finishes. The money will go toward the school's eco-car program, Werner said.
Scalf hopes interest in the program will continue to grow before next year's competition.
"Everybody in the school knows about it and everybody's talking to people from the car teams," he said. "I want to see this program really grow. It's not something you get to do in very many schools at all. It's definitely a different experience."
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
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