Carnegie Mellon University said it's Tartan Racing team yesterday became the first team to qualify for the Urban Challenge final event, a robot race with a $2 million first prize that will be run this Saturday in Victorville, Calif.

The team's vehicle, Boss, has been competing in a eries of qualifying runs at the former George Air Force Base. After a Tuesday morning run, demonstrating the vehicle's ability to maneuver in traffic, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency officials excused Boss from its remaining scheduled run.

Later, they announced that Boss had qualified for the race.

By 3 p.m. Tuesday, four other teams -- Cornell, Virginia Tech, the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford -- also had made the race.

Team's qualifying for the final event will compete Nov. 3 in a 60-mile "mission" through cityscape on the base with two-way traffic, stop signs, four-way intersections and other roadway obstacles.

Each must follow California driving code and finish within six hours. The one with fewest mistakes or violations that makes the most efficient run will win $2 million. Second place earns $1 million and third place gets $500,000.