Students sit on the bleachers in front of the tennis courts at Alta Sierra Middle School. Above them a sign reads "1st Annual Solar Car Race."

For the past week 600 8th grade students have worked together in groups of three, designing, building and finally racing eight inch long cars powered by photo voltaic cells that convert the sun's energy into electricity. Students considered such critical factors as aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance, weight, and drive train when designing their cars for speed and reliability.

The race course is divided into five lanes set up on the Alta Sierra tennis courts. Students are not allowed to pick up the cars, but they can gently redirect them if they begin to run off course. The rules are simple: The sun powers the cars, the racers can help the cars run straight, the first one across the finish line wins the heat and goes on to the finals.

Most of the cars actually work. Alexius Burriel and Jessica Tillman's beach car came in dead last. Alexius had to carry it across the finish line. "I don't know what happened to it. It was running really good earlier," Alexius said as the girls examined the rubber bands that were supposed to make the wheels turn. They think the paper that made up their beach design may have interfered with the wheels.

Alexander, Anant and Tyler celebrated a win and a place. "We kind of sanded the wheels a little bit and made it light weight and aerodynamic a little bit and tried to make it look cool as well," Tyler said of their Franklin the turtle car.

The question is whether this technology can be applied to real cars. Jessica thinks it can. "It could, it really could. But you'd need a bigger sun panel," she said. "And a bigger engine, and probably not a rubber band."

Alta Sierra, along with the Kings River Conservation District, hopes this event will spark an interest for kids to get involved in the Energy and Environment Academy at Buchanan High School next year. The top finishers will compete in a race-off on Wednesday, May 14. Awards will go to the five fastest and five best designed cars. Designs are being judged on technical merit, craftsmanship and innovation.