Make the Future California to Return to Sonoma Raceway for Shell Eco-marathon Americas in 2019

HOUSTON, Dec. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Shell Oil Company ("Shell"), in conjunction with Sonoma Raceway and Speedway Motorsports Inc., announced Make the Future California featuring Shell Eco-marathon Americas will return to Sonoma Raceway as the 2019 competition venue from April 3-6, 2019.

"Make the Future California provides a platform for innovation, collaboration and conversation towards a lower-carbon energy future, as part of a global series of annual events," said Norman Koch, Make the Future General Manager. "The Sonoma Raceway provides a challenging and competitive track venue for the heart of the Make the Future events, Shell Eco-marathon."

The challenge is one of the world's leading energy efficiency competitions for students, requiring them to design, build and test ultra-energy-efficient vehicles; push the boundaries of what is technically possible and inspire thinking about the challenges and opportunities for mobility and transition to new energies.

Make the Future California will host two Shell Eco-marathon competitions:

• Shell Eco-marathon Americas – the mileage challenge where students compete to see whose vehicle design can go the farthest on the least amount of energy.
• Shell Eco-marathon Drivers' World Championship Regional Final - marrying energy efficiency with speed in a race to be crowned the regional champion, and secure their place in the Drivers' World Championship Grand Final that will be held in London, 2019.

"For the last 12 years, students participating in Shell Eco-marathon Americas have designed ultra-energy efficient vehicles, with some achieving more than 3,500 miles per gallon using a range of energies. In fact, half the 98 student teams that participated in 2018 chose renewable energy sources to power their vehicles," said Pamela Rosen, Shell Eco-marathon Americas spokesperson. "These student participants work together to develop innovative solutions that can result in game-changing energy efficiency and transportation performance; they are the people who will help meet the growing energy demand and reduce future CO₂ emissions."

Student teams compete in two vehicle classes. The Prototype class invites students to enter futuristic, streamlined vehicles, and the UrbanConcept class focuses on "roadworthy," energy-efficient vehicles aimed at meeting the real-life needs of drivers. Entries are divided into three energy categories:

• Internal combustion: gasoline, diesel, and ethanol
• Hydrogen fuel cell
• Battery electric

"At Sonoma Raceway, we always strive to provide a showcase for the latest in green automotive technology and hosting the return of Shell Eco-marathon Americas in 2019 helps us with that effort," said Sonoma Raceway President and General Manager Steve Page. "Best of all, this event provides a platform for the young people who will constitute the next generation of automotive designers, engineers and innovators.  We are very excited to provide the forum for them to unveil and test their latest efforts."

The 2018 Shell Eco-marathon Americas' winners across the three energy categories were:

• Internal combustion: Brigham Young University of Provo, Utah, with 1985.4 miles per gallon with its gasoline-powered Prototype vehicle and Mater Dei High School of Evanston, Indiana, with 841.3 miles per gallon with its gasoline-powered UrbanConcept vehicle.
• Hydrogen fuel cell: Duke University of Durham, NC with 383.1 miles/m3 in their Prototype vehicle and Cicero North Syracuse High School of Cicero, NY with 38.2 miles/m3 in their UrbanConcept vehicle.
• Battery electric: Duke University with 367.9 miles/kWh in their Prototype vehicle and Saint Thomas Academy of Mendota, MN with 63.2 miles/kWh in their UrbanConcept vehicle. 

Saint Thomas Academy (Minnesota) was joined by Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Canada) and Mater Dei (Indiana) in the Drivers' World Championship Regional Final podium places at Sonoma Raceway in 2018 and competed against top teams from Asia and Europe in London this summer. Saskatchewan Polytechnic went on to join the winner's circle at the Driver's World Championship Grand Final in London and will travel with the other top finishers to Maranello in early December for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Scuderia Ferrari headquarters in Italy.

For universities and high schools interested in learning more about Shell Eco-marathon Americas, including additional details on vehicle class requirements, official rules and details on prizes, please visit the Shell Eco-marathon website at: www.shell.com/ecomarathon.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Make the Future
Make the Future is Shell's global platform for conversation, collaboration and innovation around the world's energy challenges. With events hosted in countries around the globe, they aim to provide an opportunity for multiple stakeholders: including students, entrepreneurs, businesses, governments and the public, to experience, test and contribute bright energy ideas.

About Shell Eco-marathon
Shell Eco-marathon is a global program built to offer students hands-on opportunities to develop ideas and technology, knowledge and skills, within an arena of competition.

Currently held in in Asia, Americas and Europe and made up of two key competitions: Shell Eco-marathon Mileage Challenge, and Drivers' World Championship, students from countries across their respective regions use innovative problem-solving skills to design and build their own cars. Looking at every aspect of design and technology, students compete to prove that their bright ideas will produce the most energy-efficient vehicle when tested on the track.

Shell Eco-marathon began in 1939 at a Shell research laboratory in the United States as a friendly wager between scientists to see who could get the most miles per gallon from their vehicle. In 1985 in France, Shell Eco-marathon as we know it today was born. In April 2007, the Shell Eco-marathon Americas event was launched in the United States, and in 2010, the inaugural Shell Eco-marathon Asia was held in Malaysia, up until 2013. In 2018 Shell Eco-marathon Mileage Challenge and Drivers' World Championship competitions will be held in Singapore, California and London, with London hosting the Drivers' World Championship Grand Final.

About Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is an affiliate of the Royal Dutch Shell plc, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with operations in more than 70 countries. In the U.S., Shell operates in 50 states and employs more than 20,000 people working to help tackle the challenges of the new energy future. Shell Oil Company is a leading oil and gas producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, a recognized pioneer in oil and gas exploration and production technology and one of America's leading oil and natural gas producers, gasoline and natural gas marketers and petrochemical manufacturers.

About Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma Raceway, located in the Sonoma Valley, is Northern California's premier motor-sports destination, featuring a world-class road course, drag strip and karting center.  Its annual race schedule is headlined by the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and Verizon IndyCar® Series. In addition, Sonoma Raceway boasts a motor-sports industrial park, which serves as home to more than 70 businesses, including the Simraceway Performance Driving Center. Sonoma Raceway is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: TRK), a leading marketer and promoter of motor-sports entertainment in the United States.

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SOURCE Shell Oil Company

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