Canadian solar car team, Midnight Sun VII, tomorrow looks set to beat one of the 4 World Records created by Aurora 101 in January 2002 during its circumnavigation of Australia. After setting out on August 7 - and after 34 days on the road circumnavigating Canada and the United States - Midnight Sun VII, from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, is just 222 km shy of Aurora 101's long distance record of 13,054 km, which itself smashed the previous Canadian Queen's University record of 7,043.5 km set in 1994.

In encouraging the Waterloo team on this latest solar car record attempt, Aurora 101 team strategist, Peter Pudney said: "We are all hopeful of victory for Waterloo. The Canadians have reaffirmed the remarkable achievements possible with solar cars. The vision of solar car pioneer, Hans Tholstrup, has been proven again. A vehicle which will run on empty - no emissions and no fuel. Keep going, Midnight Sun VII."

The three other world records set by Aurora 101 in the epic 2002 journey, remain unbroken.

Averaging 377 km a day, Midnight Sun VII will have taken 35 days to cover the world record distance of 13,054 km, which Aurora 101 achieved in just 24 days, by travelling a daily average of 544 km a day. Both teams faced cyclones, floods, and hurricanes - as well as the inevitable technical adjustments - during their world record attempts.

Midnight Sun VII expects to keep travelling their planned 40 days to establish the new long distance world record at around 14,000 kms.

Waterloo's lead driver, Ms Kumi Yamamoto, a veteran of several American Solar Challenge events, is on her way to joining Aurora 101's Tony Vriens' world record as longest distance solar car driver. Tony has recorded 16,660 kms since 1993.

In what looks like a perpetual friendly rivalry between the two countries, waiting in the wings to attempt to smash all these records is another Canadian team, xof1, which stands for the Power of One. The Toronto team based has developed and built xof1 with the sole objective of setting a new world distance record for the longest journey. They plan to cross Canada twice - from Toronto to Newfoundland, across to Victoria BC and back to Toronto, clocking about 16,000 kms.

Hans Tholstrup and Formula One racer, Larry Perkins stimulated the dream of a sustainable future and clean environment when they crossed the vast continent of Australia in a car fuelled only by the sun. The journey from Perth to Sydney, of over 4,000 kms, took just 21 days in 1983. Their solar car, BP Quiet Achiever, averaged 44.48 km/h for the trip.

Besides individual long distance journeys, the other long distance events in the solar car calendar are: The 8th World Solar Challenge, will be held from 25 September to 2 October 2005, 3,010 km event from Darwin to Adelaide; and a special edition of the American Solar Challenge, the North American Solar Challenge (NASC) in July 2005 - a 2,500 km event from Austin, Texas, following Highway 75 and the Canadian Highway 1 to Calgary, Alberta.