Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive Blog

Eric Browning

2012-01-24T14:57:00.000-06:00

Eric Browning is a senior at Bancroft-Rosalie. He is 17 years old and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling. After graduation, he plans on pursuing a career in Mechanized System Management. He then desires to farm.
Eric said, “Power Drive is a great way to learn about fabrication, electrical, and engineering in general.” In Power Drive, Eric is the fabricator and welder. He is also a crew chief.

Update on the Power Drive Team

2012-01-22T22:21:00.000-06:00

The concession stand put on by the Power Drive team was very successful. We would like to thank the Bancroft Meat Locker for donating a portion of the meat for pork sandwiches. Paper was placed on the body of the car and preparations for the new jig are in place for the car. In addition, the team is looking at new and more improved brake configurations.
The documentation team decided their theme for the documentation video. They are still looking for ideas for their book. They have also been working hard and diligently on there monthly report.

Themes for documentation books!

2012-01-20T15:35:00.000-06:00

The documentation team has been deciding on themes for this years books. We have narrowed it down to five different choices. Please take the time and vote for your favorite theme at http://www.polleverywhere.com/nolting. The choices are "Reel in the Big Win," "Top Gear," "The making of Power Drive 101," "Welding the team together one bead at a time," "Saving the world one hour at a time." Please vote as soon as possible!!!

Thanks,
Power Drive Team

Dylan Samuels

2012-01-17T14:55:00.000-06:00

Dylan Samuels is a senior at Bancroft-Rosalie. He is 17 years old. This is his first year in Power Drive. After graduation, Dylan plans to attend Wayne State College.

Dylan is a battery specialist and photographer for the Power Drive team. He enjoys music and coon hunting. When asked what he likes most about Power Drive he said, “I enjoy the challenge of building an aerodynamic car.” Dylan also said, “Teamwork is most important thing for a successful Power Drive season.”

Power Drive Team Full Speed Ahead

2012-01-15T21:28:00.003-06:00

The beginning of the week started off by modifying and improving the prototype. Later, a new roll bar was constructed and a new bottom cross brace was put in place. This time the bottom cross brace was built with more of a curve, allowing the driver to sit lower in the car and make the car more aerodynamic. The students also practiced using the T.I.G. welder on chrome moly, the same type of metal used for the body of the car.

The documentation group has been discussing new themes and ideas for the books and videos. Also they have been preparing for upcoming concession stands.

Race coming up!

2012-01-11T15:35:00.000-06:00

There is 87 days until the first Power Drive race on April 7th,2012 in West Point. The team members are all busy working on building the car. The first concession stand of the power drive is on January 17th. Come Support our team.
See you There

The Head Honcho

2012-01-10T15:11:00.000-06:00

The Power Drive team recently added 4 more members to documentation. This means the Power Drive blog is becoming the best blog from the Bancroft-Rosalie website.

Mr. Smith has been teaching at Bancroft-Rosalie for 18 years. He started in 1993. In his free time, Mr. Smith enjoys fishing, hunting, and spending time with his family. Dylan S. says, “Mr. Smith guides us, but he doesn’t actually do the work. He makes sure that the students get things accomplished on time.”

Power Drive will be going on 14 years. They have successfully won 7 state championships and 5 runner-ups. Eric B. says, “Smith is very knowledgeable and has years of experience. He is a good teacher to learn from and explains things thoroughly. Plus, he loves what he does.” This year should be a great year for power drive!

......And They Are Off!

2012-01-08T20:53:00.000-06:00

A new semester has just begun and the Power Drive team is well on their way in creating a new car. Last weeks primary goal was to evaluate the conduit models constructed by 4 different groups. Electrical conduit is used to build the prototype of the car. These models were compared to each other through its weaknesses and its strengths. Finally, they were able to choose which model would best fit the new car.

Four new members have also been added this semester to aide in the documentation part of Power Drive.

Power Drive Concession Stand Dates

2012-01-06T15:17:00.000-06:00

Here is a list of dates in which the Power Drive team is working the concession stands. Come and support the team!

January 17^th vs. Wakefield

January 24^th vs. Winnebago

January 28^th Conference Tournament Girls

January 30^th Conference Tournament Boys

January 31^st 2^nd Round Conference Tournament Girls

February 3^rd 3^rd Round Conference Tournament Girls

Making a New Car

2011-11-10T10:50:00.001-06:00

The power drive class are making life size drawings of cars. The power drive team is looking for a new S car.they are going to try to make it more arrow dynamic faster and so the car will run longer an a constant speed.

