Area 30 Super Mileage Club tops record

The Area 30 Career Center Super Mileage Club includes (front, from left) Keaton Boswell (GHS), Jacob Harris (GHS), Nate Hensley (GHS) and Kaleb Warner (NPHS). In back (from left) are Ragan Bax (GHS), Kaitlyn Patterson (GHS), instructor Ruben Hinners, Robert Froderman (GHS), instructor Zane Earles, instructor Troy Anderson, Wyatt Lewis (GHS), instructor J.R. Scott, Jeffery Jurgens (CHS), instructor Steve Ray and instructor Scott Livesay.

Courtesy photo

The Area 30 Career Center Super Mileage Club has topped its previous record by posting a fuel efficiency of 305 miles per gallon.

That is a 62 percent improvement. On April 9 and 10, the Super Mileage Club traveled to Lucas Oil Raceway at Brownsburg to compete against 19 other teams that included more than 240 Indiana High School students.

Area 30’s team placed fourth in the prototype division this year. Area 30 still has room for improvement, however, as the first-place team from Mater Dei of Evansville posted a fuel efficiency of 1038 mpg.

The students put more than 800 hours into the car this year and their hard work resulted in exceptional fuel efficiency gains.

Thirty-two pounds of weight were shaved from the car while increasing its aerodynamic cross section. These improvements helped reduce air drag and improve the cars ability to get up to speed and coast better.

The students already have ideas to potentially double the fuel efficiency for next year. There will be an open team discussion to develop those ideas further and prepare for next year.

The Area 30 Super Mileage Team aspires to participate in the Shell Eco Challenge next year where it would compete with 125 other teams from around the world.

The Super Mileage Club acknowledged its supporters this year as A.A. Huber & Sons, Nobles Tax Service, Smiley Heating and cooling, Bax Family, ATF, ASYST Technologies, Anthony’s Pizza, Walmart, Hearing Care Professionals, Nucor, Endeavor Communications, DePauw University, Circle City Bicycle and PDM Aviation.