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News & Updates
SVP News
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Make sure to follow our progress at Formula Sun with our Race Blog! |
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The Solar Vehicle Project will be attending the 2009 Formula Sun Grand Prix in Cresson, TX. |
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The race blogs back to 2004 have been re-posted! |
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Spring Semester is here - that means everyone has something to do and is working hard! |
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New members is the first order of business, but we're already looking forward! |
More SVP News
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The race crew returned to the shop this evening, exhausted but still excited about our victory. Most of our team had never raced a solar car before, and seeing Centaurus perform has fired them up even more about the project.
A big thank you to all of the teams who showed up, the spirit, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship that every displayed was amazing.
Keep an eye on our website in the coming months for updates and news about our next car!
-Adem Rudin
Crew Chief
Posted on June 6th, 2009 | View Comments |
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Today, the University of Minnesota took home the gold at the 2009 Formula Sun Grand Prix with 487 total laps. The University of Kentucky finished in 2nd, followed by Northwestern. The spirit shown here by all of the teams was incredible, and we hope to show up again next year!
I apologize for the brief post, but we've been busy packing, and we've been informed that if we want to stay the night, we need to move our camp elsewhere on the grounds; we're just going to pack everthing and head home tonight.
-Adem Rudin
Crew Chief
Posted on June 5th, 2009 | View Comments |
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After our last post, the team encountered some minor electrical issues. Just before 3pm, the car encountered an issue with the power trackers requiring a short stop, and a few laps later, the motor controller began overheating. These two issues cost us about 40 minutes, but we were able to get the controller cooled down and the car back out on the track. We finished the rest of the day running slightly slower laps in order to keep stress off of the electrical system.
The second day of racing is over; we completed 152 laps today, bringing our total to 321. Our closest competitor is now University of Kentucky, who we believe are about 70 laps back. Kentucky is the model of "slow and steady", as although they are not as fast on the track as several other teams, they have spent well under an hour off the track over the past two days and just keep racking up the laps. Waterloo is in third behind them, and we believe that Northwestern is in fourth.
Both Iowa and CalSol made it out to the track for the first time today, although Iowa has been having issues with their motor, and CalSol only drove 24 laps before suffering a tire blowout right at the end of the day.
We've made some modifications to the ventilation systems in the rear of the car, and our battery is in a very comfortable state. We hope to drive a fast, clean last day tomorrow.
-Adem Rudin
Crew Chief
Posted on June 5th, 2009 | View Comments |
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The weather is nice, and we have photos!
Posted on June 4th, 2009 | View Comments |
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Minnesota ended the first day of racing with 169 laps on the official count. All four drivers were able to get some time in the car, and all three of our tire changes went quickly and relatively smoothly. We were well in the lead, with an estimated 40 laps on our nearest competitors, Waterloo and Northwestern. However, both of them were running near or at our pace for much of the day; a single incident could easily place either or both of them ahead of us.
It's not over yet folks, we've got two more days to go!
It's time for us to pack up for the night, as we've got to wake up early and charge in the morning.
Remember to check out our twitter during the race day for more frequent updates!
- Adem Rudin
Crew Chief
Posted on June 3rd, 2009 | View Comments |
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