The Innovators Educational Foundation’s 2026 Electrek American Solar Challenge has been designated a Route 66 Centennial Project.
The 2026 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix and the Electrek American Solar Challenge will bring together collegiate teams from across the United States and the world to design, build and compete with their solar-powered vehicles in one of the most comprehensive STEM-based experiential learning programs in the country.
Students typically spend one to two years preparing their vehicles, culminating in a multi-stage competition that tests engineering, teamwork and real-world problem-solving.
The program begins July 17 to 23 at Brainerd International Raceway, where teams will undergo an extensive technical inspection before competing in a three-day endurance track event, the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix.
Teams that successfully demonstrate vehicle safety and performance will advance to the Electrek American Solar Challenge.
After a public display day in Minneapolis on July 24, teams will embark on a more than 1,500-mile road journey from Minneapolis to Amarillo from July 25 through Aug. 1.
The route includes significant stretches of the historic Route 66, as well as the scenic Great River Road.
Along the way, teams will stop in communities including LaCrosse, Normal, Edwardsville, Rolla, Carthage, Tulsa and Elk City, engaging with local communities, media and Route 66 enthusiasts.
“The designation of the American Solar Challenge as an official Route 66 Centennial Project highlights the powerful connection between innovation and heritage,” said Bill Thomas, chairman of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and Commissioner for the Route 66 Centennial Commission.
“As these student teams travel along historic stretches of Route 66, they are not only honoring its legacy but also demonstrating the future of transportation through clean energy and ingenuity.”
The American Solar Challenge is divided into stages with mandatory checkpoints and stage stops, where teams interact with the public and are evaluated on performance and progress.
Participants must navigate real-world conditions — including terrain, traffic, and weather — while managing solar energy and battery storage.
Winners are determined based on total miles completed and, for multi-occupant vehicles, additional factors such as passenger miles and practicality.
“We are thrilled for the solar cars and these university students to travel the iconic Route 66 since the first time the solar car event traveled the Mother Road 25 years ago,” said Gail Lueck, event director for the Electrek American Solar Challenge and Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix and operations director and board member of the Innovators Educational Foundation.
“Having the Electrek American Solar Challenge 2026 officially recognized as part of the Route 66 Centennial is a great honor, and we look forward to celebrating with the communities along Route 66 as the solar cars make their way from Normal, IL to our finish in Amarillo, TX.”
For more information, go to route66centennial.org/index.php/celebrate/electrek-american-solar-challenge.
Other centennial projects that were announced:
— “100 Miles of Kindness: A Route 66 Adventure,” a storytelling project celebrating the people and communities along historic Route 66, has been recognized as a Centennial Project.
Created by One Good Thing founder Janine Mix, the project will commemorate the highway’s 100th anniversary by traveling from Chicago to Santa Monica and performing meaningful acts of kindness every 100 miles along the route.
Filming will take place from June 19 to June 30 and capture 25 acts of kindness benefiting residents, small businesses, travelers, and community heroes along the Mother Road, including Chicago. These moments will be shared through a mini-series on YouTube and social media, with videos planned in the late summer.
— The Route 66 2SLGBTQ Historic Sites Project was designated as a Centennial Project, highlighting the underrepresented Two Spirit and LGBTQ history along the iconic highway.
The project will document and map sites related to 2SLGBTQ history, making these important stories visible and accessible to the public.
The website will allow users to explore historic sites through an interactive map. Each point will correspond to a published entry of 250 to 400 words, illustrated with historic and contemporary photos and digital artwork. Sites cover themes including gender diversity in Native American cultures, LGBTQ travel and nightlife, activism, arts and culture, entrepreneurship and the AIDS epidemic.
(One of the vehicles in the Electrek American Solar Challenge)