Solar flair: An open-road challenge

Imagine that you've been working on a student project team for two years. You've made many friends and together you are about to finish an 11-day, 2,500-mile trek from Austin, Texas, USA, to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on photons alone. Over those two years your team has sacrificed much to design, build, develop, and now race a solar electric-drive vehicle. The race has been grueling, but now you see people lining the road and cheering you on those final few miles. This is a student project--are these just friends and families? The deeper you get into Calgary, the bigger the crowds. Flags are hoisted and banners wave. Someone says the crowd estimate is 35,000 strong. Finally, you near Olympic Park, cross the finish line, and the massive celebration begins. You are the North American Solar Car (NASC) champions! Sound like fantasy? No, this is reality. This is open-road solar car racing.