The University of Michigan Solar Car Team Blog

Arrival in Omaha

2008-07-15T23:10:00.004-04:00

We arrived at the Omaha checkpoint at around 4:40 PM and left at 5:10 PM. Taking the alternate route, we drove until 5:45 PM before stopping to charge. Therefore, we will start tomorrow at 7:45 AM, planning on making it to the next Stage Stop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the late morning/early afternoon. Tonight we are getting hammered by some severe thunderstorms, but are managing to keep pretty dry in our shelter. Tomorrow we can expect some debris and residual flooding on the roads to keep our scout car busy.

After stopping to charge, one car of team members doubled back to the Omaha checkpoint, where we came upon Principia's team. Principia arrived at around 5:40 PM, an hour later than us (they left Neosho in second, one minute after us). It was nice getting to catch up with Principia's team members and advisors--they were, as always, very kind and welcoming (they even offered us rice krispie treats and cookies!).

Reports from Principia members confirm that Minnesota left Neosho a half hour late due to their turn signals. Additionally, three of the four MPPTs they were using had malfunctioned. Hopefully they will be able to get their MPPT situation resolved in Sioux Falls. According to Missouri S&T (who are camped 50 miles south of Omaha according to their blog at http://solar42.mst.edu/), they passed Minnesota and Calgary--Waterloo also had a strong day. Hopefully we can piece together a clearer picture of the entire field tomorrow once we get into Sioux Falls.

Overall, a fast, sunny day with many miles traveled! In fact, we almost beat race officials to Topeka. Our weather car arrived at the Topeka stop while officials were at lunch, but the officials did a good job setting up before the rest of the caravan could get there. We'll try again to beat them next time ;)

Nearing Omaha

2008-07-15T17:38:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all the comments on the blog! We did enter Topeka at 1:11:35. We are now just a few miles out of the Omaha checkpoint. By the way, the route was changed last night to avoid the crazy hills in downtown Omaha. The route is now 15 miles longer but we get to avoid the large loss of power going up those hills.

Go Fast, Go Smooth, Go BLUE!

Into Topeka

2008-07-15T14:04:00.001-04:00

We are just arriving in Topeka and we will serve 30 minutes at the checkpoint. From there we will continue down the route to Omaha. With bright sun and clear skies, Continuum is performing quite well! More to follow.

Out of Neosho

2008-07-15T10:25:00.001-04:00

And we are off. I am back in chase sending updates via my phone. After a nice relaxing day at the Neosho stage stop we are back on the road leaving the stage stop first at 9:00:00 am. The official standings were released this morning and we stand 35 min 37 sec ahead of the second place team Principia with an elapsed time of 8:10:28. Principia suffered a 20 min penalty giving them an elapsed time of 8:46:05.

Behind Principia stands Minnisota in third with a total time of 9:07:45. FH Bochum stands at 9:57:26. Missouri S&T is in 5th with 10:00:22. Next up Red River has 11:30:56. Waterloo is at 11:35:01, Calgary is at 12:30:34, Kentucky is at 15:29:56, and Iowa State is at 17:49:09. Next up at 11th is Queen's with 18:16:36. Right behind is Arizona at 18:17:18. Lastly Northwestern is at 19:09:09. I apologize for the format of this info. I cannot figure out how to do tables on my phone.

Yesterday we received our penalty sheet, which showed that our team received no penalties for the first stage! Congrats to Bochum, Missouri S&T, Red River, Waterloo, Calgary, Kentucky, and Queen's for also amassing no penalty time. We also received yellow hats for being the winner of the first stage stop.

Lastly I would like to congratulate Iowa State for qualifying and both Oregon State and Durham for joining us and we wish you much luck (or rather much skill) all the way to Calgary.

Go Fast, Go Smooth, Go BLUE!

Arrival Times into Neosho

2008-07-14T13:51:00.005-04:00

Arrivals in Neosho as of Monday 1:00 PM:
Team (Start Pos)	Arrival in Neosho
Sunday
Michigan (1)	17:40:28
Principia (8)	18:03:05
Monday
Minnesota (2)	08:17:45
Bochum (6)	09:27:26
Missouri S&T (3)	09:30:22
Red River (7)	11:00:56
Waterloo (12)	11:05:01
Calgary (4)	12:00:34

Weather in Neosho is sunny, meaning most teams who arrived here early should leave with a good charge. The cloudy weather in Texas and Oklahoma was rough for many teams. Minnesota had their MPPTs fail at 11:00 PM on Saturday, but Principia lent them some spare Biel MPPTs (the top of the line MPPTs that both Principia and we use). These MPPTs had to be reprogrammed to be configured for Minnesota's array, so we are currently lending Minnesota the necessary tool to do so (Arizona had lent them one the other night, though it was done incorrectly, and Arizona has not arrived in Neosho yet).

