SunShark leads field in Sunrace

The University of Queensland solar car, SunShark, continued to lead the field today in day two of the 1790km CitiPower Sunrace from Sydney to Melbourne.

Sunshark averaged a speed of 90km/h in the second race leg, the 240km section from Canberra to Wagga Wagga to finish well ahead of the field of nine solar-powered vehicles at 2pm.

"The only thing that held us up was sticking to the speed limit," team manager Alana Maher said.

"We're hoping for fewer 60km/h zones in the next 230km race leg from Wagga Wagga to Hay so we can increase our average speed." (SunShark's maximum speed capability is 120km/h).

After taking first place in the first race leg from Sydney to Canberra on Sunday, SunShark increased its lead from three minutes to more than 15 minutes over the next two vehicles, the Aurora 101 and Northern Territory University's Desert Rose, which had only two minutes between them.

SunShark is expected to make good speed in the sunny and cloudless conditions in southern inland New South Wales.

"If the good weather continues we should be able to maintain and even improve on that average," Ms Maher said.

SunRace, the annual Australian solar car and electric vehicle challenge, is an open road event runs from Sydney to Melbourne via Canberra, travelling inland to Mildura through some of Australia's harshest outback country and busiest regional cities.

Now in its fourth year, SunRace aims to promote renewable energy to the widest possible audience and to encourage the development and use of practical everyday electric vehicles.

The race legs this week are as follows: February 15 - Wagga Wagga to Hay via Narrandera and Truck Bay; February 16 - Hay to Mildura via Balranald and Euston; February 17 - Mildura to Swan Hill via Ouyen and Managatang; February 18 - Swan Hill to Bendigo via Cohuna and Rochester; February 19 - Bendigo to Albert Park via Heathcote and Wallan.

For more information, contact Alana Maher (telephone 0402 049 713).