SunShark wins section

The University of Queensland solar car, SunShark, has won the second leg of the CitiPower Sunrace from Sydney to Melbourne.

SunShark overtook overnight leader Spirit of Canberra soon after the start of today's (Monday, January 18, 1999) 235km timed section between Canberra and Wagga Wagga.

It arrived in Wagga Wagga 1hour ahead of Spirit of Canberra which was followed by the University of New South Wales entry SunSwift II

The solar-powered racer came second in yesterday's (Sunday's) Sydney-Canberra first leg of the 1790km Sydney to Melbourne race.

SunShark made good speed in today's sunny and cloudless conditions in southern inland New South Wales, covering the 235km section in 2 hours 44 minutes.

The Sunshark team's racing manager, Bernie Walsh, said: "We averaged 86km/h for the section and were running on the speed limit of 110km/h for much of the time."

He said the two big hills SunShark had encountered had not posed any problems. Neither had the bumpy and uneven roads.

"The roads were rough and inconsistent and certainly put the car through its paces," Bernie said. "However, SunShark handled the conditions comfortably.

"If we can continue to achieve these speeds, SunShark will be one of the top vehicles when we drive into Albert Park in Melbourne on January 23."

SunShark will now lead the field of 15 solar and electric vehicles in the third section of the race from Wagga Wagga to Hay tomorrow. (Tuesday, January 19)

Further information, Steve Goodwin, SunShark publicity co-ordinator, on mobile telephone 0412 635 194.