Dutch win solar car race
Winner ... Nuon solar team 2007.
The Dutch Nuon team has won the World Solar Challenge from
Darwin to Adelaide, with its Nuna4 car taking line honours in
Adelaide's north.
Nuna4 was the first car to arrive at the event's final control
stop at Angle Vale at 4.54pm CST (5.24pm AEST) on Thursday, race
organisers said.
It was the fourth win in the 3000-kilometre race from Darwin to
Adelaide for the Dutch team, which holds the race record at 29
hours and 11 minutes.
Dutch team members swamped the car at the end of the fifth day of
outback racing.
Nuna4 driver Oliver Van Oijk said clear skies assisted the team's
fast finish.
"It was so beautiful out by Glen Dambo that we had such a power
surge when we statically loaded this morning that we could make
it," he told ABC Radio.
The car will continue on to the ceremonial finish line in
Adelaide's Victoria Square at 9.30am local time on Friday when the
overall finishing time will be announced.
In second position on the road today was the Umicar Infinity car
from Belgium's Umicore Solar Team, while Victorian entrant Aurora
101 remained third.
Both the second and third cars were not expected to reach Angle
Vale until tomorrow morning.
The Dutch Nuon team has won the World Solar Challenge, with its
Nuna4 car reaching the final checkpoint in Adelaide's north
today.
In second position was the Umicar Infinity car from Belgium's Umicore Solar Team, while Victorian entrant Aurora 101 was third.
Umicar Infinity went through Port Augusta today about 45 minutes behind Nuna4, while Aurora was a further 70 minutes behind.
Both the second and third cars were not expected to reach Angle Vale until Friday morning.
Earlier today, an American university car crashed after a blowing a tyre.
The Equinox car from the Stanford Solar Car Project rolled near Marla in South Australia's north.
The car was believed to be travelling at low speed at the time and the driver was not hurt.
"We've heard that the car is now being towed to Adelaide," a race spokeswoman said.
The Stanford entrant was involved in the adventure class of the challenge, which is for solar cars that comply with regulations from previous events.
Cars competing for outright honours this year must be new designs and are grouped in the challenge class.
AAP
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