News Release

Engineering Students Make Mad Dash for Trash During Annual Junkyard Derby

UCSD students test their engineering and racing skills during the annual Junkyard Derby. Check out this video of last years’ Derby. Photo: Erik Jepsen

San Diego, CA, May 11, 2010 -- UC San Diego engineering students kick off the annual Junkyard Derby with a Mad Dash for Trash on Wednesday, May 12. About 50 teams of junk-loving boxcar builders will dive into a junk mountain in a UC San Diego parking lot.

Once the dust settles into the dumpsters ringing the mountain’s remains, teams will transform their junk selections into high flying – or maybe fast crashing – boxcars for Friday’s Junkyard Derby. Welders from a UCSD machine shop will be on hand Wednesday and Thursday to help students realize their junkyard dreams, such as air-duct-shopping-cart hybrid vehicles and bench-press-coat-rack convertibles.

The boxcar building ends on Friday morning, in time for the races that start at 9 a.m.  and end with a grand finale at about 1 p.m. The derby will be held in front of Geisel Library, on Peterson Hill. The derby is not just about speed. Teams are competing for style points and adoration from the crowd. Expect wacky costumes, bloopers and boxcar mishaps. The Junkyard Derby is run by the engineering undergrads who are part of the Triton Engineering Student Council (TESC). Check out this video of last years’ Derby.

Media Contacts

Daniel Kane
Jacobs School of Engineering
858-534-3262
dbkane@ucsd.edu

Andrea Siedsma
Jacobs School of Engineering
858-822-0899
asiedsma@soe.ucsd.edu