Looking for New Cars

2011-10-27T10:45:00.001-05:00

The power drive class split up into groups looking for a new car design. The designs are built on

Aerodynamics so they will create less resistance for the car make the two batteries will last longer in the race. They also have to make the cars smaller and lighter for the races coming in spring.

B-R Power Drive Heading To Wayne America 90!!

2011-09-23T13:40:00.000-05:00

On Saturday September 24^ththe Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive Team will be participating in the Wayne America 90 Race. This race will take place at the First National Bank Center in Wayne, Nebraska. The first heat will begin at 10 am with the 2^nd heat starting at noon. The A-21 and E-31 are the two Bancroft-Rosalie cars entered in the race. “We hope to take an early lead and stay ahead the entire race”, instructor Rob Smith says. “The team has been hard at work testing batteries, setting gears, and preparing brakes for the upcoming race. ” The Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team has won more races at the First National Bank Center Track, than any other team. The team also holds the record for speed and most laps completed. Last year we dominated the race with driver Alex Berg finishing three laps ahead of the 2^nd place car. The team hopes to see many new and returning fans at this upcoming race!

Power Drive Team Races to Success in Hastings

2011-05-03T11:42:00.004-05:00

The Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team made a trip to the Motorsport Park in Hastings, Nebraska for their third race of the year. Both cars, A21 and E31, had excellent showings at the 2.15-mile road course. The driver A. Berg and D. Wortman navigated the 13-turn track at a stellar pace of three minutes and 39 seconds for Berg and three minutes and 85 seconds for Wortman.

Berg started five spots behind the winner, Friend, who raced 16 laps. But soon made his way up to the head of the back and stayed in second place all the way around until the end racing 15 laps. Wortman started last but eventually managed to get into the first place spot, but unfortunately ended up in second place racing 14.4 laps behind Cedar Rapids Kennedy who raced 14.4 laps. Instructor Rob Smith said he was very happy with the results.

The team is gearing up for the team’s 8^th championship in ten years, which will be raced in Papillion, Nebraska on May 7^th at 8 A.M. The team is working hard on braking and maneuverability. The team will be entering two cars in the race, both A21 and E31. The Exhibition Class does not count as a championship race, but we have decided to race anyway.

April Monthly Report

2011-04-29T11:07:00.005-05:00

This month our team successfully completed the documentation. We used a lot of new technologies to aid us in creating our documentation books. The students in grades 9-12 are 1-1 with Macbooks. This enabled the students to collaborate and share ideas when they have technology at their fingertips every minute of every day. Matthew W. a member of the Advanced Computers class helped us construct a video for the A-21 car’s documentation. Jenae G. and Anna B. worked all semester on developing the journalistic layout. With the help of others in the Power Drive class, pictures were added to the topics to give a more polished result. Once the documentation was completed, our documentation specialists digitally transferred the files to the judging committee.

The Cuming County Open was a huge success! We had tons of dedicated volunteers helping us set up the race, work the concession, throw bales and clean up. Without our volunteers and sponsors that race wouldn’t have been possible. Our A-21 car ended up finishing 3rd, and unfortunately the E-31 car got in an accident.

The team has continually been working on the S-20 car in order to get it finished for the Hastings race that is held on April 20th. We have also been testing our batteries hoping to make improvements in our finishes.

Team travels to West Point for the Cuming County Open

2011-04-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

The Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive traveled to West Point on April 2nd for the Cuming County Open. The team knew that this track was very fast, has long straight aways and very sharp corners. They always had troubles in the past at this track, always got caught up in a lot of crashes. But for the drivers A. Berg driving the A21 and D. Wortman driving E31 had to prepare for this track and avoid getting into wrecks. Berg started the race with being last but his teammate D. Wortman began in the middle of the pack. The Power Drive team had two strategies, one D. Wortman was going to get out front and stay out of trouble and two for A. Berg to keep a steady pace in hope of avoiding getting into a wreck. D. Wortman jumped out to an early lead and was lapping cars within 4 laps then finally took the lead for the first 10 minutes; the car was very fast and handling well. Sooner or later the Syracuse driver ran D. Wortman into the bails and flipped the car and almost ran into the water. The E31 car was damaged and not fixable. Bad luck struck B-R again. “Syracuse car gave me no room, drivers must have not had a clue I was there. It’s a shame, our car was very fast believed the team had an excellent opportunity to score a win. Really appreciate all the hard work the team put in on the car. "I hated it for them that we got taken out and lost the race for a stupid reason” stated D. Wortman. Luckily driver A. Berg hung around the pack for most of the race, with 20 minutes to go A. Berg picks up the pace and starts to pass cars and running down the A52 car from Raymond Central. A. Berg made up one whole lap on the field but unfortunately ran out of time. Team member M. Smith stated, “A. Berg was by far the fastest car the last 20 minutes on the track." He was 5 to 6 seconds lap faster then the leader, we just ran out of time.” A. Berg finished 3rd place with a very fast car. The team was in charge for the set up of the concession stand and the race track. Help to the surrounding community for their huge volunteer help, Nebraska public district, Omaha public power, Cuming county district, and the sheriffs for donating radars. The Power Drive Team would like to say thank you for all the effort, it would not be possible with out them.

