[ High school racers provide city with electric atmosphere ]

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jun 14, 2002 by Brent Maycock Capital-Journal

Kansas ElectroRally

The Kansas ElectroRally is an event that involves high school students designing, building and racing electric cars. For more information about the ElectroRally, go to www.kselectro.com.

PHILIP CARLSON/The Capital-Journal

Racers and their handlers lined up before the start of Kansas ElectroRally 2002 on Thursday at Heartland Park Topeka.

See ELECTRORALLY, page 7D

ElectroRally: Scott City is state's best

Photographs by PHILIP CARLSON/The Capital-Journal

Shawnee Heights junior Mike Crader adjusted his helmet before climbing into the cockpit of the T-Birds' electric car Thursday at Heartland Park Topeka before the start of Kansas ElectroRally 2002.

Electric cars of various design reached speeds of 30 miles per hour while zipping around the Heartland Park Topeka track Thursday.

By Brent Maycock

The Capital-Journal

Like most teenagers, Mike Crader couldn't wait until his 16th birthday.

Just not for all the reasons one might expect.

Sure, the Shawnee Heights junior was eagerly anticipating getting his driver's license. But Crader was just as eager to finally be able to drive the electric car he and other T-Bird students have worked on all year.

"I really wanted to drive it when we had our first race this year, but they were pretty steadfast to the 16 rule," said Crader, who turned 16 on June 8. "I'd say this is (better than getting my license), because you can't race your vehicle --- not legally, at least."

Crader finally got to climb behind the wheel for a race Thursday at the Kansas ElectroRally 2002 state high school championships, which was staged on the road track at Heartland Park Topeka. Nearly 40 cars competed in the novice and advanced races, which began in a light drizzle but concluded under sunny skies.

The question is: Was it worth the wait?

"It was pretty fun, until it started dying on me," said Crader, who completed seven laps on the 2.1-mile course in the hour-long race. "I had to push it up the hill on the last lap. But, yeah, it was fun. I bet there'd be a ton of people who'd want to do this if they knew what it was."

What is ElectroRally?

While working for Kansas Electric Utilities Research Program, Topekan Jerry Lonergan was given a task.

"I was to come up with a public event with an educational theme and some positive publicity for the utility companies," Lonergan said. "I met with Jeff (Simpson) and said, 'What about an electric car race for high schools?' He was aware of a national program that does that."

In 1997, the Kansas ElectroRally was born.

In the program, high school students across the state design, build and then race electric cars. The aerodynamic, single-driver vehicles are made from lightweight materials like aluminum and are powered by deep cycle 24-volt battery packs.

The race itself isn't your typical fastest around the track wins. Instead, each race --- novice for first-year teams with no experience; advanced for all others --- lasts for one hour with the winning team the one that completes the most laps during the allotted time.

The first ElectroRally race drew eight teams. Thursday's race at Heartland Park drew 50 entries from 24 schools, including Topeka High and Washburn Rural, the latter a no-show for the event. Today, the Kansas ElectroRally is the largest high school electric car race in the United States.

"We've tried adding about six more teams every year," said Lonergan, who with the funding help of Westar Energy and a new board of directors has helped continue the program after KEURP was disbanded in 1999. "It can be hard starting from scratch for a lot of these programs."

Thursday's race marked the second half of the state championships, the other race occurring in Dodge City earlier this spring. There is also a recent addition to the championship equation --- a written report, which covers items such as what the students accomplished, how they constructed the car and raised the money etc. --- that counts for 20 percent.

Scott City has been the standard bearer for the sport in recent years and dominated Thursday's race with a 1-2 finish in the advanced class.

"They've always been good," Lonergan said. "But even though they're real competitive and win, they share information and help others out. They kind of welcome the challenge of schools learning from what they've done and trying to stay ahead of them."

Different kind of athlete

Chad Hicks kind of laughed at the question: "Do you consider yourself an athlete?"

Hicks, a junior at Shawnee Heights, was part of the T-Birds' three- man team at Thursday's race along with Crader and Matt Graham. Hicks was the pit man, while Graham served as the lap counter.

"It is a sport, but I don't know if I'd classify as an athlete or not," Hicks said. "It's a past-time."

Nancy Lonergan said the nature of the ElectroRally --- and the type of competitor it attracts --- made the sport somewhat unique and attractive.

"The very first year we did this, it just warmed my heart to know that these kids were not the jocks, the cheerleaders, not the best or brightest in school," she said. "But by golly, they're good with their hands, they're mechanically inclined."