Electric Car Drivers Take Endurance Test

There was no need to bring earplugs to the U.S. Electrathon Championship car races.

Instead of the roar of V12 engines, sounds more like the whirring of kitchen blenders filled the Encino Velodrome in Reseda.

That’s because the cars were powered by one- or two-horsepower electric cells capable of propelling the vehicles at speeds up to 35 mph.

The third annual championship race held Saturday and Sunday drew high school students from Iowa, Michigan and California who competed against a team from UCLA and electric car enthusiasts from Oregon, Washington, Utah and Maine.

“The cars can be made out of any material, but they are built to the lightest weight possible,” said Michael Leach of Torrance-based Electrathon America, the event’s organizer.

The object of the race is to complete as many laps as possible without recharging, said Gary Raymond, event coordinator.

“It’s all about endurance, not speed,” Raymond said.

Clark Beasley of Harbor City, who completed 443 laps, won the race. Loy Cloud of Seattle placed second with 439 laps.

Although the race is foremost a competition, it is also meant to educate future auto designers on the latest technology, Leach said.

Kent Galloway, a teacher at Centennial High School in Corona, agreed with Leach’s assessment.

“The kids are learning about building and designing electric vehicles and, at the same time, trying to save the environment.”