The University of Michigan Solar Car Team Blog: October 2007

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Continuum Repair Pictures

See below for pictures from the World Solar Challenge. Included are pictures of the repairs done to Continuum.

Damage to the lower surface:

Damage to the concentrator canopy:

Damage to the upper surface:

Beginning repairs on the lower surface:

Repaired lower surface:

Repairing the upper surface:

Continuum back on the road!

Continuum charing at a control stop:

Labels: WSC 2007 Season

14 Comments:

Ron Lambert said...: That is clever, using a puddle as a reflector to increase the light level on your solar cell array, while charging during a control stop! Did all the teams do that?

Were there rules against bringing a reflectorized mylar blanket for that purpose?; October 28, 2007 6:11 PM
Anonymous said...: We want more! pics that is ;-)

How about pics and info from Nate?

We have not only been 'visually starved' but 'information starved' here at home.

It was great to see that the team autographed their work - not only with their blood, sweat, and tears - but with their signatures.

WHAT TIME DID CONTINUUM LEAVE DUNMARRA CONTROL STOP?; October 28, 2007 6:35 PM
Travis ('99 WMU Sunseeker) said...: Nice repair work guys and nice finish especially considering the obstacles!; October 28, 2007 6:41 PM
Anonymous said...: deanna just said the team is(right now)on the way to Melbourne where/when they'll ship the car and semi back to the states.

9 hour ride i believe she said.

they'll will spend the night in Melbourne.

the awards ceremony lasted about an hour Sunday night.

...she radioed and no one had access to the 'paper' that showed the time that Continuum left the Dunmarra control stop...; October 28, 2007 10:58 PM
TC Lambert said...: Beautiful pictures. Thank you.

When is the North American Solar Challenge? That is, how long do we have to wait in the dark and the cold until there's another race? Can we invite Team Nuon, even as an honorary competitor, or a guest of one of the universities? Could they take MIT's place, or could Minnesota run Nuna4 for them? I want a rematch! From their blog entry, it sounds like they are willing.

Nice that the team signed their work. I could even read Doug's signature. U of Calgary has excellent pictures of their car, and their crash, set up as slide shows.

Next race, Michigan needs to bring an official videographer/photographer/historian to record everything. And race car driving lessons, and maybe stunt driving lessons for the team's drivers.; October 29, 2007 4:37 PM
jose said...: From the Solar Car listserve, it sounded like Dan Eberle (one of the higher ups for the NASC) opened up the event to all competitors and offered to waive the entry fee for the first foreign team to register.; October 29, 2007 5:44 PM
Ron Lambert said...: TC, the 2008 North American Solar Challenge is scheduled to be run July 13-22. It will be run from Dallas, Texas to Calgary, Alberta, Canada a distance of 2400 miles (3870.96 km). Here is the link to the schedule for ASC:
http://americansolarchallenge.org/event/asc2008/schedule.html; October 29, 2007 5:44 PM
yodamom said...: For those looking for pictures, I found a few with on the WSC Website under Daily Photos. They are sandwiched in between photos of Twente. They are great shots of roadside repair after the crash. Here is the link. There is a great shot of Jeff Rogers making repairs under the canapy. (That would be my boy Garrick directing traffic in the background of another). This team is just awesome. ENJOY!

http://wsc.org.au/Be.Part.of.It/Photos/Sander.Bockting/index.html; October 29, 2007 6:01 PM
Garrick Williams said...: This post has been removed by the author.; October 31, 2007 4:09 AM
TC Lambert said...: Ron, thanks for the link to the North American Solar Challenge website. Their list of current teams entered already includes an international entry, FH Bochum Solar Team from Germany. Their car, Solar World No. 1, came in fourth place in Australia.

Other teams entered include our old friends, Minnesota, MIT, and Missouri-Rolla, and some new teams from the Ohio State University (U of Satan) and Michigan State University (aka Michigan Agricultural College). What fun!; November 1, 2007 4:22 PM
Money Making Blog said...: Wow, I can't wait! Great pics!; November 2, 2007 4:35 PM
RV said...: What a cool ride! Well done there!; November 5, 2007 4:42 PM
Car Donation Tips said...: Good repairing and good result :)
can't wait to see more pictures.; November 6, 2007 4:01 AM
Nuttakorn said...: That's Incredible Solar Car. I think I can imagine in the dream or comic that they have something like this, it is not much like current car but it is future car in 23rd century or something like that. I really like to have one.; November 11, 2007 2:05 AM

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Reflections

Dear Friends, Family and Fans of the Michigan Solar Car Team,

I am Bob Culver, one of the faculty advisors of the team and I have just returned from Australia and would like to share some perspectives with you.

