Is 1,500 miles per gallon possible?

High school students expect to break mileage barrier during Indiana’s 12th annual Super Mileage Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
CONTACTS:
Avon Waters, 317-234-4703, awaters@doe.in.gov
Mike Fitzgerald, 317-232-6990, mfitzger@doe.in.gov
Jim Thompson, IMSTEA, 317-846-4318, jthompson16@indy.rr.com

On Monday, April 30, 49 cars from 39 high schools across Indiana will compete in the 12th annual Super Mileage Challenge at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students expect to average 1,500 miles to the gallon, breaking last year’s mark of 1,000 mpg during the event, sponsored by the Indiana Mathematics Science and Technology Alliance (IMSTEA) and the Indiana Department of Education.

“This event provides students with an exciting ‘hands-on, minds-on’ opportunity to apply academics to meet a real world challenge,” said Mike Fitzgerald, technology education specialist for the Indiana Department of Education. “These students may be the scientists, engineers and technicians of tomorrow – the kind of innovators who are so important to Indiana’s economic future.”

Students designed and built the vehicles that they will drive around the raceway Monday. Each vehicle is a one-man, fuel-efficient car powered by a single cylinder four-stroke cycle engine. The race will last 10 laps at a minimum speed of 15 miles per hour. After each race, the gas tank is weighed and the mileage is calculated. Teams can race as many times as they want, and the best three attempts are averaged for their official score.

“The competition is a combination of math, science and technology,” said Jim Thompson, president of the IMSTEA. “There’s a strong teamwork element to this too.”

Awards are given for the team with the best score in the races, as well as for the best integration of mathematics, science and technology into the design and construction of the vehicle; best design, craftsmanship, sportsmanship, teamwork and the closest to estimated performance.

“Indiana schools participating in the annual Super Mileage challenge often go on to compete against colleges and win. One school went to California and placed third this year against colleges in a competition sponsored by Shell,” Thompson said.

See attached list of participating high schools as well as possible story ideas related to this release. For more information, visit www.imstea.org.

Story Ideas:

• What can the auto industry learn from these student designs?
• How does a project like this change the students’ perspective toward learning math and science?
• What do local business leaders think about such competitions?

Check the attached list to see if any schools in your area are participating in the Super Mileage Challenge and call the contact provided to learn more.