FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Gulf Coast University hosted the 11th annual SunChase Solar GoKart race on Saturday.
The event featured 13 GoKarts from 11 Florida high schools — some from as far as Miami and Tampa.
The first race kicked off at 11 a.m. Students raced karts they built themselves.
Nico Rose, a junior at Gulf Coast High School, said this event is often the only chance students get to race their karts.
"This teaches people about electronics, about building, it gets them inspired to do more hands-on things," Rose said.
The event is made possible by FGCU's Whitaker College of Engineering. Heather Skaza-Acosta, Interim Director for the Whitaker Center for STEM Education, said the race is important for students to apply their STEM knowledge.
"I think they had a blast," Skaza-Acosta said. "The students that are driving are in this wonderful leadership position, but you also see their pit crews run around to support them throughout the whole race."
Team Captain Jackie Jurado of Hardee Senior High School competed Saturday for her fourth and final year.
"I'm sad to see it go, but hopefully I'll do engineering in college."
Jurado said she's grateful to FGCU for giving her school and many others the opportunity to race.
