By Debbie Robinson

news@joplinglobe.com

NEOSHO, Mo. — Cars rolled Sunday night and Monday afternoon into Neosho without having made one stop for gas during a trip all the way from Texas.

The 15 cars were competing in the 2008 American Solar Challenge, which pits cars built by university students in a 2,400 mile race with power supplied only by the sun.

Cindy Brown, public information officer for Crowder College, said the college was serving as a staging point for the race that started Sunday morning at Plano, Texas.

The race will end in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Crowder College has been developing solar cars and other cars powered by alternative fuel sources since 1984, but doesn’t have a car in this year’s race, Brown said.

The first solar-powered car to roll into Neosho was designed and built by students at the University of Michigan.

Kristine Cramer, 22, a fifth-year senior mechanical-engineering major, said weather and strategy helped her team to arrive in first place.

She attributed the car’s success to the solar cells and a “mock race” the team completed before the official race.

The 15-foot car was driven 1,500 miles in the practice race and allowed team members to make adjustments, she said.

Cramer also credited the help of alumni with the design.

“Our team was definitely prepared,” she said. “We looked at weather conditions before the race, and our engineers made adjustments.”

Brown said the teams are required not to exceed 65 mph. They travel on highways, but not interstates.

The cars are scheduled to leave beginning at 9 a.m. today from Neosho on U.S. 60 in 60-second intervals, she said.