While Australia enjoys the Christmas break and turns to the Boxing Day cricket test, the team from the internationally acclaimed Aurora 101 solar car will attempt, on 29 December, to better the world record for a 24 hour continuous run in a solar car - presently standing at 1255 kilometres.

This tough test of accurate energy management will see the Aurora 101 solar car aim for a distance of 1500 kilometres, half of which will be in the black of night. The lithium polymer battery as used in the World Solar Challenge will be carefully used during the night and the rest is on sunshine. Aurora 101 will be joined in this record attempt by the Southern Aurora solar car from Hamilton, Victoria, Aurora's sister team.

Whilst the solar car will use just 70 cents worth of electricity to initially fully charge its battery - the food, the rented loo, and the support cars are a bigger financial burden.

This will be the introductory event to solar cars for an outstanding 20 year old Sydney-based driver, Ian Dyk. Ian has a history of success in motor-sport since the age of six, more recently featuring in race successes in driving a Porsche in the Carrera Cup and winning the F3 event at Eastern Creek during the inaugural A1 Grand Prix of Nations event in November. This will be his first training event at the unique controls of a solar car. No foot pedals, regenerative braking, no headlights, cruise control and an energy meter.

The preparation is aimed at having Ian join the driving team in August 2006 for Aurora 101 at the Suzuka Dream Cup, where Aurora 101 broke the event record and became the best placed foreign finisher ever in placing third, last August. The Dream Cup is Japan's largest solar car event attracting over 75 teams.

A driver familiar with the solar car and joining the 24 hour record attempt is Andris Samsons - development engineer on electronic suspension control with Bosch in Michigan USA. He has three World Solar Challenge drives under his belt, including the most recent last September where Aurora finished in second place to the powerful Nuna 3 solar car from the Netherlands.

Aurora has a busy year ahead, having already started on a new solar car design for 2007 and planning a 5 nation international program through 2006.