Area high school students will soon feel the rush of adrenaline that accompanies “the World’s Fastest Half-Mile.”

Over 15 Northeast Tennessee high schools will make the trip to Bristol Motor Speedway on Monday, May 7, for the second annual Solar Go Kart Challenge — an event sponsored by First TN Solar Go Kart Challenge and the Northeast Tennessee Technical Education Alliance — to showcase their karts and knowledge when it comes to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field of study.

First showcased last year, the initiative was made possible thanks in part to a Perkins Reserve Grant, offered by the Tennessee Department of Education, to fund the high schools’ projects.

Both Elizabethton and Carter County Schools were well-represented during the previous year’s showcase. Hampton High School, which partnered with other county schools’ CTE programs, took home second place in the overall competition and picked up a second place nod in the speed race.

Students donning the orange and black didn’t do too shabby either by nabbing a first place finish during the competition’s endurance race.

At EHS, students from automotive and STEM education partnered together under the guidance of teachers Paul Lindberg and David Campbell to put the final touches on their machine.

Having the ability to host these types of events not only attract interest from students for BMS, but also highlights the importance of the STEM field of study, according to BMS officials.

“We’re big proponents of STEM programs in school and think this is the perfect event for the state to showcase its young talent,” BMS general manager and executive vice president Jerry Caldwell told the Elizabethton Star last year. “It’s important for the high school students to continue learning, even outside of the classroom. We’re glad to be hosting this event and can’t wait to see the students in competition with their innovative solar go-kart designs.”