I often say that the Solar Car experience is a self-awareness or awakening of sorts, allowing students to find their own limits – what they can do and what they cannot do. Well, I was half right. This team was tested often. It started with a structural failure in the bulkhead just a few days before they were scheduled to leave for Australia. The team quickly analyzed and fixed the problem such that the resulting structure was stronger than ever. Then came the dust devil in Australia that almost destroyed the array that you have read about in the blog. And then, of course, was the accident. After a short period of shock and a few tears, the team began the arduous task of rebuilding the front end of Continuum. No one needed any inspirational speeches as everyone was working with determination and purpose as soon as the car was back to the Darwin racetrack. It was truly amazing and inspiring to see the car rebuilt and ready for racing in about 10 hours. This team responded to everything and anything that was thrown at them. So, pardon the double negative, the Continuum team never found out what they couldn’t do!

During the qualifying week, the Continuum team continued the Michigan tradition of helping other teams. The team let the Venezuela team borrow a motor when many of their parts got stuck in customs. And the team, with Chito’s help, built a new wheel hub for the Malaysian team after an accident during a qualifying run destroyed their only hub. What goes around, comes around. At the accident scene, a local Darwin gentleman happened by to see the damage. When he saw the damage, he said he had a friend who was an expert in carbon fiber composites. We called the expert, Mr. Mike Butler, and he joined us back at the racetrack pits. Mike brought with him some fast curing resin which turned out the be critical to getting the repairs done quickly.

A special thanks to all the sponsors of this team. You have enabled an experience of a lifetime for a very special group of kids. They may not have finished first, but this team is definitely a group of winners.

Labels: WSC 2007 Season

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Friday, October 26, 2007

Continuum Finishes 7th in Challenge Class

Continuum completed the last 280.7 km of the race in 2 hours and 55 minutes with an average speed of 96.7 km/h. Yesterday we ended with an empty charge on our batteries and today we finished with more than half of a charge remaining. For the Alice Springs to Adelaide half of the race we averaged 89.8 km/h and finished that section of the race only 16 minutes behind Nuon's time. We started this part of the race with well less than half of a battery charge, while they were given time to fully charge their batteries in Alice Springs. Continuum only just barely didn't catch up with the 3 Teams directly in front of us and we should end up in 7^th place in Challenge Class. Overall we passed over 25 Teams on our climb up the ranks after the accident. Continuum was the 4^th Team to cross the finish line. Congratulations to the Nuon Solar Team for their 1^st-place finish.

We must admit, from the beginning our goal was to place with a different finish than we ultimately placed, but at the end of the day we are very happy with how Continuum performed. To us, the first half of the race demonstrates that we are one of the best Teams in the world, while the second half demonstrates that we have one of the best cars in the world. A first place finish almost comes as an empty victory because it doesn't demonstrate how good a Team really is. Only adversity demonstrates this, and having rallied around the crash we were able to show the world just how well we face and conquer it, and how well-prepared the Team was. As we crossed the finish line there were 25 friends and family members who had made the trip to Australia to watch the race and cheer us on. All of us were happy that we could make them proud by completing this race the way that we did.

The World Solar Challenge has left everyone with a desire to continue racing Continuum. We all look forward to participating in the North American Solar Challenge, where we will have the opportunity to show what Continuum is truly capable of. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of our sponsors including our Platinum sponsors: The University of Michigan, The University of Michigan College of Engineering, BHP Billiton, Ford, and General Motors. We would like to thank all of them and we hope that we have made you proud to be a part of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team!

Go Fast, Go Smooth, Go Blue!

Labels: WSC 2007 Season

39 Comments:

dearmania said...: Any chance that photos will appear here on this blog? I know many of us want to see the car and team members.; October 26, 2007 7:25 AM
Keith Bailey said...: You guys have learned more than you relise, and you have made all of us at home very proud! Great job! Cheers! Baileys; October 26, 2007 7:54 AM
Anne said...: WOW! What a spectacular performance! We are all incredibly proud of you - your technical skill, perserverence, and teamwork have been amazing, and you have done a fabulous job showcasing your ground-breaking technology. Your dealings with other teams and businesses along the way is also a great testament to your school and country. Great job! ~The Cramers~; October 26, 2007 7:56 AM
Lauren said...: Congrats to all! Countless people in Minneapolis are cheering for you!!