March Monthly Report

2011-03-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

This month will be the start of a new racing season. Our first race is the Big Red Invitational located in Lincoln NE, on Saturday, March 26, 2011. We are putting the finishing touches on the A-21 car. We are still working on the A-21 car’s steering geometry in order to find changes that might help out with how the car drives and handles. The E-31 car’s body is just about finished. The team has been testing batteries for the last month trying to find better charging techniques and faster ways to charge the battery. The S-20 car’s electrical work and chasis are complete.

The Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive Team is getting ready for the Cuming County Open, which we are hosting at the West Point Fairgrounds on April 2nd. The parents of our Power Drive team have been setting up a menu for the concession stand and gathering the supplies that will be needed. We have also been lining up volunteers to work the concession stand. Our team is also very excited for all the cars to come and race! We are also quite curious to see if the track record holder Louisville will impress us once again. We hope to see you there!

Power Drive Schedule

2011-03-02T12:21:00.001-06:00

Saturday, March 26, 2011
Big Red Invitational
UNL Tractor Testing Lab
35th & East Campus Loop Road
Lincoln, Nebraska

Friday, April 1, 2011
Alternate Fuel Odyssey
Columbus Municipal Airport
Columbus, Nebraska

Saturday, April 2, 2011
Cuming County Open
Cuming County Fairgrounds
West Washington Street
West Point, Nebraska

Saturday, April 9, 2011
Hastings Rally
Motorsports Park
East Highway 6
Hastings, Nebraska

Saturday, April 16, 2011
9th Annual Bulldog Classic
Memorial Park
North Platte, Nebraska

Saturday, April 30, 2011
Hastings Power Drive
Motorsports Park
East Highway 6
Hastings, Nebraska

Saturday, May 7, 2011
Power Drive Championships
Werner Park
12356 Ballpark Way
Papillion, Nebraska

February Monthly Report

2011-02-28T11:39:00.000-06:00

The Power Drive team ran the concession stand for four basketball games to raise money for our cars. The concession stands turned out to be a big success! We earned quite a bit of money for the Power Drive season. Thank you to all the fans that supported the concession stands. We greatly appreciated it. We supplied the stand with delicious pork sandwiches, super nachos, pretzels and hotdogs. The team has also been getting donations from out sponsors, which will be put to good use for components on the car. We would like to extend a huge thank you out to all of them as well.

Our team has been working on the rear axle of the S-20 car. The motor, motor mount, battery box, and the rear wheel should all be in place and welded within the next week. The bodywork has just begun on the E-31 car. The nose and front of the car are fitted but not permanently attached yet. The plan is to be done with all the body work by next week and start prepping for paint. The E-31's electrical system work is completed. The team has been researching some charges to the steering geometry. After talking with North Platte's instructor, the team feels that we may be able to change the steering and still get the car to handle. The A-21 is getting a makeover, including changes to the steering geometry, motor placement, and lexan on the canopy.

January Monthly Reports

2011-01-26T11:29:00.001-06:00

    The Power Drive team has been working hard for our upcoming season. We will be working the basketball concession stand on January 29th, 30th, and February 11th, and 12th. We are looking forward to putting on a good concession stand, and we will be serving super nachos, pork sandwiches, and pizza. We are open for suggestions (No shrimp cocktail).
    We are working hard on the documentation and have assigned specific parts to each of the four of us totally dedicated to documentation. Last year’s video will be tough to beat, but we are working extra hard. We have a lot of new and improved ideas to keep us busy.
    The S car chassis is just about completed, and we hope to have it done by the end of the month. The A car has not been getting a lot of attention, but we are working on steering changes, new wheel covers, and still working on the possibility of running fenders on bigger tracks for the A car. Another change is repositioning the driver for a better center of balance. The team has also been working on an E car. The E car has been totally torn down to its chassis. The chassis has been updated, and all the steering hard points have been torn off and re-welded to try to improve the steering geometry. Over the next couple months the team has a lot of work to complete, including battery testing, finishing the S car, changes to the A car and documentation.