First into Neosho

2008-07-13T19:56:00.002-04:00

We finished the afternoon riding clear skies into Neosho, Missouri, home of the first Stage Stop at Crowder College. We were the first team to arrive, coming in at 17:40:28, nearly an hour before the close of the stop at 6:30 PM. After arriving, we held the array of our car in front of a puddle, so that we could get some extra reflected light while charging. At 6:00 PM, we were able to move our array onto its stand, where it will remain until batteries are impounded at 8:30 PM.

Shortly after moving the array onto the stand, Principia College arrived in second place. Their arrival time was 18:03:05. Principia started the day in 8th place, leaving Plano at 9:07 AM, so they are unofficially 16 minutes behind us (starting order and interval times for the next stage will not be finalized until 7:00 AM Tuesday). No other teams came into Neosho before the close of the control stop at 6:30 PM. Therefore, it will be us and Principia here at Crowder College tonight, being joined by other teams tomorrow. Tomorrow we will be allowed to charge our batteries in the morning and evening, and will have the day off to work, recover, and mingle with the other teams. On Tuesday, we will have another morning charge, and will then leave at 9:00 AM.

Despite the bad weather and a few minor electrical problems today, we are all happy to have arrived in Neosho in first, widening the gap between our nearest competitors. We look forward to the day off, and to the next week of racing.

Over half way to Neosho

2008-07-13T17:16:00.000-04:00

We are currently over half way to Neosho (actually we are about 50 miles out). We have also passed Minnesota and we are back in the lead.

Go fast, Go smooth, Go BLUE!

Out of McAlester

2008-07-13T14:16:00.001-04:00

We have just left McAlester at 1:11:36 just behind minnesota. They left at 12:54:27. We are now on our way to Neosho under sunlight. The drive to McAlester was under clouds and we used a decent amount of power, but now we are charging!

Checkpoint 1: McAlester

2008-07-13T13:41:00.000-04:00

Well we have made it to McAlester, the first checkpoint on the race. We have traveled through some light rain and had a few issues with the motor controller making us pull over for two very short stops. Excellent job to the lead and chase cars for being prepared and for knowing their jobs.

Also I apologize for any mistakes or spelling errors as I am posting these updates from my phone in chase.

While on the previos leg we were passed by Minnesota, Missouri S&T, Kentucky, and Principia. We then passed all but Minnesota shortly after they passed us.

Go fast, Go smooth, Go BLUE!

Update from Scout!

2008-07-13T12:35:00.002-04:00

Greeting from Scout ( the lesser known support vehicle in a Solar Car caravan)!

Very little is known about us. We're one of the few teams to have a Scout Car with a dedicated group of student to actively clear the road of any potential hazards to the Solar Car. We'll brush off gravel, shovel road kill, move mountains (okay we're still working on moving mountains), etc to get a clear path for the solar car.

In Short, we put "smooth" in "Go Fast, Go Smooth, Go Blue"

So today was pretty mild, unfortunately ... for us. We've so far had to stop for the following:

- Towel (Favorite one so far!)
- Bird
- Opossum
- Shattered Brick
- Left over Fast food (Yummy)
- Metal Plate
- Rope (Hopefully what ever it was tying down is still tied down!)
- Glove (right hand)

More to come! Got to go, we've got road hazards!

Love,
Scout

On our way

2008-07-13T10:17:00.002-04:00

We are currently on the road! Our support vehicles left right on time with weather leaving at 8:30 and scout leaving at 8:50. Continuum left 10 minutes later at 9am sharp. The starting line setup was great. Unlike WSC, all the support vehicles were already lined up in order. As the solar car came through the start line our lead vehicle was already in front ready to go. Chase pulled in behind and were off. With a police watching the turn onto the road we took off down the race route. We are now 6 miles out. More updates to come soon.

Race Day

2008-07-13T06:56:00.001-04:00

Race day begins quite early as the team is currently traveling to Plano. Getting Continuum out, doing a full inspection, and then getting ready for the all team photo will take us to 7am. Continuum will then be at the star line no later than 8:45. By the way, we have officially won pole position and will cross the start line first at 9am.

We have also made a few modifications to the team in the past couple days. I would like to welcome Paula Harrison back to the team. Paula was a driver for Continuum in the 2007 Panasonic World Solar Challenge and she will be driving again in NASC. We are also inviting two Western Michigan students to join our team and travel with us as unfortunately they did not qualify this year.

Good luck to all the 15 teams competing today and my sympathy to the teams that did not qualify; we look forward to seeing you in the next WSC or NASC!

As the day progresses I will continue to update the blog via my phone with quick status updates!

Go fast, Go smooth, Go BLUE!!

