BOSTON -- Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. step aside. There is a new breed of racecar driver that is taking to the track at New Hampshire International Speedway.

NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported that there's "green" competition starting Tuesday. Students from across the country are taking to the track in Loudon, N.H. Started by Dartmouth University, young engineers are taking part in the green competition in which they must develop, build and race a hybrid car.

"We have a Kawasaki ninja motorcycle engine that powers a generator. The generator produces electric energy that charges the ultra capacitors, kind of like batteries, and then those batteries power our electric motor which drives our wheels," student Matt Malvezzi said.

Their mission is to develop a car that uses at least 15 percent less gasoline then a regular racecar.

"This competition is much more than about speed. It's about endurance and mobility. In fact, these college kids are using and creating the technology of tomorrow," said Don Anderson, of Daimler Chrysler.

That has already caught the eye of today's big automakers. Executives from Daimler Chrysler and Toyota were mingling with student engineers.

"I know the goal is all about the power and completing cycles but there is a limited amount of fuel. And that's really what drives the need for efficiency," Anderson said.

It doesn't matter which actually crosses the finish line first, as these students are taking the lead in new green automotive technology.

"We hope to be leaders. We want to be out front. We want to go green and go big, and so we stick with the mentality all the time. We hope that people will follow and this competition will grow," student Matt Guernsey said.