Much love from MN,

Lauren; October 26, 2007 8:53 AM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations! It has been truly inspiring to follow your team this whole time. I've loved every blog entry and I'm so proud of you all!

Hugs to Steve from his sister,
Lisa; October 26, 2007 8:54 AM
Alex Dowling said...: This race and this team will be remembered by the whole Solar Car community for countless years. Congratulations to everyone is Australia, I can't wait for you (and Continuum) to get back.

NASC next summer is going to be a blast.

Alex Dowling
Interim Strategy Director
Michigan Solar Car Team; October 26, 2007 9:08 AM
Hafiz said...: Good work guys!; October 26, 2007 9:11 AM
Adriaan said...: Congrats folks! Been following what's been going on since the start. What a way to rally from the crash, spirit truly befitting the tradition of Michigan Solar Car teams: Never give up!
Go Blue!
Adriaan Zuiderweg
2001 UMSCT Meteorologist; October 26, 2007 10:48 AM
AussieB said...: Winston Churchill once said that "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference"

I think this Team proved the point.

Congratulations to you all on a battle well fought.

GO BLUE; October 26, 2007 10:58 AM
Wisniewski said...: Go Blue! Go Proud!
Your team has made us very proud to be sponsors. Thank you for the opportunity to be associated with this incredible group of Wolverines.

Congratulations!
Rita & Dean Wisniewski; October 26, 2007 11:05 AM
Anonymous said...: Great Job Big Blue.

I appreciate the challenges and the remakable recovery. Another Churchill saying is to Never, Never, Never Give up.

Take pride in oyour accomplisment.

Go Blue

Dave Sayre; October 26, 2007 11:10 AM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations and well done!! Whenever I think I can't be any more impressed by our students, a new group finds a new way to amaize me. :) You have represented us in the finest spirit and deed of the Michigan Tradition and beyond! Many thanks for the blog and all the efforts of the M Solar Car family current and past.

Rainey, A2; October 26, 2007 11:18 AM
Robert said...: Good work, guys. I look forward to a 1st place finish in NASC this summer. :)

-Robert Vogt IV
'03 & '05 Strategy Director; October 26, 2007 11:48 AM
Anonymous said...: “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are."

The ContinuUM team has shown us who they really are.

Let us show them how truly proud we are.

I would like challenge the supporters to post a comment on our blog for each kilometer ContinuUM traveled for the 2007 Panasonic World Challenge or at least for the number of times we all hit refresh on the various Blogs during the race.

P.S. Hope this doesn't crash the site :-); October 26, 2007 11:54 AM
Anonymous said...: Great job guys.

Your attitude from the crash (posted on dailytech) gave you a big California following.

To us, Michigan is some school from "out there where it is cold". We were walking around at work saying "Go Blue!".

The techology is awesome. I can't wait to see some more uses come from these events.

I thank your sponsors too. With out them, this technology will not progress as rapidly.

Ted; October 26, 2007 12:11 PM
russ said...: Congratulations on the finish!

I can't wait to see what you guys can pull out for NASC in '08. :-)

Russ
UMSCT '97 - '01; October 26, 2007 12:53 PM
Ron Lambert said...: If they make a movie of this year's race, I hope all the Continuum team members will get to play themselves--they are definitely star quality!; October 26, 2007 1:36 PM
Ron Lambert said...: The web page for the 2008 American Solar Challenge lists the UM entry as "Momentum II." Are you going to update this with the name "Continuum"?; October 26, 2007 1:45 PM
Anonymous said...: Hail to the Victors! I've read every post, and cheered you on your great journey. You've just had a once in a lifetime experience. Cherish it!

I participated in the early stages of the "Maize and Blue" team, but graduated before the 1993 race. I've always wondered what the journey through the outback would have been like. I am a bit jealous after reading all the posts, but immensely proud to say I'm an alumnus of the University of Michigan Engineering School! Go Blue, always!