Qualifying Completed

2008-07-11T20:14:00.002-04:00

We have successfully completed our second day of qualifying at the MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. From our calculations, we drove enough laps in the two days to earn pole position for NASC 2008!

After nearly a week at the MotorSport ranch in Cresson, we have left for Dallas, where we will be staying prior to the race start in Plano. On tonight's agenda is dinner with the Alumni Club of Dallas, along with a number of fans and supporters currently in the area. Many thanks to all of those who visited us at the track this week--it was great to have such an enthusiastic crowd to cheer us on.

Today we started the second day of qualifying 38 laps up on Calgary and roughly 60 laps ahead of Minnesota. I was in Continuum for the first two hours of the day, then handed off driving to Brooke for another two hours. Two hours later, at 1 PM, Brooke pulled in for relief and we switched from Sava moped tires to Michelin Solar Radial tires. We had been using the moped tires for their durability on track, though we wanted to run a few laps on the track using our racing configuration.

After a few laps on Michelin tires, I came back in and we swapped in our new front suspension for the first time. This suspension was machined by Paul Relf from our sponsor Viper Technologies in Torrance, California. With this part, we were able to run an NGM motor capable of generating more horsepower to get us around the track quicker. Despite time on the side of the road for the tire and suspension changes, we were able to keep ahead of Minnesota and Calgary, who both spent significant time making repairs.

Although offical results will not be verified until later tonight, we expect to come away with pole position. This should put us in control for the beginning of the race, allowing us to run our own strategy and not waste power passing other teams. Thanks to all the team members, sponsors, alumni, family members, friends, and other supporters who made this possible. We'll have more updates as the race gets closer!

Qualifying Update

2008-07-10T17:15:00.002-04:00

My apologies for not posting this update sooner, but I've been in and out of the car most of the day. I was in the car when the team completed our first 60 laps of qualifying, quicker than any other team--making us the first team to qualify for NASC! It was a hot and grueling 60 laps during the morning, and I was in the car for over 3.5 hours to prepare for and complete these laps. We were the only team that did not have to exit the track between 9:00 AM and 12:30 AM--a testament to Continuum's reliability and our team's strength.

Brooke got in the car after I finished my 60 laps, and has since completed over the 15 laps required for each driver. We are currently first place in laps completed. Our biggest competitor from the beginning of the day, Minnesota, has spent a significant amount of time in the pits with both electrical and mechanical problems. Once the track closes at 6:00 PM we'll surely have some more detailed numbers posted.

Michigan has completed Scrutineering!

2008-07-10T09:40:00.006-04:00

As for 7am this morning, we have passed the braking test and completed the final scrutineering station, dynamics! Of the eight stations, we now have green stickers in all eight. Yesterday, the officials also came by with the equipment to measure our array and upon inspection, we passed as well.

That means we are now ready to race on the track. The track qualifying event begins today in 15 mins and will last two full days. Each team needs to complete 60 laps to qualify. After this is completed we will continue to run on the track to amass as many laps as possible. The team with the most laps, starts the race Sunday morning first.

The car is currently driving to the track and will be ready to start racing at 9am sharp! Steve will be our first driver and Brooke will follow this afternoon.

A few pictures...

2008-07-09T20:29:00.004-04:00

John timing a braking test prior to our departure for Texas. TruckNTow.com provided much of our safety equipment including flags and safety vests. SportsCounters.com provided each race crew member with a stopwatch for just such occasions.
Unloading Continuum on the track in Cresson, TX.
Passing the figure 8 test during scrutineering.
Our sleeping quarters, provided by Base-X. This was before we set up a second Base-X tent for working on the car.
A Whelen strobe light was taken from one of our support vehicles and added to the solar car in order to pass regulations.

Thank you to all of our new sponsors!! (Image of the new logo on the semi.)

The Meaning of Solar Car

2008-07-09T17:48:00.010-04:00

The 2007 University of Michigan Solar Car Team race crew ended up as a remarkably accomplished wave of new students. It included students ranging from Mechanical to Aerospace to IOE to LSA to the School of Education. Each one of us had traded a career of accomplishment to vest themselves in the same altruism that was felt by Solar Car Alumni years ago. I for one stared wide-eyed into a life that would change me as much as it had changed the Solar Car Team members before me.

This was the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, Project: Continuum. There would be nothing else like it on or off campus and I knew that after my time on the Solar Car Team, I would be like nothing else on or off campus. The only thing that the Solar Car Team promised me and everyone on Race Crew is that we'd get the opportunity to prove ourselves. Indeed, most of us did. I for one scrambled to define my role on the team. I knew that Michigan Race Crew Alumni could teach a monkey to build the entire car; what they wanted instead, was someone strong and smart enough to know when to push the car farther and when to back off. Race Crew members are not mindless workers facing a generic race. This was a race that demanded the heart of every team and this was a team that runs on the business of discipline and dedication. The Solar Car Team wanted everything from me and I must admit that there were points in time when I felt everything was too much. I knew though, I had volunteered for this job and I could quit anytime I liked. But that would accomplish nothing.

