Princes Park, Maryborough, will be a sea of tents and trailers, and as busy as Bourke Street this weekend with thousands of students and their solar or human-powered vehicles gearing up for another spectacular RACV Energy Breakthrough.
It’s the culmination of a year’s work and training for the Competition Vehicles students who have designed, built, and refined the two vehicles that will represent BSSC at the annual event that attracts competitors from more than 200 schools around the country.
This year ‘One Million Nuts’ will race in the Open Hybrid section and ‘Nothing Like a Bin Fire’ will compete in the Open Secondary.
The students’ preparation includes gym work, many miles on road bikes around Bendigo, and hours of training in the competition vehicles at the Tom Flood Sports Centre.
“This group has worked really hard all year and deserve to do really well at Maryborough,” teacher Daryl King said. “They race at several events throughout the year, but this race means a lot to them.”
Year 11, Emerson Julian, is a track and road cyclist who loves the challenge of competition vehicles. “It’s a very different experience to cycling,” he said. “Lying down means you use different muscles… it’s very physical—a lot like doing a leg press.”
At this year’s Energy Breakthrough eight students will make up each team, with drivers aiming for one-hour stints to cover the 24-hour (almost 900 km) event.
If you have a quiet weekend and are looking for a jaunt, consider a drive across to Maryborough to experience this epic event.