-Doug Geiss
BSME 1992; October 26, 2007 1:54 PM
Anonymous said...: " TC Lambert 2 days later:
Congratulations, Team Nuon on winning yet again. I hate you so much right now. No, I don't, I'm just kidding. Well, maybe I hate you a little. TC Lambert (father of a kid on another team)

TC Lambert about 22 hours later:
Gefeliciteerd, Team Nuon. Once again, your professionalism, demand for quality, and ingenuity came through. Does the race have to end? I'm hooked. I want more. -TC Lambert "

Mr. Lambert, from one parent of a solar race kid to another: Brilliant race and well deserved Congratulations to your team ! Any other kids lined up for the next races ? We're hooked too and fortunately still have one more ready to race Nuna7 in 2013 ! That should be fun ! Until then perhaps ?; October 26, 2007 2:06 PM
Furqan Nazeeri said...: Well done! I hope you get a chance to savor the moment. When you get a chance, please do post some pictures from your journey as I'm sure your fan club would enjoy seeing them.; October 26, 2007 2:08 PM
solarmania said...: On the WSC website is the team of University of Oregon listed under the challenge class with start # 256..... but there is no other reference to them at all. Does anyone know what happened ?; October 26, 2007 4:07 PM
solarmania said...: Oops ! Of course I mean Oregon State ...; October 26, 2007 4:20 PM
ann said...: amazing job you guys! you're hard work and dedication over the past 2 years really came through this past week. no other team could have performed as well as you under such unpredictable circumstances. you had the best car and team out there. we are all so unbelievably proud of all of you. congratulations!; October 26, 2007 4:50 PM
TC Lambert said...: To Tom Carroll: Excellent blog entry. I love it when you throw numbers around. You say Continuum will run in the NASC in '08? Well, by then, you will be able to cruise at the speed limit the whole way. You need more handicap. How about towing a 1000 lb. trailer. Naw, you guys would just design the most aerodynamic trailer in history and still blaze down the road. Is there any way to invite Team Nuon into the NASC?

To Anonymous, who quoted a couple of my "reacties" to the Nuon blog, and has a son who wants to be on the Nuna7 team in 2013: You're Oliver van der Meer's mom, aren't you? I remember Oliver's younger brother posting something about wanting to join the team in 2013. I only have the one son, and I sincerely hope Doug graduates before 2013. He's technically a senior now, though he took this semester off for some reason. By 2013, he could be a multiple PhD, which might be a good thing. He's in Michigan's mechanical division, and I think they did a pretty good job this race. Pretty sure Doug contributed to getting Continuum back on the road.

To all on Team Continuum: Gefeliciteerd! That's Dutch and they used it a lot on Nuon's blog, so I think it's something good. Congratulations on a successful adventure, and an adventurous success. Way more drama than expected, and heroics galore. honestly, though, one of these times I'd like to see Michigan run a clean, boring race--no crashes, no chunks of metal imbedded in the car's nose, just a nice, clean win. Still, being able to repair bad crash damage in a day and then zoom up to finish fourth. Wow! What incredible engineers you're all going to be. No, check that. What incredible engineers you already are.

-TC Lambert (tclambert@gmail.com, proud father of Doug); October 26, 2007 5:35 PM
Maggie said...: Awesome job everybody, I can't wait till the next race! Somebody give Roxanna and the rest of the Ops team a big hug for me!; October 26, 2007 7:21 PM
dearmania said...: i thought when i called, i'd wake deanna up or at the least, disturb the 'partying.' not so. they were getting ready to pack the car or the semi (i forget which one, if not both)for shipment.

the team believes they just may place higher than 7th...they won't know until the awards ceremony.

i could still sense some 'tension' in her voice...

i believe they all are still in 'overdrive' from the experience.

i told her we are getting restless and WANT some pics! she told me she will see what she can do.; October 26, 2007 10:10 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey !, If you would like to watch daily video's of the race:

For the Twente car, thats the car who's using lenses too, they have had an accident too, click on 101 TV BNN:

http://www.solarteam.nl/Solar%20Report/

and for the Nuna car, click on 20-10 World Solar Challenge afl.1 et cetera 1.532 kbps :

http://www.rtl.nl/automotor/worldsolarchallenge/

Michigan had bad luck, Wubbo Ockels said , before the accident, that the Michigan car was the fastest car of all.

The video's are in Dutch, sorry !, but its just for the funnn.

Next time better luck for you all !

Greeting !,
Cu!, Jeroen Verbruggen,
Elementary School Delft,
group 4, The Netherlands/Holland; October 27, 2007 1:10 AM
jose said...: Two questions I had forgotten to ask:

1) If you run Continuum at NASC, are you planning on keeping the concentrators? That seems to be a fantastic leap forward in raycing technology.

2) Did the UAV ever fly?