As time went past, the true meaning of Solar Car Team surfaced. It didn't simply stand for Solar Car Team. It stood for Strength, Courage, and Teamwork. Strength to hold on not only as an individual but also as a team through the best and the worst, Courage to redefine and push the limits of solar car racing with every passing year and Teamwork to accomplish any task, any problem as a team and knowing that we would succeed and fail only as a team and nothing less. Soon for all of us on Race Crew, “Solar Car Team” slowly became our first, middle and last name.

As a team we grew, but a team isn’t built overnight. There were times when we all sat in a classroom at a mandatory meeting to discuss our feelings. I waited for someone to fire up the warm soapy tub and start singing "kumbaya". Never happened. Sitting in a circle, I knew the sentiment seemed common. Even though some of us stood on the edge of self implosion, it seemed to be no one else's business. But I was wrong. It was. As a team we came to know each other’s strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes better than anyone else on earth. We knew things girlfriends, boyfriends, dads and moms will never think to ask, see things that no one else would ever understand and bare things no one else would want to see. Words like brother and sister came out because in many ways, we work on a level of trust few people ever know. We succeeded because of our trust in each other: 23 hands with one heart. Work together and live. Fragment and die. The rules are so elegantly simple. These rules would be understood soon enough for all of us.

The overwhelming sense of loss we felt is difficult to explain even now. We as a team hadn't known a whole lot of failure, yet that moment, that image still engraved in our minds, made the whole two years seem like a waste. It gripped us as the single greatest mistake of our life. Just being there. For an entire summer, we focused all our energy on building and preparing to race the best solar car the world would see. We also invested ourselves into the process of developing the best team that ever assembled. Then within the course of 5 minutes, it all went away. All the work. All the sacrifice. All the prayers. My mind flipped back through every lesson the Solar Car Team had taught me, from the first hand experiences, to Solar Car Alumni instructions to the Solar Car Team's motto: "Go fast, go smooth, go blue".

I now understand that what happened at the World Solar Challenge will weigh on me a little longer than I had originally thought. During my lifetime at Australia, I'd strolled the years of my life, guessing, believing, regretting, hoping. I'd read books, written documents, watched movies, consumed who knows how many gallons of water, all in hope of getting home with my head in one piece. My dreams replayed the sound of terror raging through; faces appeared as a slow parade. I woke up and laid there with a wrenching sadness in my stomach. All I wanted at that moment was to run back in time.

A few days later, I took a stroll out in the nearby hills of my hometown, Fremont. The place begged me to return to Australia Nothing pleased me. I realized then that I could go anywhere and do anything I wanted, but it would not make much of a difference. There's no place I haven't already been. Right then, I knew what lay ahead. What I had to do. No sorry, what WE as a team needed to do. We as a team couldn't fall. Falling down wouldn't help. Lots of other people depended on us. Each and every one of us could run as far as we wanted, regretting, hoping, as I’ve done in the hills, but the real destination lay inside us. The voices in us that reminded us of the World Solar Challenge and what happened. As long as we live, they will be with us.

I spent the next few hours on the plane back to Michigan remembering what I was taught about in standing up to the consequences of failure and watching my days in Australia flash in front of me in less time it took for me to compose this. In that moment, I remembered what it was that made me and probably everyone else on Race Crew join the Solar Car Team to begin with—A challenge, A cause. We didn’t join for a grade, for money or for anything else. For most, Solar Car had very little to do with our future lives: lawyer, biomedical engineer, artist, school administrator. If that cause is not meaningful enough to withstand the test of a couple falls, then it isn't worth investing our lives in. You can't just give up and die the first time someone knocks you down. Right then, I realized how I’d lost myself. It didn’t really have much to do with Australia, the World Solar Challenge, or my summer in Ann Arbor. It had to do with me. I'd stood too long in the Solar Car Team’s model of excellence. Selection bred it. Race Crew grew it. Months on the team made it part of my inner self. But it’s just a myth. Sometimes the strongest men and women fail, even with the best intentions. There were many gifts that have been given to Race Crew. One of them is weakness. Another is the ability to accept it.

