Hidden Valley

Over this past weekend the team for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge has slowly been arriving in Darwin, so Monday morning there were 18 team members at Hidden Valley race course!

Each day we are able to book two (sometimes three) 30-minute slots on the track, and Monday morning those were 08h30 and 09h00. Trying to get 18 people from two locations to the track in 2 cars was a challenge, but hey, we’re from South Africa we know how to maximise car seating effectively! Equally as much of a challenge was getting people who are not morning people up and at ‘em! We arrived at our allotted garage at Hidden Valley in varying states of chipper, and the team got to work readying Hulamin for the track. We newcomers have very quickly learnt that at the workshop the best place to be is out of the way. The team know what they are doing and for us trying to help we end up in the way, so best observe from a distance and avoid horrible misfortunes that would befall us if we even thought about going near the solar panels.

This car is a few years in the planning and making and this close to the start of the race it would be devastating to have something go wrong, as such it is treated with utmost care, especially the solar panels which are the most sensitive component of the car. The solar panels are in the removable top shell of the car, which is covered with a big blue fluffy blanket when not in use. All movements of the top shell are a carefully coordinated affair, even the bolting and unbolting to the main body – I, for one, was very impressed with the ‘pit time’.

Driver in!

Pit stop!

Fiona was the driver for Monday’s track time, and sped around the track a lot faster (and WAY quieter) than I had anticipated! And when I say sped, she cruised around at a sweet 90 km/hr. For me this was a very exciting time as this was the first time I had actually seen the car in action, driving on the road. Every time it came around the track on my side it was a photograph and admire opportunity.

Let me digress, yet again, to tell you about the Hidden Valley race track, and the rules of the road. The track was not a simple oval shaped track as I had (perhaps naively) expected, but had twists and turns, slopes and stretches, but was not a large overall distance to cover. Rules of the track are that a team vehicle must follow behind the solar car at all times, and radio contact must be maintained with the driver of the car (who is wearing a very cool helmet linked to the handheld radio frequency). Another team member, Kirsty, had to stand at the entrance of the track as ground support, also in radio contact. All the ground support members of the solar cars on the track stand at the entrance of the track together. I was quite indignant when another car was being let onto the track during ‘our’ track time, but they allow up to four solar cars on the track at the same time. Overtaking is very organized and civilized. The overtaker radios their ground support team, who verbally informs the ground support team of the soon-to-be overtaken, who then radios the driver to inform them the car behind wishes to pass. The soon-to-be overtaken moves left and the overtaker, well, overtakes. Everything is done to ensure the safety of the drivers, and the cars!

As our two 30-minute slots were back-to-back on Monday, Fiona had to pull in for a mandatory pit stop between them. The car came in and the team got to unscrewing the top shelf to check on some or other aspect of the car  before the top shelf was again affixed and Fiona drove back on to the track for the second 30-minute slot. With the car on the track many of the team members have a brief moment to sit and relax, as once the car is back from the track there is no time for idle hands, especially with static scrutineering on Tuesday!

Just before 12 a group of us left to go and collect 2 more vehicles for the team, as well as some lunch! Prices here are quite scary, especially if you are going to start converting back to rands, but we all need to eat, so it is often a case of find the cheapest brand of what you’re looking for and buy it. Back at the track a hungry team was fed and the work continued. After supper, four delicious gas barbequed chickens (we are feeding hungry hordes), potato salad, and green salad, we had a team meeting. We had been given the dubious honour of being the first team to go through static scrutineering! Apparently our car has been judged to be amongst the most prepared and ready with only minor changes and adjustments to be made. We will be undergoing scrutineering with what our team views as the best cars taking part in the race – go us!

Tomorrow we shall see what happens! Minke