BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – The bots have returned to Bristol for the 2nd annual Vex Robotics qualifying event at Bristol Motor Speedway, hosted by Vex Robotics and Sullivan County Schools.

On Thursday, over 60 middle school robotics teams from across the world put their skills to the test as they competed to earn a spot in the world championship in Dallas.

“Students are building robots to play a game called High Stakes, and they have to build and design their robot to compete at a high level,” said Margaret Trent, robotics coach at Sullivan East Middle School.

This is the second time the competition has taken place in Bristol. Many of the students participating this year are returning with experience.

“It was very cool to be able to see teams from all over the country just come in and see how they performed and see ways I could improve whenever I went back to school,” said Sullivan East Middle School student Jayleigh Barrett.

“It really helped me prepare,” said Sullivan Heights Middle School student Iris Gordon. “And I know how to drive better.”

For others, the competition was a new experience and served as an opportunity to compete against some of the best competitors in the world.

“It’s been really good because some of the teams I would never see in a regular tournament. It’s really cool because you never see them, and their robots are cool,” said Kayleigh Sopsher, a Sullivan East Middle School student.

The competition was about more than just the robots. The students said they learned skills that will benefit them outside of the competition.

“There’s a lot of teamwork, building skills, and just kind of communication skills,” said Sullivan East Middle School student Eli Stanley. “And there’s also a lot of STEM skills are being taught.”

“Definitely teamwork and being able to talk to other teams and figure out how they work and just different things of that nature,” Barrett said.

The competition will continue through the weekend. High school teams will begin their portion on Friday.