June 17, 1997
INDIANAPOLIS -- Western Michigan University's solar-powered car, Sunseeker 97, breezed through final inspection during Sunrayce 97 pre-race activities this week at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The car is set for a 10:07 a.m. EST starting time at the track Thursday, June 19, when the 40-car field takes off for Terre Haute, Ind., on the first leg of the race's 10-day, 1,200-mile route. The race will end on June 28 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The WMU car will start in eighth place in the field, having earned a 12th-place starting slot in May at the Sunrayce eastern regional qualifying event in Milford, Mich., and then moving up as a result of final qualifying events in Indianapolis. Drivers for the car are Sunseeker project leader Steve C. Hunt, a graduate student in computer science from Kalamazoo, and Lonnie L. Beckwith, a senior manufacturing engineering major from Jonesville. Backup drivers are Brian K. Boardman, a sophomore aviation major from Holland, and Marc A. Jansen, a senior electrical engineering major from Kentwood.
Daily updates on Sunseeker's progress on the 10-day race will be posted on the Sunseeker 97 site on the World Wide Web at <http://www.wmich.edu/sunseeker>. Daily updates also can be heard on the Sunseeker 97 hotline at 616 387-4004.
Sunrayce 97 is a biennial collegiate competition sponsored by the General Motors Corp., EDS and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Office of University Relations
Western Michigan University
1903 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5433 USA
616 387-8400
univ-rel@wmich.edu
http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/news