Dalbeattie pupils’ Silverstone success

Jun 5 2009 by Kieran Westbrook, Dumfries Standard Friday

Pupils’ Silverstone success

DALBEATTIE High School has been crowned Formula Schools Model Car Champions for the second time in three years.

Team DBT McNish Racing – made up of 14 and 15 year-old pupils at the high school – won the Body, Aerodynamics and Teamwork trophies.

They also took home Qualification and Grand Prix Winner trophies, giving them a total of five pieces of silverware.

After designing, building and marketing a remote control racing car, pupils were finally given the chance to race it around Silverstone – the home of British racing.

The school had narrowly missed out on retaining the title last year after being victorious in their debut in the competition in 2007.

But with motorsport hero Allan McNish once again supporting their efforts, the pupils finished the competition in pole position.

Technology teacher Ron Orr and his 12-strong team of students headed to the famous track, having already impressed judges at the manufacturing round the previous month.

And after racing the car on the world famous track, they were declared overall winners.

A delighted Ron Orr said: “The students have worked very hard since last year’s finals and so they richly deserve this success.

“Allan (McNish) has been a stalwart in supporting our school with regular visits and it was especially nice for him to be present to witness our latest glory, as he’s usually competing at Le Mans when we’ve been at Silverstone.”

Allan McNish said: “I was very impressed with the way the school and the pupils were approaching it technically, to design, build and project manage, nevermind race a remote control car from scratch, is a fair achievement.

“To then add the PR and marketing elements on top of that – what they have done is really impressive.

“To be runner-up in 2008 and go back and retain the trophy for 2009 after an unbelievable effort - they’ve even built a wind tunnel and tyre warmers. To do that just shows the level of expertise that certainly I was surprised was there in such depth in the region.

“It just shows there’s a tremendous amount of determination up here and also a lot of talent as well.”

Alex Sweet, Ross Kennedy, Susie Clarke, Pascale LeGrice and Katy Watt plus Zoe McMillan, Laura Reid, Alisdair Brann, Cordiel Sinclair, David Gibson, Tom Niven and Laurence Nix were on the winning team.

Stranraer and Maxwell High School both came away with rookie prizes at their first attempt.