06/07/91

CONTACT: Stanford University News Service (650) 723-2558

Solar cars to arrive at Stanford Oval on first leg of race

STANFORD -- Solar-powered vehicles built by eight university teams and a number of individuals will race from Sacramento to Stanford University June 18 on the first leg of the California Clean Air Race.

Sponsored by the California Energy Commission and other utilities and associations statewide, the six-day, 670-mile race will start at 9 a.m. at California State University-Sacramento.

Entrants will stop for battery recharging in Vallejo, then continue on to Stanford in the early afternoon. They will start out from the Stanford Oval again the following morning, between 8 a.m. and noon.

Each race day, the solar cars will have 12 hours in which to race and/or charge their batteries. The winner will be the entrant with the lowest total driving time from Sacramento to the California Museum of Science and Industry in Los Angeles.

Stanford will have two entries, SUnSUrfer and SUnburner, which were built by students and faculty involved with the Stanford Solar Car Project. State assemblyman Byron Sher will drive SUnSUrfer the first two blocks of the race.

Other college entries will be from Auburn University in Alabama, California State University-Fresno, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, the University of Texas-Austin, Western Michigan University, and Western Washington University.

A kick-off to the race will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, June 17, at the State Capitol Building. The event will include solar-vehicle qualifying trials and exhibition, electric commuter-vehicle exhibits and ride-alongs, and a speech by Gov. Pete Wilson.

For more information, contact Bob Aldrich of the California Energy Commission, (916) 324-3298.

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