Community & Business
26 April, 2023
Oakey High students return home from national hydrogen race
Oakey State High School students returned home from a recent trip to Gladstone to compete in the national hydrogen H2 Grand Prix, where they finished fifth against 20 schools from Queensland and interstate.
Of the 20 teams present, 14 came from Queensland.
The local team travelled to Gladstone from Oakey
on the Thursday (April 20) of the event week by bus
and kept themselves entertained by listening to various music playlists, of which student Hayden ‘Dave’ Gormley’s was the most popular.
Before the event the team enjoyed bonding with each other on the trip, and through their adventures in and around Gladstone.
A dinner at the city’s Yacht Club with sponsors was a highlight for the group.
The competition took place on the Friday on a 38 metre round track over four hours, and was judged based on the number of laps completed (381 for Oakey).
Team member Ethan said the rules and regulations were somewhat constraining.
“I wasn’t allowed to touch the car which was frustrating,” he said.
“We had a radio, but it wasn’t much use because Kyan left it on.
“I was yelling at him most of the time, and he wasn’t responding.
Teacher Jelena Edhouse was quick to thank the team’s hosts and supporters.
“A big thank you to Calliope State High School who looked after half of our students,” she said.
“We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors,” team member and student Mikaela Henderson acknowledged.
These sponsors included the ANZ Bank and Toowoomba business Wings over the Downs.
There were some problems in the first hour when the engine started leaking, however team member Jack said a patch job quickly fixed the problem.
The Oakey team’s special motor allowed their engine to stay cool, and avoid the overheating problems faced by other teams.
The vehicle’s stability enabled it to be the only one in the Top 5 still running at the completion of the five hours.
