Pupils at Chipping Sodbury School achieved two top-four placings in an endurance race for home-built eco-friendly cars.

The young drivers secured the runners-up slot and fourth place in the event at the Goodwood racing circuit. But they were the best performing school in the competition, as both the winners and the team that came third were entered by companies also involved in the 2009 Greenpower Corporate Challenge.

The school has had a long involvement with the project, which is aimed at encouraging students to consider careers in engineering and technology. Pupils are helped by teachers and parents to build their battery-powered cars, and then attend race meetings.

Goodwood is the traditional curtain raiser for the new season and, this year, four cars from Chipping Sodbury were raced at the Sussex track, involving about 20 pupils aged 11 to 16 driving in relay.

The first event lasted 90 minutes, with the Chipping Sodbury Wacky Racers coming eighth after completing 36 miles under the power of two standard car batteries that could not be recharged.

In the four-hour Corporate Challenge, there were entries from companies such as Jaguar Land Rover and Wotton-under-Edge engineering firm Renishaw, with victory going to Greenpower's own team of scrutineers.

The schools's best result saw the R-PodS team cover 120 miles using four car batteries.

Parent Stephen King, of Village Close, Yate, said: "R-PodS is one of only three cars to have travelled over the magic 50-lap mark at Goodwood. One of the others is a corporate car and the other vehicle is no longer able to race due to a change in rules."

The R-PodS team consisted of drivers Matthew Hunter, Aaron Holbrook and siblings Louis, Issy and Felix King.