6-9-99

Contacts:
Allen Ihlefeld, Team PrISUm, (515) 294-0899
Skip Derra, News Service, (515) 294-4917


SEND OFF EVENT FOR IOWA STATE SOLAR CAR TEAM

AMES, Iowa -- A send off event for the Iowa State University solar car team, Team PrISUm, will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Friday, June 11, on the south side of the Molecular Biology Building. The event is free and open to the public.

Iowa State's solar car team is gearing up for Sunrayce 99, a biennial solar car race that will include up to 40 solar car teams. This year's 1,340-mile race is from Washington, D.C., to Orlando, Fla., and will be held June 20 - 29.

The Iowa State solar car team won the pole position for the race during Sunrayce qualifiers last month. So far, 17 teams have qualified for the race.

"We've worked for two years to design, build, test and now race our solar car, PrISUm Phoenix," said Allen Ihlefeld, Team PrISUm director. "To be honest, we can't wait for the race to begin. This is what we've been working for all along."

PrISUm Phoenix is a sleek 2D/airfoil design with 738 solar cells that convert sunlight into energy. The car set the track record for number of miles logged during a Sunrayce qualifier while earning the pole position for Sunrayce 99.

The Iowa State students will arrive in Washington, D.C., June 14 and plan to run part of the official race route prior to the race. They also will have their car "scrutineered," a method of checking it to make sure it meets performance and safety standards.

Then on June 20, at precisely 10 a.m., PrISUm Phoenix will be the first car to hit the road at the start of Sunrayce 99 near the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

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Editors:

Reporters are welcome to attend the send off event for Team PrISUm on Friday, June 11. There will be opportunities to interview the students, as well as photograph the car. The event will take place in the courtyard area directly south of the Molecular Biology Building along Pammel Drive. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Molecular Biology Building atrium.

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URL: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/releases/99/june/sendoff.html
Revised 06/09/99