Edible Car Contest delights Illinois Valley students

IVCC’s Edible Car Contest returned with a roar this year, drawing its largest audience and biggest field of contestants.

The 18th annual event Wednesday brought the usual Race Day jitters, last-minute spare-parts fittings, starting-gate adjustments, and roaring crowds. Dramas played out on a jumbo screen as cars raced to reach the finish line before their parts-- grapes, oranges, cheese cubes, cookies, sausages and all kinds of other edibles – tumbled ahead of them.

Begun as a means to promote IVCC’s engineering programs, the contest challenges young designers in middle school, high school and college to create a vehicle out of edible ingredients. Entries are judged on creativity, style – even deliciousness – as well as speed. The task of judging the 48-car field fell this year to Truck Driver Training Department administrative assistant Patricia Glade and guest Laura Duberstein.

The 48-car field was the highest ever, CAD instructor and race organizer Dorene Data said. The standing-room-only crowd of middle school, high school and college students, teachers and staff who gathered to race and cheer on classmates numbered more than 120 people, she said. La Salle, Peru, Ottawa, Spring Valley, Streator and DePue schools were represented.

Highlights of the race can be seen on IVCC’s YouTube channel, by visiting this link: https://youtu.be/IDmPevekjeU.

Medallions and trophies were awarded in the Winners’ Circle.

Results are:

Best overall winners:

Faculty/Staff: Andrew Wiercinski, first; Dawn and Kirk Lockwood, second, and Adult Education Team, third.

Best Overall High School: Ottawa Team Candy Shop, first; Streator Rice Krispie Cruiser, second, Streator High School Team Darby, third.

Best Overall Middle School: Trinity Catholic Team Royals, first; Depue Team Car Munchers, second, and JFK Team 1, third.

IVCC Student Organization or Class: IVCC Project Success Team Sweet Success, first; IVCC Art Club Le Artist, second, and Technical Education Class Team 2, third.

Trophies were also awarded in creativity, design and other categories:

Creativity: High School Ottawa Team Hamburger Helpers, first; JFK Team 4, second; IVCC Art Club, third.

Detail: Trinity Catholic Team Royals, first; IVCC Adult Ed, second; Technical Education Class Team 2, third.

Most Nutritious: JFK Team 3, first; JFK Team 7 Munchy Matcher, second; St. Bede Mushers, third.

Sweetest Car: Depue Middle School Star Girlz, first; Trinity Catholic Sugar Rush, second; Ottawa Candy Shop, third.

Judges’ Call: Ottawa High School BMW (Bread Motor Works), first; IVCC CHEM/STEM Club the Bark Knights, second; JFK Team 5, third.

Design: Depue Middle School Drama Queens, first; IVCC Project Success student club, second; Ottawa High School Team Sketch, third.

Speed: Depue Middle School Team Gangled, first; Ottawa High School Team ZB Motors, second; JFK Team 7 Munchy Matcher, third.