Florida Polytechnic University’s solar racing team, Phoenix Racing, finished sixth overall and third among U.S. teams in its debut at the 2026 Electrek American Solar Challenge.
Race & Performance Highlights
- The Event: An eight-day, 1,500-mile cross-country endurance rally running from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Amarillo, Texas.
- Distance & Efficiency: Driving their upgraded solar vehicle, Spark MK 2.5, the team completed 1,248.1 official miles while accumulating only 11 penalty miles—giving them one of the cleanest driving records in the entire field.
- National Standing: Phoenix Racing placed behind only the University of Washington (4th overall) and Stanford University (5th overall) among American competitors. They finished ahead of long-established collegiate programs, including UC Berkeley and the University of Florida.
- International Top 3: The overall podium was claimed by international powerhouses: KU Leuven (Belgium) in 1st, TU Delft (Netherlands) in 2nd, and ÉTS Montréal (Canada) in 3rd.
Warm-Up Success
Just prior to the cross-country challenge, Phoenix Racing placed second among U.S. teams and fifth overall at the qualifying Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix track race in Brainerd, Minnesota, completing 235 laps (728 miles).
The 2026 cross-country debut highlights a rapid rise for the young program, which built its first competition vehicle just two years ago. The team is already preparing to optimize vehicle aerodynamics, dynamics, and weight reduction ahead of the 2027 Formula Sun Grand Prix and the 2028 American Solar Challenge.
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