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Formula Sun Grand Prix 2000

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology achieved its first victory in a national solar car competition by winning the Formula Sun Grand Prix on Thursday, May 25 at Heartland Park raceway. The competition involving 14 college teams started on Tuesday, May 23. The Solar Phantom V completed 396 laps (831.6 miles) over the three days of competition, finishing 14 laps (29.4 miles) ahead of the University of Missouri-Rolla (382 laps) and the University of Minnesota (362 laps). Purdue University finished ninth. Formula Sun featured seven of the top 11 finishers from last summer's Sunrayce 99, a road race from Washington, D.C., to Orlando, Fla. Formula Sun was operated on a 2.1-mile grand prix race track. Other competitors included Kansas State, Iowa State, the University of Missouri and Florida State University. At mid-day of Thursday's 8 1/2-hour segment, it looked like Missouri-Rolla might overtake Rose-Hulman for the title. Missouri-Rolla, Sunrayce 99 champions, closed to within two laps of catching Rose-Hulman before suffering a blown electrical motor. A lengthy pit stop allowed the Solar Phantom to coast away to a comfortable lead. As a sign of good sportsmanship, the Rose-Hulman team gave Missouri-Rolla a spare motor to finish the race. The victory will give Rose-Hulman momentum for next summer's American Solar Challenge, a road race from Chicago to Los Angeles on historic Route 66.

Final Results

Position
Team
Laps
Completed
1
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
396
2
University of Missouri-Rolla
382
3
University of Minnesota
362
4
Kansas State University
345
5
University of Missouri-Columbia #4
326
6
Iowa State University
293
7
University of North Dakota
276
8
Lincoln Land Community College
201
9
Purdue University
196
10
Minnesota State University, Mankato/Winona
166
11
Michigan Technological
157
12
University of Missouri-Columbia #43
133
13
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
124
14
FAMU/FSU
122