The 2026 Fall Choccolocco Park Greenpower USA F24 Green Prix race brought 53 teams from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee into Oxford on Friday, November 6, 2026, with more than 250 students in grades 6-12.

The Oxford event was the first of more than 15 races before the Greenpower USA National Championship scheduled for May 2027.

Greenpower USA teams are equipped with car-building kits, enabling them to construct electric race cars in schools, colleges, or other educational settings. These cars are then raced at Greenpower-organized events.

Alternatively, teams have the freedom to design and build their own cars from scratch while adhering to Greenpower Education Trust's technical and sporting regulations.

Three teams from CREATE and three from Oxford Middle School were among those taking laps around the park, with the CREATE team scoring second place in the Advanced Stock category and second and third places in the Advanced Custom category.

“This event at Choccolocco is the biggest one Greenpower has,” said Coach Jimmy Sparks, who is in his first season leading the CREATE team, having transferred after four years at Oxford Middle School. Matt Tyson, an Oxford High School instructor, is now directing the Oxford Middle team.

Sparks said this first race serves as a tune-up for the remainder of the season. 

“I’m grateful we have really good students who are keeping us in line,” Sparks said.

Sparks said there are currently four teams at each school, but the success of the programs could potentially add a fifth team at each school for next season.

“The CREATE program is strong with almost 40 members, and the middle school has close to 50 members,” Sparks said.

Sparks said the Goblin program, for elementary students, has since been eliminated to allow fifth-graders to begin working with the processes involved with the more advanced F24 program.

“That means our fifth-graders at C.E. Hanna can now come and do everything at the race except drive,” Sparks said. “Those kids are already working on cars and practicing driving. We’re getting them ready for sixth grade.”

Sparks said not every student is in the program just to get behind the wheel.

“There are students in the program who just want to be in the data-processing element of the design,” Sparks said. “It’s the logistics part of the race. There are jobs in the world where that is the sole responsibility, and they are available right now. That is what these programs are supposed to do – get these students prepared and ready for a good career.”

The 2027 Spring edition of the Choccolocco Park Greenpower USA F24 Green Prix is slated to be held Friday, January 8, 2027.