Ninth Grade CO2 Car Races held at RLCC Gymnasium

By Jeremy Kruchowski

Each year the Red Lake County Central ninth grade physical science class builds CO2 cars and races them in the gym. All of the ninth graders start off with a piece of soft wood in a box that also holds the wheels and axle for the car. They carve out the pieces of wood to make them look like drag cars and make them weigh as close as possible to the required weight. They can also paint them if the car is a little too light and for appearance as well.

In order to race the cars they set up a track that has two fishing lines going across the gym floor for the cars to connect to, for guidance so they stay on the right path. Their teacher, Mr. Steven Strutz, has a mechanism for the CO2 cartridges to go off. There is a needle that pokes the back of the cartridge and then the cars take off across the floor. 

Each person can lose twice before being eliminated from racing. Cari Bachand and Michael Lowell won in their sections. They raced each other and Lowell won the overall race.