What is Junkyard Derby?

Inspired the popular TV show on The Learning Channel, "Junkyard Wars," UC San Diego's engineering community started the Junkyard Derby in 2004. For three weeks prior to the event, Engineering students scour the local community for "junk," acting as La Jolla's personal clean-up crew. The Junk Collection culminates in a Kick-Off Celebration where teams rush into a makeshift junkyard and attempt to grab the best junk with which to engineer their speed machines. After two nights and a day of building, the teams race down Peterson Hill in the middle of UC San Diego's campus with crowds of onlookers cheering them on and the hopes that their car will carry them to victory.

Not only is the Derby a great deal of fun, but it also provides engineers with the opportunity to experience engineering problem solving at its best. Like in any engineering problem they will face in the future, students are given a task, a limited amount of materials, and a time limit. Because of this, the Derby forces students to think, be creative, and demonstrate their innovative spirit!