Although members of Iowa State’s solar car racing team, Team PrISUm, are not racing this year, it does not mean they aren’t staying busy.

Beginning the Monday after finals week, the team toured across Iowa for nine days with its PrISUm CYnergy solar car as it visited businesses and schools.

Beth Hunter, an engineer on the team, said, “We had companies sponsor us to come to their locations for $500 a spot. We would also choose a school in the area and do a presentation for them. Some schools found a sponsor and would pay to have us come.”

The team did not drive the car the entire trip.

“We would trailer the car there, then get it out before the town. Most of our highway driving came on the weekend.” Hunter said.

Team PrISUm members put 220 miles on the car while testing how it works with its new computer. The computer regulates the vehicle while sending the information to the crew. Previously, the driver had to radio the information.

CYnergy placed 19th out of 36 solar cars in last summer’s Sunrayce, a race from Indianapolis to Golden, Colo. While traveling on the interstate near Denver, the CYnergy got into an accident.

“We were driving over an expansion joint on a bridge and the rear tire blew,” said Jeff Etringer, electrical designer for Team PrISUm. “After the blowout, the driver controlled the vehicle, but ended up colliding with a bridge abutment at about 45 mph and then the guard rails. It totaled the car.”

Team PrISUm spent the winter months fixing CYnergy. The members used the extra shell they had on reserve for showing off the car and finished the repairs just in time to have it in the Veishea parade.

The team is starting work on its next solar race car, ExCYtor, which will be ISU’s entry in Sunrayce ’97. Etringer said the car must be completed by Jan. 31, 1997, in order to enter the race.

The team recently created a mold to build the car’s shell. With it, Etringer said, the members will experiment with carbon-fiber and Kevlar composite shells.

“We can find out which will be the best, lightest and strongest,” he said.

ExCYtor will still use the same high-dollar items as CYnergy, such as the new computer system.

Sunrayce ’97 begins June 19 and follows the same course as last summer’s race except for the last two days, when the race will end in Colorado Springs.

The race will also have a maximum speed limit of 55 mph, instead of last year’s 65 mph. The race will focus on the mechanical and electrical abilities of the teams.

Etringer said, “All the cars can go at least 55. Each minute will be crucial now, even stoplight timing and intersections. It will also make it a safer race. That’s what we’re concerned about here at Team PrISUm.”