Purdue News
Purdue NewsThe biennial solar car race begins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 19 and finishes June 28 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Up to 40 college teams will make the 10-day, 1,240-mile trek. The Purdue team placed 19th during qualifications at the General Motors Milford Proving Grounds in Milford, Mich., on May 4.
The team with the lowest cumulative time to Colorado Springs wins the event. Daily winners also will be honored, and various other awards will be presented for sportsmanship and teamwork, emphasizing excellence on and off the road.
Purdue team members from Indiana are Brett Bymaster of Brownsburg , Charles Bartlett and Matt Wood, Carmel , Brent Van Zandt, Evansville , Andrea Junk and Pete Brubaker, Fort Wayne , team leader Patrick Thomas of Mount Vernon , and Bret Nufer of Winamac . Other team members are David Brandyberry of Canton , Ohio ; Brian Grems, Detroit , Mich.; Tim Paprocki, Moline , Ill.; and Keith Glover, Pekin , Ill .
In 1995, Purdue finished 17th out of 38 entries. The average speed of the winning car was 37.23 miles per hour.
The 1997 race is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy ,General Motors Corp., Electronic Data Systems and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
CONTACT: Jeffrey Gray, associate professor of electrical engineering and faculty adviser to the Solar Racing Club, (765) 494-3478; e-mail, grayj@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
