Truro High’s brand new Greenpower car, the 11th Hour, had run its first practice race at Goodwood in preparation to race in its first national Formula E event in London.
Racing alongside its sister vehicles the Green Goddess, the Phoenix Flyer and Kernow Kittz, the 11th Hour performed extremely well at its first competitive race running at 19.7mph just behind the 21mph of the top two cars in the race. The other Truro High cars also did well, standing the team in a strong position for their upcoming races.
The team will race around London on June 27 before the main Formula E event. Competing against some tough competition from 10-12 schools, the team will be the only school outside of London with a part to play in this race.
To secure pole position, the young drivers must take into account not only their speed, but also their energy efficiency as they race around the circuit tracked by a special data logger fitted on the car. Teams will then line-up in this order for a race to the finish using the same circuit as used by the Formula E drivers. The top three competitors will each receive an award on the actual race podium.
In order to take part in this prestigious event Truro High have found the £4K finance to buy the car. The team have worked collaboratively with the Head of Science Mr Lee Mallin and four pupils from Harris Academy Morden in order to build the vehicle.
Truro High Greenpower team member Lexie has been selected to drive the car. Lexie has been selected as the school’s lead driver for the last 3 years and has been involved in 4 races thus far.
Head of Science, Jon Dean said: “Lexie’s age and number of years dedicated driving experience made her the obvious choice. She is quick but sensibly economic driver. She was also lucky enough to actually drive the car at Goodwood, which really showcased her skill behind the wheel. With results like these, we’re very excited to see how well she and the 11th Hour can do.”
The Greenpower team have a busy few weeks ahead. They will be continuing their season with the Green Goddess and Phoenix Flyer racing at Newquay alongside their other new sister the Silver Shadow. The school’s four cars will then compete in the first half of the season with a run at RNAS Meryfield, before earning a little rest over the summer and some vital alterations.
The opportunities to get involved with engineering at Truro High are ever increasing. The school will be inspiring pupils from across the county to get hands on with STEM subjects at National Women into Engineering Day. With opportunities such as this and much more, Truro High aims to inspire the female engineers of the future to find a passion for a career with endless potential.
