MANDURAH Catholic College student Michael Martley has won the National CO2 Dragster Competition.
After taking out the Western Australian title at the Claremont Showgrounds in early August, Michael’s dragster was sent off to Adelaide to compete in the nationals, where he won.
“I was pretty shocked when I found out how much work other people put in to make it and I had not really done anything like this before,” he said.
Michael said creating the dragster was interesting and he had fun.
“We started making the dragster in term two," he said.
Design and technology teacher Kieran McCabe said students had to stick to specifications set by the organisers.
The car couldn’t be shorter then 200 millmetres or longer than 305mm. It also couldn’t be lighter than 45 grams.
“People go out and make these futuristic designs, but his simple design was good,” Mr McCabe said.
Michael, along with 75 other year nine students at Mandurah Catholic College, were given the task of building a C02 dragster out of balsa wood.
CO2 powered dragsters are small cars which are supposed to impersonate real life AA fuellers.
The 15-year-old was the top student in the course and he along with five others was then sent off to Perth for the state titles.
He competed against students from 10 other schools and finished as the top car.
The judges look for the total speed – which he achieved 0.91 seconds in a 20 metre sprint – the build quality and the overall design.
After claiming the win, his car was then sent to nationals where he competed against 2000 other students around the country and won.
He won $100 for the state titles and another $100 for the nationals.
Michael said he used the money to buy new basketball shoes.
Materials and design teacher Kieran McCabe said it was a good reward for doing your homework.