Mouser sponsors local student team in Solar Car Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway

Mouser is proud to sponsor the Mansfield Independent School District (MISD) Shine Runners Solar Car Team, which will participate in the 2024 Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, July 11-17. The Solar Car Challenge is free and open to the public. Attendees must wear closed-toe shoes and full-brim hats for safety reasons. Mouser is joined in this sponsorship by its valued manufacturer partner Analog Devices.

The Shine Runners is a talented group of aspiring multi-discipline students from Ben Barber Innovation Academy of Mansfield. The team was founded in 2011 and have competed in seven previous races. In past years, the team has received the Guntis Terauds Award for displaying the highest level of courage in the face of engineering obstacles, along with the prestigious Lockheed Martin Award for demonstrating the highest level of engineering excellence.

“The Solar Car Challenge is a unique educational endeavor, and we are always excited to help support the students at Ben Barber with their engineering programs,” said Kevin Hess, Mouser's Senior Vice President of Marketing. “We are excited to support STEM programs like this that teach valuable skills to students.”

The Solar Car Challenge was established in 1993 as an extracurricular program with the initiative to motivate student interest in science, engineering, and alternative energy. The challenge teaches high school students around the world how to design, engineer, and build roadworthy solar cars.

Mouser's sponsorship of the Ben Barber solar car team includes financial support. On alternating years, the teams race at the world-famous Texas Motor Speedway or drive cross-country to share their project cars with interested crowds along the way. At this year’s race, the Mouser-sponsored team from Ben Barber will compete with more than 20 teams from schools as far away as Oregon and New York.

In addition to its ongoing support of Ben Barber Innovation Academy, Mouser also sponsors the North Texas FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team at Ben Barber and annually supports both the FIRST FRC Texas Regionals and the FIRST Championship Event. To learn more about Mouser's educational programs and dedication to shaping future engineers, visit our Educational Sales page.