The Comeback of a Century
As of today, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge has officially started! We woke up bright and early this morning to head over to the starting line, just outside the Northern Territory parliament building. We quickly set up camp a block over, to take Astrum out of our container and do pre-drive checks, making sure that all of her systems looked alright.
Because we weren’t able to complete the hot lap the day before, we were placed in 32nd place at the starting line, following the 31 cars that successfully drove it. Being at the very end didn’t feel incredible to say the least. But we were determined to do our best to catch up, and we knew Astrum was a more than capable enough car.
While waiting at the start line, we had the chance to showcase Astrum to onlookers and fellow enthusiasts, sharing our passion for solar technology. But soon, it was time for Astrum to line up at the starting point. Interim Project Manager, Dan Benedict, who had flown in from the US just days before, stood by Astrum as our Race Crew hopped into their various support vehicles and prepared to join her on the road.
Traditionally, Chuck Hutchins, a longtime supporter and sponsor of the team, sends Michigan solar cars off with the school flag at every start line. Unfortunately, he was unable to join us this year, but we knew he was with us in spirit as Dan jogged alongside Astrum past the banners and the cheering crowds. At 8:42 AM, the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge officially began for us.
Going into the race, we knew our goal was to pass as many teams as possible in an attempt to catch up to the front of the pack. This was more difficult than it seemed, as passing in a solar car caravan is slightly more complex than usual. When the solar car moves, the Lead and Chase vehicles, which are directly in front and behind the solar car, must move with it. These 3 cars try to operate as a single unit throughout the entire competition. And when one solar car caravan is attempting to pass another, there needs to be enough space for all three cars to pass together. Needless to say, it takes longer than usual to pass when you have a solar car with you.
Slowly but surely, we were able to pass team after team. Sometimes, it was a slow struggle in no-pass lanes, and other times, teams were pulled off the road and busy with repairs, allowing us to pass easily.
Around midday, we arrived at the first control point in Katherine in 8th place, just before JU Solar Team, and behind Top Dutch Solar Racing Team and Kogakuin Solar Team, who were neck and neck. As soon as we were back on the road, we made it our goal to pass both Top Dutch and Kogakuin before we reached the next control stop in Dunmarra.
After a few hours, we began closing the gap on the two teams ahead of us. Because the two teams were so close together, it was extremely difficult to pass them. At one point, event vehicles and other cars also joined into the group, making it even tighter and even more difficult to get in between. However, we eventually managed to pass Kogakuin, then Top Dutch, just before we reached Dunmarra. Both teams are still hot on our tails and we’ll be leaving Dunmarra less than two minutes ahead of them tomorrow morning. Our campsite is also quite lively tonight, as we’re sharing an area with not only both Top Dutch and Kogakuin, but also 5thplace team Tokai. We were even invited onto Top Dutch’s end of day livestream to discuss the passing, which made our night more entertaining!
We ended the day in 6th place after starting in 32nd place this morning. Having passed 26 vehicles, we are exhilarated at how far we’ve come. Considering how stressful and frustrating yesterday was, today’s success meant a lot to everyone and now we’re looking forward to doing even better tomorrow!