Eco-friendly racing cars built by schoolchildren from across the North East are set to battle it out for a place in the grand final of a national competition to discover the top automotive brains of the future.
The Greenpower competition will see the cars race around the Croft Circuit near Darlington next Wednesday.
Youngsters from 32 schools and colleges will take part in the North East heat at the North Yorkshire track with electric cars they have designed, engineered and constructed themselves.
Among those on the grid will be Ripon Grammar and King James in Knaresborough – two schools that have made it to the final before.
In all some 5,000 pupils and students from 600 schools up and down the country are competing for places in Greenpower’s UK final in October. This will be the ninth consecutive year that Croft has staged the North East heat, being sponsored by Newcastle University, and a further 100 pupils and their teachers will also be present as part of an Engineering Day to learn more about Greenpower before potentially entering in 2012.
Tracey Morley, Croft Circuit’s manager said: “What a wonderful initiative Greenpower is and in recent years it’s been particularly heartening to see more and more girls getting involved in what many may perceive as having been something for the boys!
“Next Wednesday marks the culmination of more than a year’s dedication for these pupils and the opportunity to show what their fabulous creations can do on the same track on which the stars of the British Touring Car Championship raced just two weeks ago. It will be hugely exciting for them. We’re both proud and delighted to be welcoming back so many talented youngsters and their teachers for their shot at Greenpower glory in 2011.”
