Mayor Proclaims Aug. 5 Mater Dei Supermileage Team Day In Evansville
Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke proclaimed Aug. 5, 2016, as Mater Dei High School Supermileage Team Day during a special assembly at the school. The proclamation honors a group of students and advisors who have placed Mater Dei and Southwest Indiana in a worldwide spotlight for the innovative technology they have used to take the concept of gas mileage to another level.
During the first week of July, Mater Dei students, advisors and family members traveled to London for the Shell Global Eco Marathon – a series of races featuring cars using a variety of engines intended to be as efficient as possible.
The Mater Dei team opted for a car built around what some consider the staple of American transportation, the internal-combustion engine. They named the car, dressed in Mater Dei colors, Elroy.
Elroy rocked.
Mater Dei’s Supermileage Team finished first in the world among internal-combustion entries, and fourth in the world overall (there were some 200 entries from across the globe) when they raced against teams whose cars ran on hydrogen or electric. “Fourth in the world is not so bad,” team advisor Bob Neisen said.
“The car worked really well all week,” he added. “We just maintained it.” They also got every last bit of performance out of Elroy. They started third in the final race, which would determine overall placement, and the car shot into first place by the first corner. The car stayed at the front of the pack for the entire race, using the last of its fuel during the last climb of the final lap.
“We had to coast to the finish,” Neisen said, “and another car – also out of fuel and coasting – got by us just a few yards from the finish line for third place.”
Neisen said Mater Dei has gained international attention, not only for the car’s performance, but also for its looks. “We had people stopping in the pits to see the car,” he said. “It gained notoriety for being fast, and also for the way it looked.”
During the assembly, Neisen paid an emotional tribute and presented an award to retiring team advisor Dan Ritter, who spent 10 years with the team.
The team’s Facebook page (visit www.Facebook.com and search Mater Dei High Scool Supermileage Team) includes photos and videos from the London competition.
