SPARTA, Ky. (LEX 18)– Students at Bath County High School tested out their solar race car at the Kentucky Speedway Friday.
Some of them aren’t even old enough to drive a car, but they certainly can build one.
The car is the result of a 24-month project as part of the Solar Car Challenge. Program Director Brain Coleman took the car for its first trial spin Friday morning at Kentucky Speedway. His students raised funds to afford all of the parts and then built the car from scratch.
“The only time we would step in is if we see something that might be a significant safety issue, and even then we’d only say, ‘you might want to consider doing this, and here are the options.’ and they have to choose,” said Coleman.
The trials went well Friday, and even the Speedway GM approved.
The hard part will happen next month at the Texas Motor Speedway when the kids and their car will be under intense scrutiny before even being allowed to enter it into the race.
“If one thing is off, and someone gets hurt, this entire program gets shut down,” said Bath County junior Maynard Reinhardt.
“Many schools in their first 2-3 years don’t make it past scrutineering. So that’s our main goal. Make it past,” said junior Jacie Bussell.
The competition in Texas takes place from July 11 through July 19.