Jose

97-99'
UMSCT; October 27, 2007 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...: As a father with a son on the team and as an engineer, I was really impressed by your resilience in recovering from the accident and to finish so strong. In the long run what you accomplished this week will have more lasting impact on your professional careers than if you led wire to wire. In the real world sudden problems, accidents, incidents, etc. will occur that will require each of you to make important decisions to help rescue the project you are working on. When this happens to you in the future just remember how you reacted to the crash this week and apply it to your future work. You could have just ended the race and wallowed in your misfortune but you came back to make the best of it.
Everyone on the team, your supporters, your university, your solar car peers on other teams, and especially your sponsors recognize your effort. You had your Appalachian State moment and handled it much better than the football team.; October 27, 2007 11:38 AM
Anonymous said...: " A first place finish almost comes as an empty victory because it doesn't demonstrate how good a Team really is. "

As parents of a solar race kid, we beg to disagree with this statement ! After going thru countless hours of blood, sweat and tears, frustration and sacrifice, plus a complete academic year of full-time work on the project by the whole team, we can assure you that any sweet victory is meaningfull and proof of enormous Team cooperation and perseverance !

Proud Parents of the RED DEVIL on Nuna4.; October 27, 2007 4:05 PM
Anonymous said...: Success is not measured by the position one has reached in life, rather by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed. - Booker T. Washington. Congratulations on your success, Dr. Montgomery; October 27, 2007 4:41 PM
mab said...: “Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors."

Hail to the Victors

GO BLUE; October 27, 2007 8:13 PM
TC Lambert said...: The way you overcame adversity sets the bar pretty high for you future behavior. In a way, that's good and bad. When everybody else says, "Oh, that's too hard. I can't do it." you may be tempted to join their chorus, but that little voice in your head is gonna say, "Hey, wait, I handled that thing with the solar car in '07. I guess this thing is not too hard. I CAN do it. Darn, I guess I will have to do it."

Some people are afraid to try things they think might be beyond them. Some people are afraid to use power tools. Some people are even afraid to use hand tools. You guys will say, "Oh, look, a computer-assisted milling machine. I can figure that out." (Or, if you're my son, "Ooh, can I play with that?")

You can handle pressure. You can handle adversity. You can handle calamity. You can figure out technologies you've never worked with before. You can figure out technologies no one has ever worked with before. That right there is not a bad resume.

In other words, I'm kinda proud of you all, but especially of my son, Doug. I have no fears for what's to become of him in life at all. I just hope your mother and I aren't too much of a burden for you.

-tclambert@gmail.com; October 28, 2007 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...: What you guys accomplished was amazing, but by no means is it the most difficult thing you are ever going to face. It was easier to keep on going with the solar car b/c everyone had already given up so much to get it to Australia and the race was the sole purpose you were even in Australia. Just remember that life is not like that. Things will come up unexpectedly that you hadn't been working for and that you hadn't devoted all your time to, but will still be just as important as the solar car if not more. During those times, you will have to draw on the responsibility you showed during this race.

In my opinion, it's not that you kept going; it's that you did what you had to do when you had to do it. That is the real life lesson.; October 28, 2007 10:49 AM
Anonymous said...: DON'T YOU QUIT!
~By Anonymous~

When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but
DON'T YOU QUIT!

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup; And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver lining of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit...
It's when things seem worst that you
MUST NOT QUIT!; October 28, 2007 11:19 AM
TC Lambert said...: The provisional results pdf file shows Michigan finishing 7th, just nine minutes behind Solar Team Twente. If you subtract 10 hours of repair time, Michigan would have finished (are you ready for this?) third, behind Nuon and Umicore. (What is it with Michigan and third place in Australia?)

Okay, now here's the calculation that will make Team Nuon's fans explode: If you subtract Michigan's first day of actually running, when the car was half repaired and they only went 600 km, I get that Continuum's average speed for the remaining 2399 km of the race was 90.87 kph, EXACTLY THE SAME as Nuna4's to 2 decimal places.

What I would really like to compare is Michigan's elapsed time from the Dunmarra checkpoint to the end of the race vs. everybody's else's. Unfortunately, I cannot find when Michigan left Dunmarra. It's not on the WSC website, nor Michigan's.

Please somebody, give me a number.; October 28, 2007 12:06 PM
Anonymous said...: "If you subtract 10 hours of repair time"

Who is comparing what ?

