The Solar Racer competition, formerly known as Junior Solar Sprint, is a statewide challenge of ingenuity, engineering and speed for middle school students.

Solar Racer is part of a national competition, led by the national Technology Student Association (TSA), in which students build and race solar-powered model vehicles. It is co-sponsored in Delaware by the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy and the Delaware Technology Student Association (DETSA).

Changes for 2026

The event not only has a new name; there are also updated guidelines.

The focus remains on its longstanding mission of challenging middle school students to design, build and race solar-powered model vehicles.

Under the updated national rules, only TSA chapters affiliated through state-recognized, career and technical education (CTE-aligned) coursework are eligible to participate. This alignment strengthens program quality but also means that some schools that previously participated may no longer qualify under the new criteria.

The Challenge

Middle school students work with classmates and teacher advisors over several months to build model cars powered by solar photovoltaic cells, better known as solar panels.

DNREC provides starter kits for each participating school. Each kit includes a solar panel, an electric motor and guidelines. Registered teams needing Solar Racer kits should send an email to Jim Lee, Community Resource Officer for DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy, at jamesw.lee@delaware.gov.

The 2026 Event

Solar Racer will be featured at the DETSA’s 2026 State Leadership Conference, in March, alongside Flight, Structural Engineering, System Control Technology, Architectural Design, Technology Bowl, Off the Grid, TSA Robotics, Mechanical Engineering and a range of STEM career and university-led workshops.

The conference is set for March 30 and 31 at the University of Delaware, in Newark. The Solar Racer competition is scheduled for March 30, with a rain date on March 31.

Registration for the 2026 Solar Racer competition will open in December. Schools can find information on the competition and how to register on the DETSA web site.

A Delaware Tradition

Students racing solar-powered model vehicles has been a Delaware tradition for more than two decades. It encourages students to get creative and apply real-world problem-solving in a fun and educational atmosphere. And it fosters teamwork and student interest in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The Solar Racer competition presents a hands-on, multidisciplinary exercise in renewable energy education. It encourages teamwork and fosters interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students flex their creative ingenuity and apply real-world problem-solving in a fun and educational atmosphere.

Related Topics:  education, model vehicles, outreach, renewable, rolar racer, solar, stem, students