EVENT: Greenpower Electric Car Racing National FinalsWHERE: Goodwood Motor Circuit, West SussexDATE: Sunday 13 October 2013
On Sunday 13 October 2013 the nationwide Greenpower electric car racing challenge for young people climaxes with the Greenpower National Finals, held at Goodwood Motor Circuit, West Sussex.
Lord March, the owner of Goodwood, is Patron of the Greenpower Education Trust, a charity that inspires and enthuses young people to consider a future in engineering.
Over 100 teams involving more than 1,000 students aged 11 – 25 will compete at Goodwood Motor Circuit in single seater electric race cars that they have designed and built.
The main race of the day is for 11- 16 year olds, who compete in a 4-hour endurance race, using the power of just three sets of car batteries. Speedy pit stops are essential, to enable each of the minimum of 5 drivers in the team to take over for their stint on the track.
NEW for 2013, the Corporate Challenge will be held at the National Finals, seeing teams from the corporate world - with drivers of any age - take part in a shorter 90 minute race against students. Previous entries include Bentley, Prodrive, Jaguar and Land Rover.
Teams will be coming from far and wide including from Caithness to Cornwall and this year, Team USA (Huntville Centre for Technology) and Politechnika Sląska from Poland will make the event truly international.
Most of the teams are from schools, but for the first time a team is coming from the police. Falmouth police in Cornwall are using Greenpower to involve the local community to nip potential trouble makers in the bud before any problems arise.
The event is open to all and is day out for the family, with a range of fun activities, as well as information from employers and universities on taking further steps towards a career in engineering.
Open 10am - 6pm.Parking £5 per car
FACTS ABOUT GREENPOWERThe highly successful Greenpower challenge to design, build, and race a single seat electric car, provides young people with an unique hands on opportunity to engage in engineering.
The proven project uses the excitement of motorsport to inspire students from primary school to university to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematical studies, with the added result of delivering social and behavioural benefits. Currently over 400 schools throughout the UK are involved in the project, a figure that Greenpower is working to increase.
There are four different levels of the challenge:
IET Formula Goblin (Ages 9 – 11)
For primary school pupils in years 5 and 6 .The car is a standardised kit, that can take an average of 15 hours to build.The events involve three disciplines: a slalom, a drag race and sprint racing.There are additional awards for Best Presented Team, Best Bodywork, GreenestBodywork, and the Spirit of Greenpower.
IET Formula 24 (ages 11 – 16)
This is a four hour endurance race, held at major motorsport venues in the UK.All teams have the same motor, and three 12 volt batteries, used in pairs (producing24 volts, hence Formula 24). The cars can be built from a kit supplied byGreenpower, or totally from scratch by the team, to fit the formula specification.During the race at least five team members must drive the car, and up to six furthermembers can act as pit crew so there’s plenty of pit stop action.Teams have to compete in at least one regional heat and if they finish in the top threethey qualify for the National Final held in October at Goodwood Motor Circuit.
IET Formula 24+ (ages 16 – 25)
This is the challenge for 16 – 25 year olds and includes sixth form teams, apprentices,private teams and graduate trainee programmes. This formula is all about designingand building an electric car with a standard motor and sets of batteries. Althoughthere are strict regulations to follow, this certainly doesn’t restrict the creativity seenon the grid.The races are 90 minutes duration, run on four 12 volt batteries, used in pairs.
Corporate Challenge (ages 16 – )
Currently held just once a year, alongside the National Finals, this challenge is forbusinesses, corporate and academic teams. The technical regulations are thesame as for IET Formula 24+, but drivers of any age can compete.
