The future was so bright for members of a Solar Car Team on Thursday, April 21, they may be wearing sunglasses at a national solar car race this summer.  That’s because the Albemarle Foundation presented the Baton Rouge Magnet High School team with a $5,000 check – much like it has for the past three years.  Jason Bitting of Albemarle Corporate Engineering (pictured, far right) presented the check to the student team and (left to right with the solar car) its captain, Rick Hochendel, as well as teacher/advisor Peter Oelschlaeger and Principal Nanette McCann.

The Sun Dog Racer, the student-built solar car, is scheduled to race in mid-July in the Winston Solar Car Race at the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas.  Over a five-year period, students past and present at Baton Rouge Magnet High School have joined Oelschlaeger after school, on weekends, over holidays and during the summer at various locations to draw up plans for and build a solar-powered car.  As they do every year, students need to raise enough funds to finish the car, install upgrades and pay for travel and fees to compete in the national Race.

“We are pleased to support your efforts with the Solar Car Project, which provides a hands-on experience for students to participate in building a clean energy vehicle,” Bitting said.  “Building such a vehicle highlights the sustainability efforts we can all be a part of in Baton Rouge.  Without a doubt, the school has a tremendous impact on our community, so it is good to know that our future generations are learning the essentials to help make our world a better place for everyone.”

The Race is held every year – some years at the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas and every other year as a cross-country race from Round Rock, Texas, to various destinations.  In the race, which occurs in a series of seven three-hour heats when on a track, team drivers are limited to four hours per day behind the wheel with cars limited to six hours total race time daily. 

“Mr. O” (as Oelschlaeger is affectionately called by his drafting students and team members) said the idea of creating a car locally came to students when they heard about the Race years ago.  “It’s a great project for the students, because it involves so many fundamentals of learning – from physics, drafting and electricity to geometry and modeling and much more.   This is a life-altering learning experience,” he said.  For more information, contact Oelschlaeger at (225) 383-0520 or at poelschlaeger@ebrschools.org or visit winstonsolar.org.