Nease High School's student-built electric race car finished third out of 25 schools at Daytona International Speedway on June 8, closing a strong 2025-26 season for the school's Electrathon team.

Two Nease cars complete full race distance

The team, part of the Stellar Academy of Engineering, ran two cars in the Florida Power & Light-funded competition. After two hours of racing, car No. 220 placed third and car No. 550 placed fifth, according to a St. Johns County Career and Technical Education post written by Jaime Combs. Schools from across Florida and a few from Georgia fielded entries, with many bringing two or three cars.

Both Nease cars completed the full race distance.

Strong April showing set up season's momentum

The Daytona finish followed strong results earlier in the season. At an April 11 race held at Florida State College Jacksonville's Advanced Technology Campus, car No. 220 placed second with 133 laps and car No. 550 placed third with 108 laps, according to a CTE recap of that event. During that race, the No. 550 crew repaired a damaged front axle, replacing the left front steering joint and brakes mid-competition.

Student drivers rotate roles beyond the track

At the April 11 event, Gabriel Ertl and Trevor Courson drove car No. 550, while Kevin Naranjo and Jackson Baker drove car No. 220. All four rotated behind the wheel across the season. But driving is only part of the operation. The team functions like a professional racing outfit, with students also managing finances, photography and media coverage, Combs wrote.

At the April race, team members also spoke with a professional endurance racing driver who competes in the IMSA series and with staff from Jacksonville University's engineering department.

New car funded through local sponsorships

Car No. 220 was a new addition for the 2025-26 season, funded by sponsorships from Supermarket Solutions Incorporated and Bavarian Rennsport, along with a donation from Publix Charities.

Team looks ahead to next season

The team heads into the 2026-27 season looking to build on back-to-back podium finishes. No schedule for next season's races has been announced.