UMSolar - Aurum - WSC Day 5 (Finish)
FINAL RACE DAY: A bittersweet ending
Michigan hung onto third place until the last 30 miles of their 1,800-mile journey.
Clouds had covered our campsite on the morning of the final race day, so the team wasn’t able to get as much of a charge as they would have liked. Nevertheless, the mood was cheerful. Silly, even.
“One sad sunbeam,” one team member said, pointing towards the mountains in the distance at a small opening in the clouds.
“It’s charging a cow,” another added.
But then, shortly after launch, some chatter about a motor came over the radio. It wasn’t clear there was a problem until we in the media van heard Aurum’s set speed was around 52 mph. The previous afternoon, we’d been doing 65 or higher.
Tokai’s Challenger was going 66. Uh-oh. It was quiet in our van...
More HERE.
The final Top 5:
1
#3 Nuna8 - Nuon Solar Team (Netherlands)
Location: Adelaide
Overall time: 37:56:12
Total distance: 3022
2
#21 Red One - Solar Team Twente (Netherlands)
Location: Adelaide
Overall time: 38:04:32
Total distance: 3022
3
#10 Tokai Challenger - Tokai University (Japan)
Location: Adelaide
Overall time: 38:50:07
Total distance: 3022
4
#2 Aurum - University of Michigan Solar Car Team (United States)
Location: Adelaide
Overall time: 38:54:09
Total distance: 3022
5
#8 Punch One - Punch Powertrain Solar Team (Belgium)
Location: Adelaide
Overall time: 39:19:00
Total distance: 3022
Final Timing Board HERE.
I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed that Aurum couldn't maintain a 12 mile lead on the last race day. Why couldn't the car go faster than 52mph? That question remains unanswered. Perhaps they didn't get enough of a charge and were concerned with draining the batteries, on course. What was the motor's issue? I don't know. Fourth overall versus the world is still impressive but this leaves a sour taste. For what it's worth, Stanford's team finished sixth, another good showing for the US.
October 22nd, 2015 at 9:30 AM ^
It seems like U of M has been close to the top (top 3-5) in the world for the last 15 years, but not quite there. What are the difference makers that are keeping the team from getting over the hump?
October 22nd, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
For example: Nuon is entirely run by grad students who take a year off from school to dedicate 100% of their time to the solar car project. Tokai's car is designed by professors, not undergrad students like Michigan.
Money and access to cutting edge technology contribute too, of course.
We can win international races, as demonstrated by our victory in Abu Dhabi, but that team only had 3 undergrads and essentially a blank check budget. The rest of the team was a bit of an "all-stars" roster of some of the most successful alumni from past teams. That race was much shorter too. Plus Nuon didn't show up.
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October 22nd, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^
The truth has been spoken.
Another great showing by the UM Solar Car Team, though. Frustrating not to get on the podium, but another great showing. This will only make our inevitable world championship all the sweeter when it happens at some point in the not-too-distant future.
October 22nd, 2015 at 1:07 PM ^
Additionally, I'm pretty sure that Panasonic bank rolls Tokai University's team. IIRC, in the last WSC (2013), Tokai had solar cells that weren't easily available to other teams, giving them a distinct advantage. This year, equipemt was pretty equal across the board. Strategy played a big part.
October 22nd, 2015 at 9:33 AM ^
This is the week for inexplicably coughing up a loss, I suppose, but in the long view this is a great outcome and continues the UofM tradition of strong showings.
How did the MSU solar rolling beer pong table do in the overall standings?
October 22nd, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
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October 22nd, 2015 at 11:37 AM ^
Not even close. This is like the World Cup. You have to qualify. MSU did not even make it out of the CONCACAF group stage.
October 22nd, 2015 at 1:12 PM ^
Sparty doesn't have a very competitive team due to lack of interest and funding. They actually spend some time with the UMSolar team to get better. But, even in the American Solar Challenge, they don't perform well. They're clearly far behind in development, at least a decade, if not more.
October 22nd, 2015 at 9:45 AM ^
Australia has not been nice to us this week.
October 22nd, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
Australian's teach us to grow steel in our spine.
October 22nd, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
And if you disagree, I'll meet you Outback.
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^
I demand to see their Koalafication results!
October 22nd, 2015 at 10:02 AM ^
I had no idea these things go so fast now. It seems like not too long ago, they were barely making 40mph. Do you have a source for winning average speeds for each year?
EDIT: It actually looks like they've tried to limit speed through rule changes to avoid running afoul of Australian speed limits.
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:30 PM ^
2007 introduced mandatory upright seating and smaller array area, 2011 mandated silicon cells (rather than the more efficient but very expensive space grade gallium arsenide), and 2013 required 4 wheels.
The Wikipedia page for the World Solar Challeng has a pretty good list of results with average speeds.
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October 22nd, 2015 at 1:16 PM ^
I saw tweets this year that indicated 110 kph was do-able. That's about 68 mph. I'm pretty sure Aurum can attain closer to 90 mph, if not more. Of course more speed = more energy consumption. I'll try to see if I can find the qualification results from Hidden Valley raceway. That will give you an idea of top speed, albeit on a road course not a drag strip.
October 22nd, 2015 at 10:02 AM ^
I've followed Michigan Solar and the WSC for years. I'm as dissapointed by us coughing up the lead to big bad Toaki as I am the football team coughing up the lead to MSU.
October 22nd, 2015 at 10:16 AM ^
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October 22nd, 2015 at 1:17 PM ^
UMSolar has never won the WSC. They kill it in the ASC but victory in the WSC has been elusive.
