Human Powered Vehicles are a pedal-powered recumbent tricycle with some serious speed!

A group of students from Wilsonton State High School are keen competitors in the sport, travelling to racing events all over Queensland. Engineering students assist in the design and building of the bikes as part of the program, taking into consideration factors such as weight and strength of materials and the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Students not only race but are also expected to do all the pit crew activities including changing tyres and doing minor ongoing repairs to the vehicles as required.

Races in the Human Powered Vehicle competition are controlled by a set of safety standards to ensure students are safe in the event of contact with other vehicles. The race outcome is determined by the team that completes the most laps in a set time period. The shortest race period is the Bundaberg six-hour race, with the Maryborough 24-hour race being the longest. Student teams consist of 8 riders and two pit crew and the riders take turns riding to keep the vehicle going.

During the 2018 Maryborough event, the Wilsonton SHS Senior mixed-gender team rode the equivalent of 520km, giving them an average speed of over 21km hour over the 24-hour period. Speeds vary depending on the terrain and can see the bikes reach speeds in excess of 55km hour.

Tilly’s Crawler Parts have been proud to support this fantastic program at Wilsonton SHS by assisting the team with a trailer to transport the vehicles to race events. The trailer has been renovated by the team and now proudly boasts the school’s logo and Wildhog Racing Team name.

Tilly’s wish the Wildhog team all the very best at their upcoming events and look forward to getting along to watch the racing when a local event is held in Toowoomba later in the year. Congratulations to teacher John and the students for putting in a huge effort with this great program.