-repair time Twente One : 5h.28m.
(4x wheel suspension, oa cause
of the wild-grid and they had an problem with the electronicz of the lenses, lenses turning to the sun and the solar-cells under the lenses can move, as the solar-panel can move by a servo, low power 64 % for 37.2 % of the race time).
-repair time Nuna4 : they are not back home, so I can find it, but they had 14 x a flat tire, takes at least 5 minutes (fastest time was stop/drive 2m.54s.) They had an problem with the controller and had to take over 37 caravaans, about 150 cars, they had 3x a problem with the left shock absorber, 1: 16m.18s., 2: 7m.37s., 3: 14m.08s., because of the crosswind (last day SW 11 m.s, burst 14 m.s.)Michigan got the day after 4 m.s., burst 5 ms.). And the Sat.connection was down day 2 and 4, and they where not allowed to go faster then 110 speed limit, between Glendambo and Adelaide, even full batteries and sun power
for 147 km/h. or 93 m/h.

à la comparaison, la différence n'est pas grande !Bienvenue aux combattants de la dernière heure :=_ !

Bonjour tout le monde !, auf Wiedersehen en de groeten!
Jeroen in the house; October 31, 2007 9:51 PM
Anonymous said...: Dunmarra 633 km :

Umicore at 07-10-21 16:05:00
Aurora Challenge 07-10-21 16:13:00
Nuon Solar Team 07-10-21 16:39:00

Adelaide time Finish 2999.7 km :

Nuon Solar Team 07-10-25 16:54:00
Umicore 07-10-26 09:13:00
Aurora Challenge 07-10-26 09:54:00

Bye,Jeroen; November 2, 2007 12:53 AM

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Thursday, October 25, 2007

Continuum Finishes!!

Continuum has now reached Adelaide and has successfully completed the 2007 World Solar Challenge! We completed the race in 46 hours and 3 minutes with an average speed of 65.09 km/hr. This puts us at 36 hours and 2 minutes not including the time lost from the accident with an average speed of 83.83 km/hr! Stay tuned for results as the Teams behind us finish the race! As soon as we hear from the race crew in Australia I'll get a more detailed update as well!

GO BLUE!

Labels: WSC 2007 Season

17 Comments:

Sasha said...: CONGRATULATIONS!!! We are all so proud of you and cannot wait for you to get back! I am very impressed with your comeback and truly proud to be part of this team!

Sasha Voloshina
Electrical '07; October 25, 2007 10:33 PM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations team. Its a proud day for Michigan.

Michael Brackney
05 Momentum; October 25, 2007 10:39 PM
Frederic Barthelemy said...: Amazing job guys. We've worked so long and so hard for this. It's a shame about the crash, but we rallied and definitely showed them what a world class team looks like. I expect to celebrate with all you in Michigan when I come back for a week for Thanksgiving.

Go Blue.

Frederic Barthelemy
Strategy Division, ExCom,
University of Michigan Solar Car Team 2007 Continuum; October 25, 2007 10:47 PM
E Relson said...: Congratz guys. Continuum's the winner in my mind.

(and for the second half of the race, Alice Springs -> Adelaide, word is that we have the fastest time)

The atmosphere was jubilant among the ten of us refreshing our browsers in a CAEN lab.

Go Blue!; October 25, 2007 10:58 PM
Maggie said...: Congratulations on a great finish! You have all done a terrific job and really showed how amazing your team can perform under pressure. It's been fun watching the updates, but I'm sure things are even more exciting on that side of the Pacific. Enjoy it, we're all so proud of you!
Maggie Hayes
'05 Momentum Ops; October 25, 2007 11:01 PM
Anonymous said...: Amazing effort! You make us all proud; what a great comeback! I can't wait to see pictures.

A random fan in Michigan; October 25, 2007 11:03 PM
ashley said...: Congratulations!!

Great job coming back from a challenging situation and doing very well in the race on top of that!

Ashley Milne
'01 Race Crew; October 25, 2007 11:05 PM
dearmania said...: I just called (12:30pm AU)and talked to my daughter Deanna...they were getting out of their cars and getting ready to run with Continuum as it crosses the finish line.

anita; October 25, 2007 11:09 PM
yodamom said...: WOW!!!!!!! Your journey has truly been inspiring. We could not be more proud. "GO BLUE" has just been redefined.

Congratulations!!!!

We Love You, Garrick!!!!

DAD, MOM and Kristen; October 25, 2007 11:30 PM
jose said...: Great job guys! You ran a great race and have added another great chapter to U of M Solar Car team history.

Jose Alvarez
97 & 99 Solar Car Team; October 25, 2007 11:37 PM
Michael Adams said...: Way to go, everybody. Way to stick it out and race the car to the finish. You gained an immense amount of respect throughout the entire solar racing community.

"Well, I guess if a person never quit when the going got tough, they wouldn't have anything to regret for the rest of their life." - Lance Armstrong, Dodgeball.