I could remember the start at the World Solar Challenge—the countdown. It was just our Race Crew and the world. This moment. All the choices that we made thus far summarized in one immeasurable consequence. That quickly, it could be over. We breathe. Sometimes the most important decisions are the ones you don't make. My mind turned to Rogers, Brooke, Sarah, and all of Race Crew—All heroes in their own way. There's Rogers teaching a wide-eyed new kid on solar car how to wire up a GM vehicle without getting himself killed. There's Sarah, who dragged me back into a world that made sense every time I drifted away. There's Brooke, leading and showing me the way toward something new and better. And in every picture, someone pulls me deeper into the moment, a greater truth. I see my family waiting for me to come home. Their smiles raise me, no matter how difficult the scene or painful the recollection. They save me when I fall.

"Five"
I'm a 20 year old. A two and half year member of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team. This is my 1st race on Race Crew. In some ways I feel like I’ve been training for this all my life. In some ways I feel like I have no idea what my next move is. No matter what happens, I know my team is behind me

"Four"
You think about all the hundreds of tests run you've done, the hundreds of bolts you screwed in. The very first hour of the day to the last hour, we’ve worked. We practice until our hands go numb. Continuum is our pride and proof of our team’s success

"Three"
The Sun is our fuel, our power and here, our entire universe boils down to a solar car and 25 human beings working in concert to run the best race with no error.

"Two"
Keys in ignitions, array online, computers powered up, sunglasses on, gloves on, seat belts click. This was our time to shine; our time to show the world what it means to be a Michigan Wolverine, our time to prove our excellences.

"One"
And so it begins. Go Fast, Go Smooth, Go Blue.

* * * *

Arriving back from the World Solar Challenge in Australia, I wanted to tone back on Solar Car and focus my life on academics, not that my Solar Car experiences were mediocre in anyway. There will be nothing in my life that would be on par with the experiences that the team has given me. More than a course, the team showed us that academics were necessary and at the same time that we were scratching the tip of the iceberg of what the real world entailed. It was the middle of January when there was talk of having an entirely new race crew assembled to race our car for the North American Solar Challenge. It was the same car that we placed our sweat and tears into from Ann Arbor to Australia, from the initial mold to the crash to the finish line.

We as a team came together and after much deliberation, we realized that even though most of us were done with solar racing, we simply were not finished with the team. Greater than just myself, the team had one more chance to prove to the world what Michigan was capable of. We all had unfinished business on the team and this would be the time to finish it. No one knew the car better than we did. No one knew each of the members of the race crew the way we knew each other’s strengths, weakness, likes, and dislikes. We succeeded, as a team in Australia, because of our trust in each other and we were going to show it once more.

I rejoined the team in charge, once again, of race crew and support vehicle outfitting and communication. Reunited, most of us, we set out to show the world what they missed in the World Solar Challenge. At the same time new members of Race Crew have joined us in our journey. I smile every time I see each and every one of them. In many ways, they were reflections of who we were a year ago and their enthusiasm reminds us of the many people, young and old, we inspire every single year. From long public relations events to a simple drive by, the amazement and joy we pass on is immeasurable on any scale. My every move everyday has changed because of how much I want to instill in their minds with the experiences that have been laid upon me ever since I started.

With each passing day, filled of hope and pride, we will continue to move forward together--no matter what. I know for me, it has been and still is a huge honor to have the opportunity to race alongside so many magnanimous students. For some of us, the journey is coming to a close, for most our journey has only begun. One team, one heart, one dream, one sun, one car.

One.

-Richard Ho

2 Days of Scrutineering Complete

2008-07-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

Nearing the end of day two of scrutineering our team finds itself with just two more stations to complete: array and dynamics.

Scrutineering lasts three days and is made up of eight stations that are used to ensure each team meets regulations and has both a safe car and a safe team. The eight stations are support, array, electrical, battery protection, mechanical, driver, body & sizing, and dynamics. The only station that does not relate directly to the solar car is the support station. This station ensures that the support vehicles have the proper equipment and that the team is practicing proper safety techniques. After demonstrating our safety procedures and getting a couple pointers from the safety officer, we were able to properly demonstrate safe roadside procedures and pass the station.

The array station checks for array power and measures the array to ensure it fits to regulations. We have passed most of the station, but we are still awaiting officials to create the templates needed to ensure we have the correct number of solar cells on our car. Hopefully officials will have the templates completed tomorrow. The electrical station looked into all electrical components of the solar car and was coupled with battery protection (BPS). BPS is important as it shuts off the battery pack if any battery module goes over voltage, gets too hot, or meets a few other non-safe conditions. We passed both these stations on our first pass!

Next we have the mechanical station. Receiving a yellow sticker at this station on Monday meant we had three things to fix on the vehicle. Returning to the station this afternoon, we have now received a green sticker and have cleared the mechanical station. We also weighed in our driver, passed egress (the driver was able to get out of the vehicle in under 10 seconds), and passed the driver station. Next up we have the body & sizing station. This station inspects the vehicle to ensure it meets many of the remaining regulations such as the size of the vehicle, the presence and intensity of lights, the visibility of the driver, and many others. Passing this station on Monday with a yellow sticker, we returned today and received a green sticker.

