Mouser Electronics, Inc. is proud to announce that for the fifth straight year it is sponsoring the Shine Runners Racing Company from Ben Barber Career and Technology Academy in Mansfield, Texas, as it competes in the 2016 Solar Car Challenge. This year’s event will have the creative high school students from Ben Barber pitted against teams from across the country as they race from Fort Worth to Minneapolis, powered solely by the sun in cars they designed and built. After two days of trials, July 15 – 16 at the Texas Motor Speedway, the teams begin their weeklong trek to the Twin Cities.
The Solar Car Challenge was established in 1993 to help motivate students in science and engineering and to increase alternative energy awareness. The Challenge teaches high school students around the world how to build roadworthy solar cars.
“Supporting and encouraging budding engineers always has been a large part of our mission here at Mouser,” said Kevin Hess, Mouser’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. “This is a highly creative and educational exercise, and we are proud to again support the Ben Barber solar car racing team. It is exciting for us to have a role in supporting projects that encourage science, engineering and math.”
The Mouser-sponsored team from Ben Barber will be competing against 25 teams from across the nation, including groups from schools as far away as New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado, Florida and California.
At the 2015 Solar Car Challenge, the Shine Runners team finished fourth overall and took home the Sandt Award, presented to the team that best displays the true spirit of solar car racing through distinguished service to their fellow teams.
On alternating years, the teams race at the world-famous Texas Motor Speedway or drive cross-country to share their project cars with millions of people. In 2013, the Shine Runners won the State Energy Conservation Award from the State of Texas, presented to the solar car team displaying outstanding engineering excellence. The team also received a special proclamation from the Texas State Senate.
Mouser’s sponsorship of the Ben Barber program includes financial support, as well as providing parts for the car and giving recommendations on development of the vehicle.
For more information :http://www.mouser.com/solarcarchallenge/.