Michael Adams
Team Mechanical/Ops
Momentum '05; October 26, 2007 12:22 AM
Anonymous said...: Great job guys! Go Blue!

Don Nguyen
Power and Electrical, 05; October 26, 2007 12:39 AM
a southern Oregon fan said...: You made so many people proud of your determination and skills! It was exciting to read about each accomplishment.There can be no doubt the Michigan Solar Car Team has a Winning attitude....
Thank you for all of your work to finish with class!!
Go Blue...
Go smooth and true...
And "continue" going FAST.......; October 26, 2007 12:55 AM
Anita said...: A million times congratulations! You all are fantastic and we are immensely proud of you! Now it's time to relax and breathe.

Leaving love from the home front.; October 26, 2007 1:52 AM
Peter Balogh said...: Congratulations! Your hard work and determination have shown the world the character and spirit of the Michigan tradition. Go Blue!

Peter Balogh
Crew Chief, Momentum; October 26, 2007 3:29 AM
Donna Adams said...: Congratulations on a courageous and outstanding race!!! It was great fun to relive the thrills of 05 by reading your blog updates every day, and the entire team has much to be proud of.

GO BLUE!

Donna & Steve Adams
'05 Momentum Parents; October 26, 2007 6:56 AM
Lauren said...: Wish I could have been there cheering for you at the finish line, but I'm sure Beth and Jim Ignaut were trigger-happy supporters, documenting the whole thing so I'll get the full report next week.

Congrats to you all! What a testament to all of your hard work this adventure of a WSC has been!

So happy for you all!

Bring on the NASC!! WOOT WOOT; October 26, 2007 8:49 AM

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Day 4 Recap

Today we started 1,977km into the race, 45 km north of Cadney Homestead. We had an astonishingly quick day through the Cadney and Glendambo Control Stops. We cruised at between 91 km/hr and over 100 km/hr, which is marvelous considering that we ended Wednesday with an empty battery pack. Continuum covered 720 km and reached Port Augusta with an average speed of 92 km/hr for the day. We had our first flat tire and were able to change that tire in less than 8 minutes! Continuum has made up nearly 2 hours on Twente, at least another hour on the Southern Taiwan Solar Car Team, and about one hour on Solar World. At this point we are in, at worst, 13^th place overall in the race. With 280km left, we will be starting the day at the Port Augusta control stop, where we arrived at 5:08pm today. Nuon arrived at the end of timing but they have not gone through the finish, and to our knowledge no other teams have reached the end of timing. It was another great day of racing and we’re excited to have made up nearly 8 hours on our closest competitors. The Team coming out of this race is so very different from the one that started it. Spirits are unbelievably high and everyone is greatly excited about how Continuum has performed in the first 2700km of the World Solar Challenge.

GO BLUE!!

Labels: WSC 2007 Season

17 Comments:

dearmania said...: when i told deanna on the day of the crash, i knew Continuum would finish the race, i never dreamed...

i agree with a post the other day - this is 'movie material'

many of us will be up late today watching/waiting for Continuum's finish.

on down the home stretch team!!!; October 25, 2007 9:22 AM
Mark said...: You are doing fantastic work! I have been checking the blog many times each day to see how you're doing. I am proud to be associated with such a persistent, hardworking, and classy team! GO BLUE!

-Mark Eadie
2001 Race Crew; October 25, 2007 10:18 AM
Anonymous said...: What you guys have done is truly inspiring! I can't wait to hear all the stories when you return. Keep up the good work, and Go Blue!

-Adam Smed.; October 25, 2007 11:03 AM
Anonymous said...: I believe that I can speak for all of us on campus that how you have handled adversity is especially impressive and exemplifies what we mean be "Leaders and Best!" You are all Winners in my eyes!

Brian Gilchrist
Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering; October 25, 2007 12:32 PM
E Relson said...: I'm failing to see how the car could be in 13th place. Going by the WSC blog, we're one of only five teams to reach Port Augusta... So we're no worse than 5th place, right?

Regardless, Go smooth, fast and safe, and Go blue :); October 25, 2007 12:44 PM
MAX ROSS said...: Each team stayed in the Alice Spring checkpoint for a different length of time. Nuna was there for over a day, and we were there for only 30 minutes. We even left Alice Springs before some teams ahead of us.

