Iowa State’s solar car team finished 27th at Sunrayce ’97 last Saturday, bringing an exceptional end to a year filled with ups and downs.

More than 45 students were involved in building and racing ExCYtor, the ISU solar car, throughout the year.

Their combined efforts produced a car with a four-horsepower motor and a top speed of 65 miles per hour. Their mission: to capture one of the 40 racing slots for the 1,230-mile Sunrayce ’97.

The roller-coaster season plummeted on April 29 when an accident near Topeka, Kansas, injured team members and damaged the car.

However, following the accident, Team PrISUm was flooded with sponsorship and donations, which helped get the car back into working condition.

The community support given to this cause was remarkable. It was very uplifting to see so many people, companies, and organizations rally behind the solar car team.

Initially, over $230,000 of gifts-in-kind and $120,000 in cash donations were collected to build the car. Additionally, the cost of repairing the car was an estimated $55,000.

The Sunrayce came to a climactic end, as injured team member Andy Earhart was able to drive the last leg of the race through the finish line.

Earhart was originally the main driver of the car. However, teammates Bibek Sahu and Olivia Truckenmiller drove the car for most of the race, since Earhart was still recovering from his injuries.

Students and faculty alike should be proud of Team PrISUm’s efforts. The team members’ work earned ISU a notable finish.

We are sure the groundwork laid by this year’s team will be a strong foundation for future teams to build upon.

Congratulations to Team PrISUm and to all of your sponsors for a job well done.