A solar car built by a team of University of Minnesota science and engineering students circled the Brickyard in Indianapolis 569 times over three days to win a college solar car race last weekend.

Finance & Commerce reports that the team, with its Centaurus II car, beat nine teams in the race; Illinois State University was runner-up, 39 laps behind. Northwestern University was third.

Student team leader Jonathan Nutzmann, a junior majoring in electrical engineering, said in a news release:

 “Our team’s great drivers were a big reason we won. We specifically designed our car so it can fit any team member. We take a hit on aerodynamics, but the payoff is that we can have the best driver out there, not just one that is small enough to fit in the car.”

 And the team showed good sportsmanship: Nick LaMoore, a first-year student in mechanical engineering, helped the Michigan State team qualify for the race by working with them on their mechanical system, and he received a Spirit Award for his efforts.

The team is funded by corporations and individuals, with major sponsors: 3M Co., Altium, Cirrus Aircraft, Delta Air Lines, PaR Systems, Caterpillar, Earle M. Jorgensen Co., University of Minnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment and General Plastics.