Most people think of football, basketball or volleyball when asked about the University of Hawaii (UH) Sports Programs. How about the Rainbow Warrior Racing Team (RWR)? Yes, UH does have a student run race team supervised by their professors and fellow alumni. Because of the team’s obscurity, it has been a challenge getting financial support. This year, 7-Eleven Hawai'i recognized their efforts and their commitment to make it to this year’s International Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Collegiate Design Series Competition held in Lincoln, Nebraska. We sponsored the team’s ground transport from Los Angeles to Lincoln and back.

With the support of additional sponsors, the race team (comprised of budding engineers) was able to focus on preparation. While most attend school during the fall and spring semesters, these students are working on their car all year long. That is a testament to their passion and commitment to the field and the sport.

The competition took place the week of June 18th. These students had to complete eight different segments which included car performance and a business presentation. This year, they had to compete against 114 other teams. So how did they do? RWR was formed in 2004 and 2018 was their best year yet. They were one out of eight teams to complete all segments. They came in 2nd in efficiency and 14th overall!

On July 13th, Governor David Ige held a Proclamation Ceremony at the State Capitol to recognize and celebrate RWR’s achievement. He raised awareness of the importance to support Hawaii’s students especially in STEM education. Although the competition is over, these students have their eye on surpassing their 2018 achievements. And the community will be with them every step of the way.