About the Pedal Prix Program

Pedal Prix is a co-curricular program, which involves racing Human Powered Vehicles (HPVs) in an annual series of race events, culminating in a 24-hour race which - the biggest event of this type in the world. The Pedal Prix vehicles are highly engineered and of lightweight chrome moly chassis construction to optimise performance while offering the driver significant crash protection inside a carbon fibre fairing.

Drivers for Pedal Prix vehicles are selected from students in Year 8-Year 12, based on performance in fitness and driver tryouts. Non-driver students can also be involved in the pit crew, data and analytics team or with catering. Parents also have opportunity to be involved in several areas, including volunteer track marshalling at events.

Year 10 Course: HPV Racing and Engineering

While involvement in the co-curricular Pedal Prix program is open to all students in Year 8-Year 12, there is also a specific opportunity for Year 10 King’s students to study Pedal Prix. Students may choose to undertake a full year curricular course at Year 10, which is an accredited Stage 1 SACE program and students will gain 20 credits towards their SACE.

The Pedal Prix course is focused on Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) history, design, maintenance, modification and testing, while also learning to drive HPVs under safe track conditions. They learn about factors influencing HPV design, the impact of emerging technologies, composite materials, mechanical systems and vehicle performance. Students are trained in HPV maintenance and develop competent skills in performing tasks required from pit crew members at a Pedal Prix event. Students also learn MIG, braze and fusion oxy acetylene welding techniques, and apply these skills in a real-world industrial and entrepreneurial design solution tasks.

Student knowledge, understanding and skill development is tested through formal tests, working with equipment, observation and completion of assignments which includes multimodal presentations. The Pedal Prix program is of great benefit to students as it opens up a significant range of new learning opportunities for students with extensive real-world and cross curriculum links.