World Solar Challenge: Updates from the Road

[Principia Solar Car Team]

Day 14: Monday

Today took some interesting turns. The solar car team made several repair stops to keep the the car safe, reliable, and progressing down The Track. Efficient communication and harmonious teamwork continue to keep our stops short, safe, and get us quickly back on the road. 

For example: 

For a stop this afternoon, we were especially grateful that we found a wide open truck parking area to safely work. The ready action of the team helped mechanical head, Nicole Gerber, make the repair in a timely manner. During the stop, a Road Train* approached our team from a side road connected to this truck parking area. As soon as the truck appeared, Jackson Walker immediately flipped to the correct “trucker” CB radio channel and announced our presence with the Road Train driver.  After a cheery “No Worries” from the driver, our Chase Safety and Head Flagger, Ava Lesko, quickly set up safety cones and guided the massive vehicle past us, just a few meters from Ra X and onto the main road.                            

Twenty-seven kilometers from our goal endpoint, the Tenant Creek Control Stop, we needed to perform a check of electrical system. Thankfully, Ra X made it the extra kilometer to Threeways Roadhouse, a gas station/restaurant/motel/campground.  This was yet another great end-of-day location!  Metaphysical Head, Rachael Schueler, found some key ideas to share with the team. She turned to marker 32 in her Science and Health (left from a previous Weekly Bible Lesson).  She felt this was quite appropriate since the team number is 32. The passage was from the chapter “Science of Being,” pages 293 and 298, and included the following passage: “Electricity is not a vital fluid…."

Several things concluded wonderfully at this stop. Despite the partly cloudy skies, we were able to charge the batteries!  Had we stayed one kilometer behind or gone all the way to the checkpoint, we wouldn’t have good sunlight due to the surrounding clouds in nearly all directions.  You could say we arrived at our “Place Prepared of the Father”.**

Today was full of demonstrations for the team. Thank you for your support and we look forward to sharing more of our progress through the race as we traverse Australia.

*Road Trains are huge semi trucks with up to four massive cargo trailers towed behind. To give you an idea of the size, Road Trains can have up to 86 wheels!

**The title of the article by Raymond S. Marsh, which the team read on Sunday as part of our metaphysical meeting. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Principia Solar Car Team

1 Maybeck Pl.

Elsah IL, 62028

Phone: 618.374.5290

so...@principia.edu
www.principia.edu/solar

[Principia Solar Car Team]

Day 15: Tuesday

On Tuesday, sunlight greeted us like an acquaintance in the morning, friendly but distant, and then hid behind a cloud for most the day. As a result, our strategy required us to drive slowly, which allowed some recharging of our batteries as well as conserving energy. Our first stop of the day was at the Control Stop at Tenant Creek. We encountered Team Sonnenwagen Aachen at this stop, as we’ve been leapfrogging with each other the whole race.

While the racing convoy was moving along, Support took some opportunities to see some landmarks. The first was Devil’s Marbles, a sweeping landscape featuring unique igneous rock formations that indeed look like giant marbles.

The next stop for Support was Wycliff Wells, the UFO headquarters of Australia. Support took some photos next to the “aliens”.

We were very grateful to have no unplanned stops on Tuesday. Ra X was one of roughly a dozen cars still running on solar power alone Clouds filled the afternoon. We ended the day near 1339 km on a flat patch of red sand to immediately collect what sunlight we could. We camped just down the road at a great campsite featuring an outhouse with soap and running water sinks!

Day 16: Wednesday

Our morning began extra early as we were awoken with 04:30 wind and lightening. In harmony (and in the dark!) we rapidly packed up the entire campsite, just before the rain arrived.

At 06:15 the sun still hid between the clouds as it rose above the horizon, the team’s strategy for the day was undecided. The team read the Christian Science Weekly Bible Lesson together. As the reading ended, the sun pierced the clouds just over the group. So we faced a key question: would we race on our low battery under cloudy skies (and likely stop completely soon) or put the car in the trailer? 

We decided the best option was to trailer the car further down the route so we could find sun and continue the trip. As a result, we quickly reached the next two Control Stops under a mix of storms and clouds. At the second checkpoint, we gathered ample sunshine to hit the road again. With about one hour and 45 minutes remaining in the racing day, we were excited to escort our driver Nick Flanders as he drove Ra X southward. After only a few minutes under sun, we faced a dramatic storm moving towards us. The downpour was a dark curtain of strong rain and wind. Our lead and chase vehicles moved in close to guide and protect the car, allowing Nick to feel safe despite challenging driving conditions.

During the storm, our truck got stuck after moving onto the muddy shoulder. However, we received generous assistance quickly. A kind Road Train driver named Grant Price with “Gilbert’s Transportation,” noticed our situation and went the extra kilometer for us! He stopped in a pull-off up the road, unhooked off two of his three trailers, did a U-turn, drove past us again, and did another U-turn to reach us. He hooked up our truck to his trailer and pulled us out of the mud. He truly went far out of his way to help us.

