Florida Polytechnic University’s Phoenix Racing team is preparing for its first 1,500-mile cross-country solar race, its most ambitious challenge yet and the centerpiece of two national competitions in Minnesota this month.
The team will compete in the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix before tackling the weeklong Electrek American Solar Challenge, a grueling endurance race from the Twin Cities to Texas.
“We’re aiming high this year,” said Caleb Smith ’26, Phoenix Racing president and a recent mechanical engineering master’s graduate who will return this fall as a visiting instructor. “The big hurdle we’re taking on is the American Solar Challenge.”
The race will push both the team and its newly upgraded solar car, Spark MK 2.5, across roughly 1,500 miles of public roads over eight days. Unlike a closed-track competition, the event introduces unpredictable conditions including weather, mechanical issues and traffic, requiring constant real-time decision-making.
“It’s not only a competition to see what your car is capable of,” Smith said. “It’s also a stress test to see what your team is capable of.”
Teams travel in convoys, navigating checkpoints and stage stops while maximizing distance on limited solar energy. Spark MK 2.5 is built to run on a restricted 5.25 kWh battery pack – less than 10% of the capacity of a standard Tesla – and continuously charges through its solar array while driving.
“Assuming we have perfect sunlight, we could go upwards of 40 miles an hour and still run efficiently,” Smith said. “But more than likely, we’ll end up running about 28 to 30 because conditions are going to vary.”
The team’s latest vehicle features improved aerodynamics, a body created using a full-scale 3D-printed mold and a redesigned solar array with more solar cells.
“According to our CAD design simulation, it is the most aerodynamic body that we’ve had,” Smith said.
Despite debuting just two years ago, Phoenix Racing has already proven it can compete at a high level. This year, 11 students will travel to Minnesota to compete against more than 40 collegiate programs from across the United States and around the world, including Stanford University, Purdue University, the University of Florida, and Belgium’s KU Leuven, which has won multiple back-to-back world championship events.
“Our team may not be as big or established as some others, but we hold our own,” Smith said.
Dr. Matt Bohm, the team’s lead faculty advisor, said the cross-country race introduces a new level of complexity that goes beyond engineering.
“The race adds a new layer of logistics and puts you a little more on edge about what your car can and can’t do,” said Bohm, chair of the University’s mechanical engineering department. “You really feel like you’re racing, out there on your own against the elements.”
Competition begins with the Formula Sun Grand Prix, where the team finished third in 2025. They arrive in Minnesota on July 15, with track racing scheduled for July 21-23.
After the grand prix, they will transition directly into the cross-country race July 25-Aug. 1, heading from Minneapolis to Amarillo, Texas.
As their longest race yet approaches, Smith said the team is ready.
“We’re going into this with our heads high,” he said. “I look forward to coming out of that competition with our heads even higher.”
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Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
