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).
Raising support for scholarship
Zebulun Nash, who graduated with a degree in chemical engineering in 1972, was part of a team that got its…
The house that Michael Lancey built
The original Yankee Stadium, completed in 1923, came to be known as “The House That Ruth Built,” in recognition of…
Four months away from Earth
Sandra “Sandy” Magnus has been part of three space flights and spent more than four months in space during her…
Making the perfect snacks
Frito-Lay’s Topeka, Kansas, plant operates 24 hours a day, so while most of us are sleeping, Catherine Swift, a 2010…
Martin Jischke on increasing diversity
Martin C. Jischke, who served as chancellor at UMR between 1986 and 1991, describes the importance...
Remembering Bataan
Gene Boyt, who earned a degree in mechanical engineering; Robert Silhavy, ceramic engineering; and John McAnerney, civil engineering, were called…