PUPILS are celebrating after taking the chequered flag in a prestigious engineering contest designed to inspire young people.
Year 5 pupils from Springfield Academy, which is part of the Education Village, Darlington, took the Best Bodywork prize and came runners-up in the sprint race after entering for the first time in the annual Greenpower Goblin Car Project.
Primary schools from across the region competed at Nissan’s test track, in Washington.
They spent months building and customising their electric-powered race cars, in Springfield’s case with the help of engineers from Cummins Engines and sponsorship from the Cleveland Scientific Institute and Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
Team EV Kenevils caught the eye of judges for its bold livery, happy face and clever use of words to take the Best Bodywork prize.
Budding Lewis Hamilton Jack Smith, 10, then drove the race car in the sprint to claim second place with his time of seven minutes 29 seconds.
Springfield was the only school to take a band of cheerleaders and pupils have been writing a blog about the project.
Teacher Alison Watson said: “It was the first time we have competed and we took a lot of detailed notes for next year as we are very competitive.
“The children absolutely loved the experience and have been invited to Croft Circuit for the senior schools finals in July.”
Principal Angela Henderson added: “They were so nervous because they didn’t want to let the school down. The parents have reported that the pupils still can’t stop talking about the race and some have been inspired to want to become engineers.
“The programme has sparked real interest in the industry and in motorsport. It has helped the children appreciate the relevance of their learning and how it is applied to the real world.”
Jack said: “The car went really well and we will look to get more power out of it next time. I would love to be a Formula 1 driver one day, like Lewis Hamilton.”
