The Energy Breakthrough, previously known by its sponsorship name RACV Energy Breakthrough, is a joint initiative of the Country Education Project, the Shire of Central Goldfields and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV).
The main event involves a 24-hour trial in which students of secondary schools around Australia race their Human Powered Vehicles and Hybrid Powered People Carriers around a street circuit of 1.58 kilometres. The teams which race these vehicles consist of 8 riders, usually four male and four female participants. Leading teams have traveled over 1000 kilometres in the history of the 24-hour trial.
Other events during the Energy Breakthrough include a 14-hour HPV trial for primary school students, pushcarts, the Try-Athlon, (which consists of a sprint event, an 8-hour endurance trial and an obstacle course), and the also popular Innovations in Technology category.
The Track 1 (Previously RACV Track) is a challenging 1.58 km street circuit that reflects real-world conditions. This track is used for the Secondary HPVs, Energy Efficient Vehicles, the Try-athlon Sprint event and Obstacle course and the Pushcart Sprint event.
A lap begins with an immediate left turn out onto Napier St, then a slower left hander into Christian St, a difficult corner and a prime place for accidents. In the 2015 and 2016 layouts, halfway up the Christian St straight, riders would turn right into Burke St, then glance left into Crameri Lane, and then turn left again into the Burns St straight. This was removed for the 2017 event due to concerns about emergency access to this area during the event.[1] Instead, like the inaugural layout, riders continue straight up the hill, then turn into a 90 degree left hander into Burns St. The entrance to the rear pit lane is at the end of the first part of the straight. A fast right hander opens wider into a left hander and continues down the straight. In the 1991-2015 layout, the vehicles broke heavily into a tight left hander back into the park, and this corner commonly had accidents and overtakes. In 2016, as part of the Princes Park master plan, a new section was developed with a downhill left right chicane followed by two fast left handers. This opens into the longest straight on the track. The EEV pits run for about the first 130 metres of the straight. The straight runs alongside Lake Victoria and has a few, barely noticeable kinks on the run towards turn 10. A long left turn runs alongside the front pits and up to the finish line underneath the temporary RACV bridge.
Трасса Викроудс расположена между стоянкой для караванов Мэриборо и овалом парка Принсес. Его длина составляет около 1,1 км, и он включает в себя ряд сложных поворотов налево и направо. Эта трасса используется для 14-часовых соревнований HPV Primary, 8-часовых соревнований Try-athlon и соревнований на выносливость Pushcart.