FSGP Results
Principia Solar Car Team
Howdy solar aficionados,
It's been a great week down here in Austin at the Formula Sun Grand Prix. After three days of scrutineering and three days of track racing, we've all grown individually and collectively as a team.
We made steady progress Thursday morning, but with track temperatures approaching 120 degrees, we prioritized preserving our equipment, sending Ra 7s to the pit so that our batteries would not overheat. Later, sophomore Jackson Walker added a few more laps to our run, bringing the final tally to 40 for the day. Although today began cloudy (with even a few minutes of rain), the heat came quickly. Once again, we faced high temperatures that forced us to come in early, and we ended Friday with 46 laps for a total of 136 laps.
The Principia Solar Car Team placed fifth overall, moving up two positions from our starting position, as well as earning an unrivaled seventh safety award. For final results and information, please visit americansolarchallenge.org.
We are indebted to all the race officials who made this year's race happen, and we were delighted to witness each team's perseverance and sportsmanship. We enjoyed collaborating with each other, whether it was brainstorming aerodynamic design solutions for future vehicles or diagnosing and repairing malfunctioning motors. During the closing ceremony tonight, several teams thanked Principia for our willingness to help others overcome their various challenges.
Some unprecedented statistics from this year's FSGP: This year 14 of the 15 teams qualified; all teams were present for the first team meeting; all teams made safety their first priority.
Thank you for your support throughout the week, and we hope you'll stay with us as we prepare for the World Solar Challenge in Australia October 18 - 25.
Until next time,
Annika