Following the main stations is dynamics. Teams must complete driver, body & sizing, mechanical, electrical, and battery protection with at least a yellow sticker before attempting to pass the dynamic station. Attending this station on Monday, we passed the turning tests, the figure eight test, and the slalom test. We need to return and repeat the U-turn test, and complete the dry and wet breaking. Unfortunately as soon as we were ready to return today, a large storm hit Cresson, Texas. With rumors of hail, we decided to put the car away and attend the station early tomorrow morning, when the station opens. While putting away the tent, our team took advantage of the Base-X tents. Within minutes of deciding to pack up camp for the upcoming storm, our team set up wind lines on the main tent and had a second tent set up for shelter.

And now the team prepares for sleep and heads to bed. Until tomorrow, good night!

Work at Cresson MotorSport Ranch

2008-07-08T15:48:00.006-04:00

Our first full day at the Cresson MotorSport ranch saw us wake up early to simulate a morning charge. Set up in a grassy field between the garages and the race track, our team was the lone team at the track besides Durham University. While Australian race regulations permitted the team to start charging at sunrise, North American race regulations keep the team's battery locked and impounded from 8:00 PM until 6:30 AM. Therefore, as much as we enjoyed waking up at 4:30 in Australia to charge, we had to wait until 5:15 AM to wake up.
Charging in the morning

During the morning charge, we took the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the facilities while eating breakfast. Most importantly, team members had the opportunity to shower without having to wait for 20 other teams.
Camp at MotorSport Ranch

Following our morning charge, we took advantage of the empty lot to drive Continuum around for a few tests. Although the track at the ranch remains closed to solar car teams and support vehicles until Wednesday, we did have time to watch track members drive around the 3.1-mile road course. In great contrast to most of the race route, the track at the MotorSport ranch provides for a number of hills and curves. The track should be quite a challenge for most teams, as the elevation changes and camber of the turns both require a lot of extra horsepower--something no team here has. On Thursday and Friday, teams will have a chance to complete as many laps as possible around the track for the race's pole position--it should be quite interesting to see all the cars on the track at once!

In the afternoon, team members made runs to pick up some items that were needed at the track, as well as picking up a team member from the airport, Chris Hilger. Chris, who has been working on procurement of materials for the 2009 car, will be serving as an observer for the race. When John Federspiel, Sarah Napier, and Chris left the airport, they were able to pick up some titanium that will become part of our 2009 vehicle, Infinium. Thanks to S R Sales Co, near Fort Worth, for sponsoring the team and allowing us to obtain titanium for our next vehicle.
Sarah and John with Marty from SR Sales

In the afternoon, race officials and other teams began to arrive at the ranch, filling the parking lot with a variety of solar cars, trailers, and support vehicles. After months of hard work spent preparing Continuum for the race after Australia, it was a good change seeing all the other teams that have been working hard to ready their vehicles as well.
Teams set up at the ranch

Once all the officials had arrived, our team filled out registration papers and completed driver weigh-in. For NASC, drivers weighing under 80 kg (176 lbs) must carry extra ballast to even out the playing field. Our drivers took very deep breaths while on the scale, but in the end, both were forced to carry quite a bit of extra weight.

In the evening, many teams continued work on their vehicles, while others settled down for the night. While some teams left the ranch for the night, those who remained returned to their tents around the track. We went to bed, preparing for Monday's first set of scrutineering tests.

Arrival in Texas

2008-07-06T14:28:00.002-04:00

Last night our team arrived at the MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas, site of scrutineering and qualifying for the 2008 North American Solar Challenge. Our arrival came after two full days of driving from Michigan covering over 1200 miles, as well as a stay in Dallas, Texas. The team will be staying overnight at the MotorSport ranch through Friday, living out of our support trailer and taking cover in our portable shelter. Thankfully, there are air-conditioned facilities for team members to use at the track, though showers are quite limited--this may prove uncomfortable as the week's temperatures hover at over 95 degrees.
Camp at the MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas

The team's voyage to Cresson began Wednesday evening, when the semi trailer departed our workspace with Continuum. Once again, America's Transportation Resources (ATR) has provided the team with a driver for the semi trailer, while Exel Logistics has supported the team with the semi cab. For the race, Lonnie Giffen from ATR will be driving the trailer, while David Menke, President of ATR, may be joining us later in the race. Thanks to the support of both of these companies, we knew our semi trailer would be in good hands for the trip down.

