The Western Academy of Beijing Flying Tigers race team soared to victory in the Greenpower China Dongcheng District Invitational Tournament – UK International Qualifying Program. On March 25-26, the Flying Tigers placed first in the individual time trials, second with formal presentation, and third with their team time trial, qualifying them to participate in the 2017-18 race in the United Kingdom.

Rolling in with experience from the Greenpower Race at the British Motorsport Festival last October, the WAB race team was the only international school to compete alongside 13 Chinese schools in the two-day Greenpower China Dongcheng Invitational. Both Middle and High School WAB students participated in the race, as drivers and crew.

"Qualifying for a competition in Great Britain in their first year as a team is a fantastic accomplishment for the Flying Tigers," Paul Balthazor, a WAB design teacher and the team's co-supervisor, said. "I am particularly proud of how well students ranging from Grade 7 through Grade 12 have worked as a team to achieve this milestone."

The Flying Tigers is a new and exciting extracurricular club at WAB, with the 2016-17 being its inaugural year. Earlier last year, the full team assembled a battery-powered race car from a standardized, Greenpower China-mandated kit. They then designed and constructed a body of laminated bamboo and fiberglass. This was made possible by the teamwork of students ranging from Grade 7 to Grade 12.

The Flying Tigers are now actively working to raise the funds needed to cover the costs of shipping their e-racecar to the UK next year.