Special thanks to Airborne Speedway for partnering

with Mountain Lake PBS for this segment. 

 

 

 

 


Hot Science -  A race car designer has to account for both drag and lift when building the car. 

Learn more about lift and drag.


 

On your mark, get set, build a mousetrap car!  The spring of a mousetrap can store a considerable amount of potential energy when it is pulled back and its tension is increased. When released, this energy can be transformed into the kinetic energy of movement, making the mousetrap the perfect "motor" for a homemade car. As the trap closes, the metal bar pulls a string that has been wound around the axle of the mousetrap car. This causes the axle and attached wheels to spin, propelling the car forward. Using your ingenuity, you will create a mousetrap car that will travel a fixed distance in the shortest amount of time. 

 

 

 

Fondly described as "Talladega Nights meets Catcher in the Rye," Marshall Curry’s Racing Dreams chronicles a year in the life of three tweens who dream of becoming NASCAR drivers. Though they aren't old enough for driver's licenses, Brandon, Josh and Annabeth race extreme go-karts at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour in the World Karting Association’s national series, the "Little League" of professional racing. The film is a humorous and heartbreaking portrait of racing, young love and family struggle. Winner of Best Documentary Feature Award, 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.