UM Solar - WSC - Day 6

Submitted by Bronco648 on

The WSC for 2013 is over and Generation has finished. I cannot provide you with their final finishing position because the WSC hasn't posted the final results yet. I believe they retained ninth place. UPDATE: Ninth place is their confirmed finishing position.

Here, team members await Generation at the End of Timing. The EoT mark is actually outside of Adelaide so that cars don't have to try to race thru the congestion of city traffic. Hindmarsh Square is the actual finishing line but the ride into the heart of Adelaide is more ceremonial, kind of like the last day of the Tour de France.

Generation arrives at EoT:

Geneation in Hindmarsh Square:

I understand the the fountain, in the Square, was not working this year. It's tradition that the teams celebrate the completion of the race by taking a dip in the fountain. Kiddie pools were used instead.

As MGo inmate 'santy' posted in my Day 5 thread, the rules for the Challenger class are very different from years past. The cars were about 10 mph slower due to these changes. Some teams adapted better than others. While I'm sure they were hoping for a better result, the team still completed the race and even managed to fix significant damage. They have already started collecting data for the WSC in 2015. And, I'm sure they're started an after-action review to determine what they could have done better/differently to alter the outcome of this competition.

I want to thank all of you that chose to read my posts (and comment) during the football season. I'll admit, this is certainly not the sporting subject that's at the forefront of everyone's mind (me included).

Special thanks to inmates 'gbdub' and 'santy' who are two former UM Solar team members. I appreciate your input and comments that provide valuable insight into the car, the team and the sport itself. I hope I did not do it an injustice and if I offended anyone, it was not done intentionally.

I will try to embed a couple of videos from the Team. Thanks again, I'll be back next year, in July, for the American Solar Challenge and Formula Sun Gran Prix. For those MGo inmates in Texas, the FSGP will be at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin TX. The Team would greatly appreciate your support. Go Blue.

umichFan

October 11th, 2013 at 10:47 AM ^

Thanks for putting in the time to write these posts.  I also enjoyed reading them.  These students put an insane amount of hours into preparing for this race.  They also are great representatives of the University.  I look forward to your updates on the ASC.

gbdub

October 11th, 2013 at 12:35 PM ^

Thanks for all your great posts. I'm glad we have a superfan on the site to work hard so I don't have to. Hopefully you'll get a chance to see Generation this summer in ASC!

Bronco648

October 11th, 2013 at 1:15 PM ^

To be honest, I would really like to collaborate with you and 'santy' on the ASC '14 posts. There is still a lot I do not understand and/or the reasoning for why certain decisions are made. Granted, I know you're an alum (of both Team & University) but you still have greater insight than I (as an 'outsider'). I appreciate you chiming in to clarify certain things.

For those that now have a greater understanding and insight into the UM Solar Car Team, and Solar Cars in general; I'm glad to have (possibly) introduced you to a new "world", as it were. Solar power is going to have a biger and bigger impact on our lives, hopefully in the near future, even if it isn't  in your next car. My brother-in-law runs a green energy company in Denver. He owns an electric motorcycle (a Zero) and I have considered buying an electric scooter for commuter duty (I'm eight miles from home). This stuff is coming and it's pretty neat (at least for me) to be on the front lines, so-to-speak. If I can make a fan out of you then I feel as if I've chipped in here (one of the, if not THE, greatest sports blogs on the internet).

M-Dog

October 11th, 2013 at 7:57 PM ^

Thanks, this was great.

I followed the last WSC race on-line as it was happening.  I was following the issues with the fairing problem when Michigan was neck and neck with Nuon.  It eventually did them in.  They still got third.  Had it not happened, they likely would have finished second and had a shot at the Japenese for first.  

It takes a ninth place finish to appreciate how dominating they were last time.  They will be back.