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High School Solar Car Race From Texas To California Canceled On Day 3
The Poly Solar Team. (From left to right) Kai Herman, Jonah Goldstein, advisor/AP Physics teacher Craig Fletcher, Julian Harrison, Aria Wang, support car driver Jill del Mar from Poly's tech department and advisor/math teacher Jack Prater.
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Tyler Wayne
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LAist
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Topline:
Organizers canceled the 30th annual Solar Car Challenge Tuesday night after more than a dozen staff members tested positive for COVID-19. High school teams from around the country, including several from Southern California, started the race Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas and were set to finish in the Antelope Valley’s Palmdale on Sunday.
Why it matters: High schoolers from 20 schools have spent months, even years, building solar-powered vehicles capable of reaching speeds of up to 72 miles per hour.
A first: “[The Solar Car Challenge] had a set of staff members who tested positive for COVID and therefore canceled the remainder of the race out of caution for the students,” said Kelly Hunter, who works for a communications firm that helped promote the event. This is the first mid-race cancellation in three decades, although the event was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
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Student reaction: Palmdale High School Solar Falcons team captain Anthony Sonanes said the cancellation is “unbelievable,” and that the team is still processing the unexpected end to the race. “They've done an amazing job,” Sonanes said of his teammates. “They've created memories that they'll never forget and I love that I got to work with them.”
Did anyone … win? The day three results are now the race's final placements. Pasadena’s Poly Solar Car team placed second in the Classic division. The Palmdale Solar Falcons placed fourth in the Advanced Classic division. The teams, currently in El Paso, must now decide how and when to return home.
Go deeper: Pasadena Poly's Solar Car Team Sets Out For Multi-State Adventure
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