Manatee students capture F1 in Schools championship

Four students recently returned to Manatee County with bragging rights.

The East County’s Aly Cote and Sheel Patel, as well as their teammates Joseph Komor and Merritt Kendzior, captured the USA Society for Automotive Engineers F1 in Schools National Championships.

The award came after two days of tough competition from schools nationwide at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.

The team, Pheonix Racing, also won the “Best Engineered Car” award for ingenuity shown in their balsa-wood car design.