The Region : Solar Racer Funds Sought

After finishing fourth in a field of 32, the Cal State Los Angeles group that raced a solar-powered car from Florida to Michigan in a national contest has launched a fund-raising effort to take the vehicle to Australia for a worldwide competition.

The university’s entry, the Solar Eagle, narrowly lost a chance for an all-expenses-paid trip to Australia. General Motors, which sponsored the 11-day national race earlier this month, is financing the trip for the top three finishers.

An estimated $60,000 would be needed to pay for shipping the Cal State L.A. car and crew to Australia for the November race, school spokeswoman Carol Selkin said. The cost, she said, includes four new batteries, totaling $15,000 to $20,000.

“We thought we were so close to winning that it made sense for us to enter in Australia,” she said.

The Cal State L.A. car was one of four entries from California schools. A car entered by Cal Poly Pomona finished 10th. The Cal Poly Pomona team is also considering an effort to raise funds to go to Australia, a school spokesman said.