Scrutineering and Opening Banquet!

Laura Brandon Parker qualifying to drive!

The guys at Station One: General Scrutineering which is where the judges make sure the teams build their cars according to the rules!

The guys lifting Sundancer during the Tilt and Turn test to prove the car can withstand forces put on it!

The Houston Lady Racers proving that not only the guys can lift a solar car!

Hillary Colbert preparing to start the Breaking Test!

The guys completing the Slalom Course which determines if you can drive in the race!

The girls starting the Electrical Station!

I think the guys thought we were tailgating instead of going through scrutineering!

This morning, our team woke up bright and early to make sure our cars were ready to start the first day of scrutinnering! (a series of tests our cars must pass before being able to compete) Sundancer and Sundancer II have passed all of the stations for today and will only have to complete two tomorrow morning. We will also start racing tomorrow afternoon!! After scrutineering ended, all of the teams gathered for the Opening Banquet to celebrate the start of the race and to help the teams get to know each other! We would again like to thank everyone who got us to this point, without your support we would have never made it this far!!

Check In!

The Houston Lady Racers making sure that everything is in our Tape and Array box!

The guys organizing their toolboxes and loading them onto the trailer to be taken to the speedway!

Catherine Marsh taping the Pit Crew list to our Pit Crew toolbox!

Dr. Marks leading the Driver's Meeting which is where the judges and other staff welcome the teams and go over the various rules at the track!

Our team posing with Mike Gill and his wife!

Even though Mr. Reese was the one who got pied in the face, it seems like Jay Alford was the unlucky one!

This afternoon, our team officially checked in to the race and attended the drivers meeting! After the meeting we organized our tools and other things we will need at the speedway in preparation for scrutineering which will start tomorrow. When we were through, our team went to dinner with Mrs. Gill's son Mike Gill and his wife, who we would like to thank for buying every one's meal!! We are getting even more excited about starting the race and promise to do the best we can!

Six Flags!

Yesterday, July 15 our team took a trip to Six Flags in Arlington, Texas! We enjoyed taking a break from working but unfortunately we couldn't take a break from the Texas sun! While at the park, the Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleaders made an appearance during one of the shows (which was greatly enjoyed by all the guys on our team!)

Finally in Dallas!!

The moral of this story is never fall asleep around Sydney if you have a doughnut in your hand, you WILL lose the doughnut!!

Dustin Pounds doing his "tough" pose for the camera!

While at the race, we always follow the time honored tradition of dumping ice water on unsuspecting new members who think they are just taking a team picture!!

Nick Callahan and Adam Chandler airing up the spare tires!

Hillary Colbert checking the welds on Sundancer II to make sure they didn't break on the journey!

Dustin Pounds, Tyler Wilson, and Jacob Bridgeman bringing Sundancer back to the tents after it morning run!

The guys staking our their territory and setting up their work area!

Nick Callahan, Clay McNutt, and Adam Chandler airing up Sundancer's tires

The girls unloading Sundancer II!

Trey Franklin checking off an item on the to do list

The girls getting Sundancer II picture ready!

After a little bus trouble and an eleven hour drive, the Houston Solar Race team has finally made it to Dallas,Texas!! Scrutineering will start Sunday, so our team rose bright and early to make sure Sundancer and Sundancer II are still working properly after their trip. Although we work the majority of the time in Dallas, we also take a little time off to play. Our team is going to visit the famous Stockyard District this afternoon and later tonight we are going to Six Flags! We can't wait to start racing and would like to thank all of the parents and everyone who helped get us here and for always believing in us!! Sorry we don't have any new pictures posted, we are having slight difficulties with the Internet but we will have them on here as soon as possible!

Getting Ready for Texas!

Hunter Powell putting a radio in the car so the driver can communicate with the rest of the team

Sundancer taking a drive through downtown Houston!

Sundancer starting its training run!

With the race only a couple of weeks away, we have been testing both Sundancer and Sundancer II to make sure they are ready to compete! We have mainly been training in Houston getting our new members ready for their first race. Our team can't wait to go to Texas, even though a few of us aren't excited about the ten hour bus drive there!!

Catherine Marsh

Suzy Reese

Dustin Pounds

Students taking a vocational class must take the C-Pass test, a standardized state test given during the students' second year of the course. Solar Car members Catherine Marsh, Suzy Reese, and Dustin Pounds made the top three scores on the Electricity test with all three scoring advanced! On May 19, they were recognized for their achievements and presented a metal on Awards Night!

Melinda and Laura Brandon Parker starting to set up

Mark Wilson testing out his game where the person had to keep a kite attached to his hat in flight for a minute!

Corey Clark setting up his game.

Mr. Robin Mathis came over to visit our team!

Thomas Brown taking a break from his game to goof off a while!

Team Captain Hunter Powell's little sister Holly Powell tried out a few of the games!

This was a game where you had to hold a Popsicle stick in your mouth and stack six dice on it and be able to hold it for thirty seconds!

We had an assortment of prizes including silly bands,Easter eggs, and candy!

Nick's Callahan little brother Lane Callahan trying to knock Coke cans off of the pedestals with a yoyo tied behind his back!

Mrs. Turman's Grandson Grey trying to get all of the balls out of the box within sixty seconds!

This little girl was trying to put the cereal box cover together!

Mark Wilson stayed out of the sun with his covered chair!

Cade Ellison enjoying the day's games!!

Team member Karmen Spratlin's younger brother Connor testing out his skills!

Karmen Spratlin working her game!

Team Sponsor Donna Turman's granddaughter Jordan Belle
tried a creative approach to the game!


Our team set up a fundraiser at the Flywheel Festival based on the popular show Minute to Win It! Games were set up ranging from simple to almost impossibly difficult and challenged everybody to try to beat them! We appreciate everyone that came out and also enjoyed watching everyone trying to beat the games!

Minute to Win It!!

Our team will be at the Flywheel Festival hosting our version of Minute to Win It as a fundraiser for our team!! Each game will cost one dollar, but if you purchase twenty-five games it will only cost twenty dollars!! Tickets are on sale now so don't miss out!!

The 2011 Houston Lady Racers!!

Green Festival!

Our newest member Laura Brandon Parker, Hunter Powell, and Mr. Reese getting Sundancer II shined up and ready to be shown off!

To teach about Mississippi wildlife, one of the booths brought a live baby alligator!! By the way it's looking at the owl, I think it was ready for some lunch!

We were lucky enough to get some of the Girl Scouts to pose with our race trailer and Sundancer II!!

The best gift ever!!

Our team posing with Smokey the Bear!

This little boy was so cute we had to get a picture of him in our car!

Loading Sundancer II after a great day filled with Girl Scouts and their amazing cookies!!

Saturday, March 19, our team was invited to take part in the Green Festival at Ballard Park! This event was hosted by the Girl Scouts to raise awareness about saving our planet!! Several organizations attended and we are super appreciative to have been included!!