Sport
31 July, 2026
Oakey High second behind Kingaroy at SEQ Hydrogen Grand Prix
For the first time in four years of participating, Oakey State High School played host to the H2 Grand Prix South East Queensland World Qualifier which took place last Thursday (July 23rd).
As with the past two years, Kingaroy was far and away the best team in the field and deserved to qualify for the World Championships in Germany in August.
Their SERT-IFIED team clocked up 603 laps over the four hours of racing, 169 more than second-placed Oakey Mustangs.
A Kingaroy State High School spokesperson said the achievement was all the more impressive because all team members bar one were in Grade 9.
“After suffering a battery failure, the team calmly adapted their strategy, overcame the setback and completed the entire race,” the spokesperson said.
“They were the only team to finish without any vehicle damage, demonstrating outstanding preparation, resilience and teamwork.
“This incredible achievement reflects the countless hours of dedication put in during after-school training sessions and the outstanding guidance of Mrs Steinhardt, whose commitment has helped develop SERT-IFIED into a world-class team.”
The day was a culmination of months of effort for members of the 11 participating teams, who had sacrificed school lunch breaks, and a few Sunday mornings in preparation for the event.
Oakey Mustangs spokesperson Ryelan Cockburn says he was happy with his team’s effort to finish second.
“We were off the track and had problems with wheels, the steering and electrical stuff but came through well,” he said.
Oakey Eagles spokesperson Isabella Fermino said it was fantastic having the Hydrogen Grand Prix in Oakey.
“This was an amazing experience, it’s not something you do everyday,” she said, “We crashed twice and were off the track for about an hour.”
2026 SEQ HYDROGEN HORIZON GRAND PRIX LEADERBOARD
1. SERT-IFIED (Kingaroy State High School) - 603
2. OAKEY MUSTANGS (Oakey State High School) - 434
3. WINDAROO WILDCATS (Windaroo Valley State High - 384
4. CHINCHILLA CHARGE (Chinchilla State High School) - 300
5. CHINCHILLA ZEPHER (Chinchilla State High School) - 263
6. QUANTUM MECHANICS (Foxwell State Secondary College) - 238
7. OAKEY EAGLES (Oakey State High School) - 184
8. XCELERATE (Fairholme College) - 152
9. ODYSSEYX (Fairholme College) - 109
10. FORCES OF NATURE (St John’s School, Roma) - 84
11. HYPERSONIC (St John’s School, Roma) - 42
SEQ HYDROGEN HORIZON GRAND PRIX SPECIAL AWARDS
Innovation: WINDAROO WILDCATS (Windaroo Valley State High School)
Design: XCELERATE (Fairholme College)
Promotion: ODYSSEYX (Fairholme College)
Girls in STEM: FORCES OF NATURE (St John’s School, Roma)
Energy: SERT-IFIED (Kingaroy State High School)
Pit Stop: ODYSSEYX (Fairholme College)
Team Spirit: XCELERATE (Fairholme College)
Stock: CHINCHILLA ZEPHER (Chinchilla State High School)
Hybrid: XCELERATE (Fairholme College)
