Iowa State University’s Team PrISUm is preparing for the July 14-21 American Solar Challenge, a 1,650-mile race from New York to Minnesota for solar race cars designed and built by students.

Eighteen teams are registered to race. Over the past week, the team has taken Hyperion, this year’s cross-country race car, out for several test runs, including a trip to Grinnell. The team’s first stop on its race calendar is the Formula Sun Grand Prix at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, N.Y.

The team will be there July 6-12 to go through technical inspections and try to turn enough laps to qualify for the cross-country American Solar Challenge. For more information, click here.