No sooner than when the rest of the team left Ann Arbor in our fleet vehicles from GM, did ferocious weather strike again. As we stopped at a restaurant just outside of Ann Arbor, torrential rain showers poured down on us, and gusts of winds at up to 70 mph threw tree branches onto the road. Once the rain storms died down somewhat, the team got back on the road, drove out of Michigan, through Indiana and into Illinois.
Alex snickers at any "racing fuel" other than the sun

After a full evening of driving, we arrived at a hotel in Illinois around 2 am, then departed the next morning. A full day of driving on Thursday saw us arrive in Dallas, Texas, where we were warmly welcomed by the staff at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Love Field, which had offered its support to the team again, after originally becoming a sponsor for our Mock Race. On Friday the Fourth of July, our team took the day off to celebrate the Independence Day Holiday in Dallas. Many team members cherished the opportunity to sleep in at the hotel, recovering from countless consecutive days of work. Much of the group even caught a showing of Disney/Pixar's Wall-E in theatres, before we headed off to a barbeque at the house of Adriel and Charlotte Givens, family friends of team member Jeff Rogers. We all greatly enjoyed the company and cooking of the Givens family--it was a pleasure to spend the holiday with them. As the sun disappeared and darkness set in, we moved to White Rock Lake Park and found a good vantage point for the evening's fireworks. From the park we were able to see the city's multiple fireworks shows as the night passed.
The team celebrating the 4th at the house of Adriel and Charlotte Givens

From left: Jeff, Adriel, Chito

On Saturday, July 5th, it was back to work for the team. After breakfast, we spent the morning and afternoon making final preparations before heading to the track. Engineers made minor modifications to Continuum and the fleet vehicles, while strategists reviewed their code and tested race strategy software. Our operations crew readied themselves for a week at the track, ensuring that the team would be able to function from our support trailer.

After an afternoon of working, the team left for the Dallas/Fort Worth suburb of Watauga, where we dined at OC Burger, owned by Ken French, a family friend of Paula Harrison and her parents, Joe and K.C. Harrison. Paula was a driver of Continuum during the 2007 World Solar Challenge, and her parents have always been great supporters of the team. We thank them for treating us to an amazing dinner, and we look forward to seeing them soon in Texas. The food at OC Burger was enjoyed by all--we recommend it to anyone visiting the Dallas/Fort Worth area for the race.
The team at OC Burger with owner Ken French

With our stomachs filled, the team set out on our final leg of our journey to the track in Cresson. Cresson, located about 30 minutes outside of Fort Worth, was a short drive from OC Burger. Once we pulled into the MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, we were greeted by the team from Durham University, one of the international teams who came here all the way from the United Kingdom. Durham had already set up tents at the track, so we set up next to them, had a team meeting of our own, then went to bed. We all knew we would need a good night's sleep for the upcoming week of events.

Focus on Safety

2008-06-20T13:47:00.007-04:00

Not too long ago the Team was privileged enough to have Jerry Buffman from Dummies on the Run sponsor and administer First Aid and CPR training to 19 of our members. The training took around two hours to complete and was both extremely informative and entertaining. We learned important skills like how to bandage wounds and save someone from choking, and we even learned how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) like the ones we see on campus. Not only are we now more prepared for the upcoming North American Solar Challenge, but members will be able to make use of their training in the years to come as well.

Doug and Spencer preparing to practice CPR on their dummies.

We’ve also been fortunate enough to have some other new sponsors come on board recently and assist us with our safety goals. Aearo Technologies has graciously donated safety goggles, respirators, and First Aid kits, and TrucknTow.com has provided the Team with safety vests, gloves, flags, and cones. Our previous supplies were a bit outdated and understocked, so it’s great to see new equipment that’s both up to code and safe.

Team members on the side of the road with TruckNTow safety vests, flags, and cones.

In addition to new sponsors, some of our sponsors from 2007 have continued their support of the team through additional in-kind donations. Wiley X, the ultimate provider of shatterproof eye protection, has renewed their sponsorship by providing the 2008 Race Crew with some of their latest styles for this year. These sunglasses will protect our team from UV rays as well as any debris that may fly up while being on the side of the road.

Sarah wearing one of Wiley X's new styles for 2008.

Aside from focusing on protecting our team members, we’ve also been doing our part to protect the environment. Thanks to General Motors, the Team has been supplied with a fleet of four Chevy Tahoe Hybrids to serve as support vehicles for this summer’s race. Even though the most advertised benefit of a hybrid vehicle is increased fuel economy, an arguably much more important benefit is the reduction in emissions. Translated, this means fewer pollutants in the air and a cleaner, healthier Earth.

Picture of Scout - one of the Chevy Tahoe Hybrids and the car that makes sure the road is clear for the solar car. Vehicle graphics courtesy of Signs By Tomorrow.

