At the national competition last year, boys snickered at the all-girls "Formula One" team from Cobb County. Few thought they'd be serious competition where teams of 9- to 19-year-old engineers race wooden cars down 30-foot tracks.
But this year, they became the first all-girls team to take home the national title and they're now hoping to win at the world competition in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates this fall.
"It's a very male-dominated field," said 15-year-old team manager Kelly Fitzgerald. "When you think of cars and engineering, you think more of males. We had to prove ourselves. We had to say to ourselves, 'We are girls and we can do this and we're just as competitive as the guys are.'"
"Team Shift," with members Kelly, Sabine Saldanha, 14, Claire McCoy, 14, and Anna Awald, 15, met in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) class at East Cobb Middle School. Their teacher, Fred Stillwell, encouraged them to compete in the F1 competition.
Judges award teams points based on the designs of their cars, how fast the cars go, how well they promote the team and present the design of their cars.
Competitors usually have deep knowledge of aerodynamics. Teams use computer programs and wind tunnels to test their car. Races can be determined by 1/100th of a second.
Competing for the first time last year was intimidating, "Team Shift" members said. Some teams would have a girl on their team, but they were usually left to do presentations or writing. Despite the odds, in their first competition last year, "Team Shift" took second place and traveled to the international competition in Malaysia.
"Going to the world competition opened our eyes to what the top-notch was," Sabine said. "We knew what we needed to strive for."
At this year's national competition at the Michigan International Speedway in May, "Team Shift" swept almost every category including best pit display, best presentation and fastest car, which zipped down the track in 1.103 seconds.
"We were a bucket of nerves," Kelly said.
Since winning the national competition, the students have been raising money and working on improving the model of their car.
They need $40,000 to compete and travel to the competition. They have raised $22,000 through sponsorships and private donations so far.
They've also been traveling the state, speaking to Girl Scout troops about the competition.
"We want to be ambassadors for science," Claire said. "We want girls to know you can do this, too."
To contribute to the team's trip to Abu Dhabi, contact them at formula1.shift@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page at
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