That makes these last two days even more impressive because the teams in front of us were able to get a full battery charge in Alice Springs, and we are still going faster.; October 25, 2007 1:35 PM
Alex Dowling said...: When checking the WSC blog, one needs to remember about Alice Springs. For the Challenge Class, the three leaders (Nuon, Umicore & Aurora) were released from Alice Springs with the same time spacing as they arrived. Teams after that were released every ten minutes (including us). Therefore, if we pass a team and cross the finish line before them, they may still place higher than us. In the end, it is based on elapsed time.

Alex Dowling
Interim Strategy Director
Michigan Solar Car Team; October 25, 2007 1:37 PM
Robert said...: It's by elapsed race time - Michigan didn't get to stop at Alice Springs, so they were accumulating race time while other teams were sitting... In the challenge class, that would put them in 9th, behind Twente.

Nice job team; I'm happy you were able to pull something out of this race and demonstrate some of the new technologies you've developed.

Robert Vogt IV
Strategy Director
Michigan '03 & '05; October 25, 2007 1:42 PM
Furqan Nazeeri said...: I think the issue is that it's possible that teams behind us in physical position are ahead of us in terms of cumulative elapsed time because other teams were held at the "control stop" in Alice Springs (during which time the race clock was not ticking...unline when Michigan was repairing it's car in Darwin) for a period of time whilst Michigan was not.; October 25, 2007 2:03 PM
Wisniewski said...: We remember the mental toughness and sharpness of the 2005 team in challenging NASC penalties to retain the lead. They kept cool heads in the WSC during the road train debris incident when they astutely used the rules to get the driver out of the car without penalty. Their execution was IMPRESSIVE!

Team Continuum, what you are accomplishing takes overcoming adversity to a higher level -- AMAZING! From CEOs to receptionists, your tenacity and prowess is being admired. We are proud of you, praying for you, and excited to see how high you will excel.

No wonder a wolverine can take on a bear.

Rita & Dean Wisniewski; October 25, 2007 2:12 PM
TC Lambert said...: Hail, hail to Michigan, their mechanics are the best!

-TC Lambert (tclambert@gmail.com); October 25, 2007 4:59 PM
dmass said...: Keep up the great work guys and gals. I wish you the best on the last leg of the race. You truly are doing amazingly well.

I can't wait to see the final results and celebrate your success along with you. I wish I could be in Adelaide celebrating, rather than half a world away.

I can't wait to hear all the stories from the road first hand.

-Dave Masselink
05 Race Crew; October 25, 2007 6:14 PM
TC Lambert said...: According to the "Day 3 Update," Michigan "had 10 hours and 2 minutes of down time from repairs during the first 2 days of the race." It also coincidentally said Continuum was officially 10 hours and 2 minutes behind Umicore. Does that mean Michigan's real elapsed racing time equals the team in second place? Still not enough to catch Nuna4. Does that 10 hour, 2 minute figure include the electrical problems during the Dunmarra leg of the race?

In other words, without the crash and with a clean run, could you maybe possibly have dethroned the Dutch powerhouse from Delft?

Anyone up for a rematch?

-TC Lambert; October 25, 2007 7:34 PM
Alex Dowling said...: For those dieing for an update...

Preliminary information indicates that the crew hopes to finish the race in about 1 hour. They are currently going as fast as possible, only limited by the speed limit and traffic. Once they cross the finish line and we receive confirmation, Tom will post on the blog.

Alex Dowling
Interim Strategy Director
Michigan Solar Car Team; October 25, 2007 9:16 PM
gjs said...: Just talked to Deanna,they have 10kms to go to hit the timing area.; October 25, 2007 9:57 PM
TC Lambert said...: WSC blog says Michigan and TIGA reached Angle Vale 11:35 AM local time. That's about 10:05 here.; October 25, 2007 10:14 PM
TC Lambert said...: WSC provisional results have Michigan and Ashiya University both at Angle Vale at 11:33.; October 25, 2007 10:17 PM

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Brief Control Stop Update

Continuum has just passed through the Glendambo Control Stop around 1:30pm Australia time. Based on the GPS data we seem to have made it there without any stops and we should be able to make it most of the way to Port Augusta before the end of the day!

We recently learned that the Stanford Solar Car Team was involved in a race-ending accident. Our Team is very sorry to hear this as we have had a very good relationship with their Team since the beginning of this project. We are very thankful to hear that no one was injured in the Stanford accident and hope that they are able to repair their car for the upcoming North American Solar Challenge!

Labels: WSC 2007 Season

9 Comments:

Frederic Barthelemy said...: We're actually parked for the night past Port Augusta. Gearing up for a last day sprint into