Engineering Club celebrates best-ever race result
Members of The Perse Engineering Club celebrated their best-ever finish in the Greenpower Race Series while also gaining valuable industry insight from a leading robotics and AI expert.
In September, the team travelled to the Lotus Hethel race circuit for the final round of the Greenpower Race Series season. Competing with an upgraded car for the first time, the day was always expected to test both reliability and performance. The team’s preparations got off to a positive start when the vehicle passed scrutineering and completed the full 75-minute practice session without issue.
However, moments before the race began, a mismatched electrical connection threatened to bring the day to an early end. Remaining calm under pressure, the team quickly removed the batteries and cabling, replaced damaged components and reconnected the circuit, ensuring the car reached the starting grid on time.
Excellent driving from Seb H helped secure fourth place in the kit car category, with the team completing 10 laps during the one-hour race. The result represents the club’s highest-ever finish and earned valuable championship points, contributing to an impressive 15th-place finish in the overall standings.
Beyond the race results, pupils reflected on the wide range of skills developed throughout the season, from design and fabrication to teamwork, communication and problem-solving under pressure.
The club also welcomed Cuong Kasperzyk from Cambridge Consultants, who shared his experience of concept development and prototyping, with a particular focus on robotics and artificial intelligence. His talk provided fascinating insights into the product development process and offered practical advice as students begin work on their own ideas for the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge.
The combination of hands-on engineering projects, competitive racing and engagement with industry professionals continues to give pupils valuable opportunities to apply their knowledge beyond the classroom while developing the skills needed to tackle real-world challenges.