Despite not racing for a year, Mark Rutherford Racers brought home the third-place trophy at the Greenpower Education Trust’s 2021 Season Opener event at Bedford Autodrome on 25 April.
They were among 21 teams gathered at the circuit to race electric cars that they had both designed and built themselves.
The ages of the participants ranged from 11 to 25, and all brought enthusiasm to a diverse paddock that included multiple all-girl schools as well as a special needs school.
After scrutineering, safety checks and practice sessions in the morning, the racing kicked off in the afternoon.
All of the teams took part in four twenty-minute races, with the goal of completing as many laps as possible in that time. This format means that winning is as much about endurance as it is speed, with the drivers having to ensure they don’t use up their battery power too quickly.
Due to Covid restrictions, teams were restricted to three members and just one car.
The Rutherford Racers’ car, Wildfire ran faultlessly, despite being untouched since coming off the track in its last race in 2019.
“There was no time to develop or test the car beforehand,” said a team spokesperson.
“Despite the challenges, the team raced in excellent form against strong competition and managed the day really efficiently.”
The car covered a total distance of 32.69 miles on one set of batteries and took the third-place trophy.
Teamwork and cooperation were described as the keys to the team’s success, alongside skills in designing, engineering and team management.
Freddie from the Rutherford Racing team said: “It was good to be back in the driving seat again following COVID-19. I was a bit rusty at first but it soon came back to me!”
“It was absolutely brilliant to see the cars back out on track after a challenging year for everyone,” said Paul van Veggel, CEO of Greenpower Education Trust.
“The Greenpower challenge gives these young people a fun, practical learning project that shows them how exciting STEM can be when you take it outside of the classroom.
“Today that culminated in a terrific event where the drive, enthusiasm and passion of the teams really came to the forefront.”
To learn more about the Greenpower challenge, visit their website.
