The 2000 - 2001 School Year
The first class involved in the EV Challenge program at Topsail High School soon found
out that it was a challenge indeed. The primary challenge for the EV class was to raise
funding for the conversion that lay ahead. We found out that if you didn't have the
necessary funds at the right time the program would never get off the ground. For example,
if you need to mount the motor but have not raised the funds for the custom motor mount,
you will have to wait, therefore pushing back your schedule to wire the motor or proceed
to the next step in the conversion process.
It was in the Spring of that year that we received a big donation from Schoollink which
amounted to the sum of $2,000. With monetary support from other sponsors, our cost of
conversion goal of $6000 was met.
Soon after, the class acquired its first vehicle, a 1996 Ford Ranger donated by Sanders Ford in Jacksonville,
NC. From then on it was a race against time to convert the truck before the April deadline.
Hard work and determination prevailed as students volunteered every spare second towards the
completion of the truck. It wasn't until Wednesday at 11:00 p.m., two nights before the final
event, that the truck rolled out of the garage for the first time under its own power.
Our efforts were not in vain, as we captured fifth overall at the final event in Raleigh and also
garnered the "rookie of the year" trophy for best performance for a first year team. The first
year of the EV program taught students at Topsail High School many lessons... the most important
is that there is no room for procrastination.