About Us
We don’t just learn about engineering. We build a car and race it. Solar Storms is a high school solar car team from Hood River, Oregon. Students design, build, wire, test, troubleshoot, drive, and race a full size car powered by the sun.
Students lead the team, too. We work with student leaders and adult mentors to set goals, organize the team, make decisions, and keep everyone moving toward race day. Leadership isn’t just one person’s job, students take ownership of different parts of the car and the team. Things break. Plans change. Problems show up that nobody expected. That’s part of it. We figure it out together, make the car better, and keep going.
Solar Storms is for students who want to build something real, learn by doing, take on a challenge, and be part of an adventure.
Build.Test. Race.
Mission
Design, build, and race a solar-powered car across Texas in the Solar Car Challenge.
The Race
The Solar Car Challenge is a national high school competition that inspires students to design, build, and drive roadworthy cars powered entirely by the sun. Founded in 1993 by Dr. Lehman Marks, the program’s mission is to movtivate young people in science, engineering, and alternative energy through hands-on learning.
Each year, teams from across the country come together to test their cars in either a closed-track race at the Texas Motor Speedway or an exciting cross-country adventure. The event celebrates innovation, problem-solving, and the power of student creativity-proving that with determination and sunlight, the next generation can drive the future of clean energy.
days
hours minutes seconds
until
Solar Car Challenge
StormTracker
Travel with us to Texas
Come along for the ride! During race week, we’ll post daily updates about everything happening on and off the course-from race strategy and repairs to team memories and behind-the-scenes moments. Thanks for following our journey-we’re excited to share it with you! Leave us a message of encouragement in the guestbook along the way. Your support means more than you know, and we’ll be reading your messages throughout the race.
Spotlight
Solar Storms has been busy both in the news and around the community! Check out where we’ve been, what we’ve been up to, and what others are saying about our team
Support Us
We need your support to help empower the next generation of engineers. As a first-year team from Hood River, Oregon, we’re learning to design, build, and race a solar-powered car from the ground-up. An incredible challenge that teaches real-world skills in engineering, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. Donations directly fund essential materials, tools, and the travel cost for competing at the Solar Car Challenge, where we’ll proudly represent our school and community on a national stage. Every contribution helps us turn “sunlight into motion”!
Thank You to All Our Partners
Join Us
Solar Storms Team is an hands-on activities that are not taught in school. We explore topics such as welding, wiring, CAD, business, and much more. We need mentors to help us learn more about engineering, designing, and managing the business side of things! We’re looking for mentors willing to donate their time to help us reach our goal. If you have any availability or interest please let us know by signing up down below or emailing us at: HRVHS.solarcar@gmail.com