October 22nd, 2015 at 10:46 AM ^
These aren't professionals. They aren't even heavily recruited athletes on scholarship.They are regular full-time pay-their-own-way students subsisting (and it usually is "subsisting") in Australia on funds they raised themselves from a network of hard-won corporate sponsors. "Sour taste"? "Coughing up a loss"? Let's try to go easy on 'em okay?
The good news is that this is the closest to first place (less than an hour off) Michigan has ever been. They'll learn from it and come back stronger than ever in 2017. And anyway, this really is one of those events where the journey is more important than the destination - every one of these racers has just had a life-altering experience, and you'll see great things from all of them in engineering and business in the future.
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October 22nd, 2015 at 12:20 PM ^
"The good news is that this is the closest to first place (less than an hour off) Michigan has ever been." I think that's an important statistic. You can't really play defense in solar car racing, so you just have to go as fast as you can and hope that the other teams can't go faster. In that sense, this is Michigan's best WSC result.
October 22nd, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^
Maybe "sour taste" is a little strong but having motor issues on the last day and losing thrid place within 25 miles of the finish is a bit tough.
October 22nd, 2015 at 1:53 PM ^
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October 22nd, 2015 at 2:00 PM ^
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October 22nd, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^
I really wish that I could connect with former members of the team, such as yourself, that have accounts here. You're capable of providing so much insight that I obviously lack. Granted, you may not be intimate with Aurum but you certainly understand how the team is assembled and what the various respnsibilities are. I'm pretty sure no one else, on the Board, knows about Scout, Weather and Media. It would be cool to better understand the team's hierarchy. Sadly, it's not easy to do this from afar (Chicago) otherwise I'd ask if I could visit the facility and chat with the students that comprise the team. I have nothing other to offer except enthusiasm (unknown to Mankind) and a few pearls of wisdom from an old time racer.
October 22nd, 2015 at 2:48 PM ^
No, they don't owe me anything and I apologize of I came off critical of the members of the team. That wasn't my intent. I guess the lack of info, at this point, just leaves me wondering. And, you posted a valid point; they're most likely beat and trying to get some much needed rest. I have no issue with that. I really would like to know what happened, more so for my own curiousity than anything. However, I doubt I'll ever find out. Maybe that what had me in a sour mood. Apologies. As a former racer, it's tough to stand on the sidelines, half a world away, and wonder what's going on.
October 25th, 2015 at 3:36 PM ^
I would not apologize too hard. If I was on the team, I would be happy that there are people who care enough to feel the emotions of a tough finish like that.
It's a hollow feeling to do all that work and nobody cares, or they are oblivious to what you actually do . . . "Oh look, the Michigan Solar car finished fourth in the world. That's nice. Do they get to race in the Daytona 500 now?"
I have been following UM Solar, the ASC, and the WSC for years. I know how hard they have worked to break through that Nuon / Tokai barrier, only to come up short each time due to simple unlucky events that could have easily gone the other way. More than anything, I feel disappointed for the team.
But proud of them at the same time.
So it hurts to see Nuon and Tokai still ahead, but if you turn around and look at who's behind you - M.I.T., Stanford, Cambridge, etc. - it's a hell of a great vantage point.
October 22nd, 2015 at 11:05 AM ^
This doesn't feel like the MSU loss because it seems like we got beaten fair and square. If it came down to simple traffic and lane selection outside Adelaide (which can actually make a difference) then it would be different.
As a former driver for the team I can imagine the uneasy emotion of running a great race yet still not doing what you hoped you could. They should still be very proud of themselves as this was a historically close race and they represented America well.
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October 22nd, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
Indeed. We beat Cambridge, MIT, and Stanford, among 20+ other teams that are tops in the entire world.
October 22nd, 2015 at 11:20 AM ^
It's ok guys. This car was designed in the Hoke era. The new Harbaugh era car will run on enthusiam unknown to solar kind and won't need the sun.
October 22nd, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
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October 22nd, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^
But it only had three wheels then, not like the four wheel MANBALL cars of today.
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^
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October 22nd, 2015 at 11:38 AM ^
How fast do these bad boys go?
October 22nd, 2015 at 11:41 AM ^
They can go over 110 KPH (68+ MPH).
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:17 PM ^
Top speed is over 100mph in testing, but race regulations dictate that the car cannot exceed the speed limit of the roads they are driving on.
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:00 PM ^
Sorry, still not over the football game. Seeing this article puts me over the edge. What ever this is . . . curse, hex, evil joke. . . . I want it all to go away. Why can't my Michigan teams win an important game, an important race.
October 22nd, 2015 at 12:11 PM ^
We lose so many of these big events because we are in these big events.
We're good at everything which puts us in a lot of Championships. You're not always going to win all of them.
We made the Final Four . . . for the entire World.
October 22nd, 2015 at 1:57 PM ^
I'm sure there is an explanation and lots of jokes to be had, but would like clarification from someone in the know.
Well done UM team!
October 22nd, 2015 at 3:02 PM ^
You are right, according to the WSC's results table. I wouldn't be surprised if those teams have some sort of relationship with Tokai University. MIT hasn't been particularly strong in the last decade. Stanford, University of Minnesota and Missouri S&T are usually Solar's main competition. I'm guessing MIT doesn't focus as much on their solar program as others do. actually, I'm a little surprised Purdue and Illinois, two strong engineering schools in the B1G, don't have teams. Formula SAE also attracts a lot of engineering students.