In 1999, the Missouri S&T Solar Car Team took first place in Sunrayce, now known as the American Solar Challenge. The course started in Washington, D.C., and ended in Orlando, Florida, and stands out in the record books due to the lack of sunshine. Solar Miner II completed the race in just over 56 hours and averaged 25.3 miles per hour.
The first American Solar Challenge race was organized and sponsored by General Motors in 1990 to promote automotive engineering and solar energy among college students. At the time, GM had just won the inaugural World Solar Challenge in Australia in 1987 and they chose to sponsor collegiate events instead of continuing to race.
The Missouri S&T Solar Car Team also won first place at the American Solar Challenge in 2003. Solar Miner IV completed the course in a little over 50 hours.
Share This Story
Spark a Memory?
Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).
From S&T soccer to the state capitol
You might think that with the thousands of graduates Missouri S&T has produced over its 150-year history, at least a…
Samantha (Somers) and Scott Holcomb
Samantha (Somers) and Scott Holcomb first met as they were trying to catch the last bus back to campus after…
Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly
Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly met in August 1978 at a Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity party. As students, the two…
Jillian (Estes) and Charlie Stankovic
Jillian (Estes) and Charlie Stankovic met in 2013 after overhearing stories about one another. During finals week, they played sand…
Leading a national lab
At Sandia National Laboratories, Joan Woodard, a mathematics graduate in 1973, was the executive vice president and deputy laboratories director…
Elizabeth and Teddy Caputa-Hatley
Elizabeth and Teddy Caputa-Hatley met on the second day of Opening Week in 2015 in Butler-Carlton Civil Engineering Hall. Elizabeth…