SOLAR CAR SUPERSTARS: Grace Lutheran High School wins first place at Texas competition

Members of Grace Lutheran High School’s STEM program are solar car champions.

The students from the Pocatello school competed this week at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, with a solar-powered car that they built from scratch.

Their team, dubbed Russet American Racing, placed first overall in the classic division, enduring four days of stress test style racing at the Texas Motor Speedway to beat out seven other teams from across the country.

Grace Lutheran STEM teacher and mentor Ben Anderson along with team captain Christ Ulland and team members Logan Friesen and Crystoph Oresky traveled down to Texas and endured the summer heat to achieve their impressive victory. Many other Grace Lutheran students such as Jack Shelton, Matthew Land and Garret Grayson helped make this solar car dream a reality.

The biannual solar car challenge is designed to promote interest in the fields of science, engineering, technology and alternative energy.

Nearly 33 teams from all across the United States submitted their solar-powered vehicles through a strenuous vetting process that ensured each car was up to the standards required for the competition. With a $2,500 registration fee, there was great pressure to ensure that the cars could make it past the judging process before they even saw the track.

Russet American Racing's solar-powered vehicle not only passed the inspection but managed an impressive 305 laps for a distance of 457.5 miles.

This is the first time an Idaho team has competed in the Solar Car Challenge, making the win ever more impressive.