By this time, the solar car stopped for the evening at (yet another!) great campsite along the Stuart Highway. After Mr. Price hooked up his trailers again, he passed our campsite. Team members at the campsite lined the road to give him a cheering goodbye as he passed. 

After a chili dinner that featured standup comedy by Daniel Powell, a member of our group, we enjoyed a Wednesday night gratitude session. Our World Solar Challenge observer joined the meeting and shared his observations on the incredible teamwork he has witnessed.

Many of our teammates have now seen the Southern Cross for the first time. Here in the Outback, the constellations and Milky Way sparkle in the pitch black sky. We are glad to be out of the tropical heat and savoring this adventure!

Today we trailered for just over 400 km and drove for 50 more. Since we stopped at driving 5:08, Thursday will start at 8:08. Because we have trailered the car, we are now competing in the Adventure Class (previously we were in the Challenger Class), which allows for more flexible traveling. Our goal for tomorrow is to drive as far as we can with Ra X towards the finish line.

For full details on all the teams’ progress, check out the World Solar Challenge website: 

http://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/dashboard/map

Have a wonderful day, and see you tomorrow!

[Principia Solar Car Team]

Day 17: Thursday

The morning was crisp and cool, an extremely welcome change from the heat and humidity previously experienced. While we’re now in the Adventure Class, the team treated today like any other race day, getting up before the sun rose and ready to leave by 8:08 with Ra X rolling down the road. 

Southern Australia is flatter than Northern Territory, the grass and shrubs paler shades of blue/green and grey on top of either pale brown or red earth. The most comparable land in the US being Arizona.We only made one stop in the afternoon, at a very large truck parking area, to swap out an electrical component. Otherwise Ra X rolled quite smoothly all the way though the sunshine to the next checkpoint in Coober Pedy.

On the way into Coober Pedy, the highway information signs warned of mining equipment, not to run or walk backwards since there are deep numerous mine shafts around.  

Coober Pedy is a town smaller than Alice Springs known for producing 80% of the world’s opal.  Most of the shops only sold opals, but there was one shop called “Waffles and Opals”.  The team treated this stop similar to a typical Challenger control stop, except that we are allowed to work on the solar car now during the stop - similar to the American Solar Challenge.  

In total, Ra X drove 470 km on Thursday. Nick drove 354 km, Andrew 116 km.  Nick started the day and drove for six and a half hours to the checkpoint with Andrew driving for a little over two hours to end the day for us.  The team camped out about 115 km south of Coober Pedy and 138 km to our next control point in Glendambo.  Team Apollo from Taiwan - friends of ours from numerous other races - camped next to us.  The night sky did not disappoint, and we enjoyed seeing another number of shooting stars. 

One highlight of the day was when our mechanical leader, Nicole Gerber, stayed behind in Coober Pedy with three other team members to rebuild two of our shock absorbers so that the team would have spares, if needed.  Thanks to the mechanics at Bulls Garage for their assistance and willingness to stay open three hours past closing to help Nicole make these necessary repairs!  A bonus for these four team members was seeing eight kangaroos on the shoulder of the road as they drove to forward to rejoin the team!  

Another great day Down Under!

[Principia Solar Car Team]

Day 18: Friday

The team began the day early, hitting the road after a beautiful night of camping under the stars. It was a routine day for a team on the World Solar Challenge.  The sun was shining brightly and the wind was strong as we took to the Stuart Highway.

We encountered quite a few animals on this drive.  Support shooed an ewe and her lamb off the road as the convoy approached.  The convoy also encountered several emus, both on and off the road.  The terrain around the area changed drastically a few times from bushes and trees to brilliantly white salt flats for miles. 

Our two checkpoints today were Glendambo and Port Augusta.  Rather than staying for the full 30 minutes required of the Challenger Class, we left as soon as everyone returned from the dunnies (restrooms).  As a recent member of the Adventure Class for 2017 World Solar Challenge, the officials are involved very little with what we do, just making sure we have an observer at all times and that everyone is doing okay.

We ended the day charging Ra X on a flat patch of grass just outside Port Germein and finding a campsite in this small seaside town for the night.  Port Germain is known for having the longest jetty in Australia.  Three teams members went to the end of the jetty to watch the beautiful sunset.

In total, the team Ra X drove 490 km today:  Nick Flanders drove 288 km, Andrew Huddleston drove 138 km, and Jackson Walker stepping in for 63.3 km. We have driven 2,358 km on solar power up to this point in the race.  Today was the first day all three solar car drivers have driven on the same day, and was our second longest day of racing in the 2017 World Solar Challenge, and possibly the best day together working in harmony as a team.

At the campsite, the sky is currently a deepening periwinkle and the clouds on the horizon are sporting fuchsia pink.  The tropical birds are chirping and the team is slowly winding down, most members in a circle of chairs sharing dinner together prepared by our excellent logistics team.  

We are going over plans for tomorrow, the grand finale at Victoria Square, Adelaide.

We are all looking forward to celebrating the end of the race.

Thank you for your boundless support!