Schoolkids race home-made electric cars

FIREFIGHTERS turned Formula One-style pit crews when 40 young people from Bexhill's primary schools enjoyed a race day with a difference.
By The Newsroom
Published 23rd Feb 2005, 14:08 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 20:06 BST

Fire station manager Mani Gilbert's pit team provided the professional expertise and encouragement necessary to design and build four new electric-powered cars - even if on last Thursday's race day one of the young Michael Schumachers managed to send one crew member flying with an ill-judged pit-stop!

The project was organised and funded by Bexhill Children's Fund in joint partnership with Rother District Council and Bexhill Leisure Centre with the leadership of Bexhill High School's technology department.

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The primary children had been working in four teams, identified by red, blue, green and yellow caps, to build their cars.

Each team was led by an older "pit boss" who had been recommended from Sidley Young Peoples' Centre and a deputy from the Bexhill High School Racing Car Club.

Greenpower engineer Derek Leppard and a Fire and Rescue specialist worked alongside all four teams.

Three days of half-term industry had gone into making the 15mph environmentally-friendly Greenpower Goblin electric cars in readiness for last Thursday's hour-long testing session on the High School playground. The track was been laid out by the Fire and Rescue Service and marked with tyres loaned from Kwik-Fit.

Related topics:Bexhill