The Sustainable Racing Team (SRT) has wrapped up another successful and fulfilling year, one marked by innovation, teamwork and a shared passion for sustainable engineering.

Kicking off in February with a record number of 54 members, the program welcomed a new cohort of Year 7 students who, according to the SRT Coordinator, Alan Strange, “have now become welded to SRT after a year of building machines and racing”.

Throughout the year, students, staff and families dedicated many hours into the program, whether that be throughout time in the SRT workshop using their creativity and problem-solving skills or out on the track racing. Most recently, the team have seen their efforts culminated at the most anticipated event of the year – The Maryborough Energy Breakthrough, a 24 hour endurance challenge.

This year, 28 Damascus College students from Years 7 to 12 took part, supported by an incredible network of volunteers and staff. Damascus fielded three teams, each showcasing remarkable skill, resilience and camaraderie.

The Damascus College teams and results were;

Team 1 – Speedy V6

Class: Electric Only
Captain: Alex Fitzpatrick

Recycled and refined from last year’s model, Speedy V6 underwent significant upgrades to improve efficiency and reduce weight. The team delivered an impressive performance, experiencing only minor mechanical issues and one rollover (with no injuries). In fact, the machine even exceeded the track’s 60 km/h speed limit a few times!

Distance: 752 km in 24 hours
Result: 4th in class

Team 2 – Phil Swift

Class: Pedal Electric Open
Captain: Ronan Sugars

Built under the pressure of multiple late-night workshop sessions, Phil Swift was only completed the day before the event. Despite a dramatic but injury-free rollover by Lachie, the team excelled - making smart decisions around limited electric-assist charging.

One standout moment was Isabelle pedalling for 90 minutes without electric support to conserve power for her teammates.

Distance: 720 km in 24 hours
Result: 3rd in class

Team 3 – Road Train

Class: Pedal Electric Open
Captain: Harry Elliot

Road Train, a 4-metre tandem recumbent, was purpose-built this year to ensure that student Blake could participate. Designed and constructed entirely on campus, the project pushed the team into new engineering territory.

Although untested and piloted mostly by Year 7 students competing against much older riders, Road Train exceeded every expectation. With zero accidents, outstanding reliability, and a standout presence throughout the event, the team earned the Design and Construction Award with an almost perfect score of 24.5/25.

Distance: 551 km in 24 hours
Result: 2nd in class

Overall, the team covered 2023 kms (further than Ballarat to Brisbane) in 24 hours and used only pedal power plus 20 kwhr of electricity (less than the energy used by one typical household in one day).

Beyond riding, students ran the pits, catered, set up and packed down camp, and even climbed out of bed in the early hours to ride in cold, steady overnight rain. These experiences built resilience, responsibility and incredible team spirit.

Alan reflected that one of the highlights for the event was seeing vision-impaired student, Blake being able to participate in the event with his friends, with Blake proudly saying “I’m the stoker sitting in the back, pouring the coal into Road Train!”

In 2025, the SRT team have experienced a year of innovation, inclusion, teamwork, new faces and above all, a lot of fun and camaraderie between the team. We’re excited to see what 2026 has in store.