OrganicByTheCase.com has also partnered with the Team by donating organic food and supplies to be used on both our mock race as well as during the North American Solar Challenge. We’ve stocked our semi with organic cereal, granola bars, and drinks, all of which were produced without the introduction of harmful fertilizers and pesticides into the environment.

Spencer enjoying a cup of Oaty Bites cereal thanks to OrganicByTheCase.com.

Another sponsor of the 2007 project that has returned is Targus, maker of the world's top-selling laptop computer cases and accessories. They’ve sponsored the 2008 Race Crew with selections from their new line of eco-friendly laptop cases. All of the cases from the EcoSmart™ series are made of PVC-free material, meaning that there were no poisonous chemicals created during their manufacture. (When produced, PVC releases chemicals such as dioxins which may pose irreversible life-long health threats.)

In short, we'd just like to say thank you again to all of the above companies for supporting our team and helping us realize our goals. And while we may never be fully prepared nor save the environment on our own, at least we've made some steps in the right direction.

Battery Testing

2008-06-18T13:21:00.004-04:00

Jeff Rogers and I have spent the past two days at BluWāv Systems conducting final tests with Continuum's battery pack. We were able to successfully characterize the entire battery pack and calibrate some of Continuum's electrical sensors using BluWāv's equipment. We also had the chance to tour their facility. Below are two pictures from the trip:

Jeff (left) and I standing next to Continuum's battery pack and the ABC-150 (the piece of equipment used for most of the tests).

Jeff and I sitting in BluWāv's Smart Roadster. The vehicle features in-wheel electric motors designed and built by BluWāv. If only it had solar cells...

-Alex Dowling

Mock Race Images

2008-06-05T03:18:00.007-04:00

As we drive back on I94, I have regained a solid internet connection. Here are the missing photos from day 2 of mock race.

Our Scout vehicle parked at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo

The sun begins to rise at Crowder College

Driving north towards Topeka. During the morning the weather was not terrible, but in the distance we could see a roll cloud associated with the storm.
The storms brew ahead of Continuum.

The storm is advancing and we decided to head south
to stay safe and avoid the hail and tornadoes.

We head south to Nevada, Mo to avoid the storm

cells that have the race route covered.

Back on the road after the storms in clear skies!

Continuum rolls into the Topeka control stop and is received by team members.

End of Mock Race

2008-06-05T02:16:00.005-04:00

The semi has been packed, the team is asleep (well most of them), and it is now time for one last mock race post.

Day four of mock race finished strong. Our strategy team was planning on ending the day with an empty battery pack as if it were the end of the race, and they did just that. Despite some route issues (route materials we received in the middle of mock race differed from the route materials distributed to our navigators), the Fargo checkpoint went extremely well. Our support vehicles were ready to receive Continuum as it rolled in. As opposed to Tuesday, we spent less time on the side of the road--we had one tire change and one driver swap (no driver may be in the solar car for more than six hours in a row for a single day).
Tire change on the side of the road
Rolling into Fargo, the car checks were completed, the semi was loaded and then we were off to dinner. The team relaxed for a few hours, playing some fun games of miniature golf (free at our hotel) and then we were off to bed. Thank you very much to the AmericInn of Moorhead, MN for sponsoring the night! We greatly appreciated the evening to get some sleep before the 14 hour drive home.

All in all, mock race was a great success. We were able to practice many of the situations not occurring during routine testing, and learned a great deal about the race route. Although we faced some difficult weather along the route, both Continuum and the team performed extremely well. We are prepared for the race in July, and are all looking forward to it.

Mock Race Day 3

2008-06-04T10:46:00.011-04:00

We completed day 3 of mock race and ended just outside of Sioux Falls. The day didn’t go quite as planned. The morning started out strong as we headed into Omaha, but unfortunately less than a mile after we left the Omaha checkpoint we ran into a few problems that took us to the side of the road. With overheating issues, we had to wait for a while and fix a few problems with the motor controller. Back on the road again we were expecting bad weather, but we were able to find small clearings in the clouds where the sun was shining. With the extra power we were able to pick up our speed and travel at the speed limit. Throughout the day we also faced a few challenges that gave us good practice for the race. From detours, to construction zones and poorly marked roads, we were able to face the new challenges that we didn’t have to face in Australia.

Arriving just outside Sioux Falls, our weather and scout team were given the opportunity to find a place to stop for the night; we had some very friendly locals who allowed us to setup camp on their property. However with no sun shining through we were unable to take in an evening charge. In the morning of the forth day we were also unable to charge with full cloud coverage.

We are currently back on the road for day four of mock race! Traveling toward Fargo, we are under complete cloud cover. The weather has been varied quite a bit this mock race which has given our strategists a nice opportunity to simulate around the many different conditions.