Sophomore Dansil Green, team driver, explains one of the ways that the Granite Falls High School team from Washington State seeks to set a mark in fuel economy at Shell Eco-marathon Americas: With a light-footed driving style. Like most of the teams, the ShopGirls coast around the track when they can, only drawing on their diesel engine when needed to keep up to the minimum speed required under the contest rules.

They should be aided in regulating their speed and matching it to track conditions by the new five-speed transmission they installed this year, says team coach, teacher Michael Werner. “However, it’s more complex, so more can go wrong,” he adds, smiling. “In true racing-car fashion, they ran it for