Can do spirit

Red Bull brings out the engineering finesse in local students

Before you nextdecide to toss your canned beverage in the garbage, consider the alternative.

Red Bull Racing Can, a university-oriented contest that encourages students to engineer model cars for use in a racing challenge, has selected 16 teams that will compete for the chance to represent the UAE in Sao Paolo, Brazil next month.

Tailor-made for engineering geniuses and daredevil-pilots, the contest involves a team of two university students using their crafting skills to create an outstanding racer using only Red Bull cans. Once they have created their racer; the teams then hit the asphalt and navigate their speed cans through the corners of the track in tricky overtaking maneuvers during qualifier events.

The initial qualifiers have already taken place in four different universities across the UAE with nearly 200 students participating, and the top16 teams are set to battle it out for the grande finale today at Abu Dhabi’s Corniche as a part of the Yasalam programme.

Universities participating in Red Bull Racing Can include Bits Pilani in Dubai International Academic City, The American University of Sharjah, The University of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi University.