February 26, 2019
Granbury High School teams competed in the F1 in Schools national contest on February 20-23, 2019, at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.
Synergy Racing placed second and earned honors for best team identity, best pit display, and fastest car. The squad earned a trip to the 2019 World Finals later this year at a location to be announced.
“In a very competitive field, Synergy was able to walk away from the competition with the second place prize. They have put in hundreds of hours to get ready for the competition, and their hard work was evident,” commented GHS engineering teacher Todd Gibson, the team sponsor. “I am very confident that we will do well in the World Finals competition next fall. We will have eight months to prepare, and these kids are hungry for a win.”
Synergy Racing included team manager Ryyan Amsden, design engineers Brody Hesseltine and Alex Opperman, marketing manager Ethan Bohney, graphic designer Gage Molinari, and manufacturing engineer Michael Quinn.
Apex Racing was composed of team manager Taylor Lawrence, design engineers Clarissa Layland and Wesley Barefoot, marketing manager Ethan Genn, graphic designer Mason Miranda, and manufacturing engineer Michael Quinn.
“Apex was comprised of all rookies. Though they competed well, they fell somewhere in the middle of the pack,” Gibson said. “On the trip back to GHS, they were mapping out all the changes and plans to get ready for next year. They will be a contender in the near future.”
In 2018, Lone Star Racing was the regional grand champion, while Torrent Racing was third. Both advanced to the national competition.
Two years ago, Atlas Racing and Precision Racing represented the United States at the international contest in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2015, Affinity won the national championship and advanced to the world finals held in Singapore. A year earlier, the team won second place at nationals and traveled to Abu Dhabi. A GHS squad also competed at the world finals in 2013, when the United States hosted the contest in Austin.
F1 in Schools is a multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams of students aged 9 to 19 deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyze, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas-powered balsa wood F1 cars. The challenge inspires students to use technology to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way.