Finishing up th Chassis

2010-12-16T09:27:00.000-06:00

The Bancroft Rosalie Power Drive team is working on the chassis on the E31 members of the team doing this are Dalton W. and Austin S. The team is also finishing up the rear axle on the new S car students doing this are Alex B. and Eric B. Joshua W. has started the how to videos to include in the blog for next year. These might also be used in the documentation. We would also like to wish everyone, especially our sponsors, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Curious Visitors

2010-12-09T09:43:00.001-06:00

Eric and Dalton describe the braking system.

The Bancroft Rosalie Power Drive team had the Columbus Lakeview team visit the school on Wednesday, December 8th. Last year's documentation was shown and older documentation books where on hand to browse through. After that discussion, the teams went to the shop. Students asked questions about the building and structure of the cars. They also asked where we have found specific parts in the past. The Lakeview Power Drive team has some enthusiastic students. We look forward to competing with Columbus Lakeview in the spring.

Power Drive Video

2010-12-02T09:15:00.000-06:00

The Bancroft Rosalie Power Drive Documentation team has started their video they have asked members of the Power Drive team to state the number of years on power drive, their name and their role. People doing this video are Anna B. and Jenae G. This should be done in about a week.

Wiring the Cars

2010-11-04T09:38:00.000-05:00

The Bancroft Rosalie Power Drive team is hard at work. They are rewiring the s21 car this was done by Alex B. Dalton W. and Eric Browning. The process of wiring each car should take about a week so this process should be done before the first race.

S21 is getting remodeled

2010-10-28T09:38:00.000-05:00

The Bancroft Rosalie Power Drive team is remodeling the S21 car they have pulled the body off and have cut the back axle and lower part of the frame off and are fixing a couple cracks and mishaps that happened during the Wayne Fall Rally. These corrections should be finished before the first spring race in 2011. We hope to see a lot of fans at our spring race. We would like to thank the sponsor for all their support.

Working on the Cars

2010-10-14T09:28:00.001-05:00

The B-R Power Drive team is hard at work. They are welding the A31 car. They are also tearing down the S20 car and fixing it. The A21 car is ready to go. We would like to Thank all the Sponsors and Fans that have supported us. We hope to see you all at our first spring race.

Bancroft-Rosalie races into 1st place again!

2010-10-07T09:28:00.002-05:00

On October 2nd,2010, the Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team headed their way over to Wayne to participate in the Wayne Fall Rally for the 7th time in Rob Smith's eight year career. The format for this race was different from every other race that the kids have participated in. This race was 90 minutes long; this gave drivers an opportunity to gain knowledge and practice driving skills. B-R's A-21 car finished 1st place with 134 laps and started from the 10th position, Alex Berg took the lead on the 17th lap and never looked back. The S-20 driven by Eric Browning was in contention until mechanical failure when the chain came off the rear wheel because of a broken spacer. First year pit-crew members Morgan Smith, Drake Luedert and Brady Petersen with the guidance of Dalton Wortman got the car back together so the car could continue to race after very extensive work. The S-20 still managed 7th place with 90 laps.
The kids were excited about the rave and they worked hard to get each car in top-notch condition. Now that the Power Drive team doesn't have a race again until spring, they can get each car perfected. The team would like to extend a big "Thank You" to all the fans that had the chance to get to the race, to all the sponsors and Wayne, High School for letting the team race - also a special thanks to Renz Electric for all their support over the year, and also allowing the team to use their suburban to pull the trailer.

Upcoming Races

2010-09-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Then Power Drive is kicking it in gear and getting ready for the upcoming race in Kansas City held October 11th at the Kansas City Motor Speedway. This will be the team's first time ever at this Electrical Challenge. Mr. Smith hopes to do very well in the team's first appearance. The team is also competing October 2nd in The Wayne Fall Rally at Wayne State College, which the team has won the race three out of six appearances. The Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team has a big following including Jon Cerney, Ronda Ras, and Clark Petersen but many people have never attended a race. The race is sixty minutes long and the cars go around the track as many times as possible. You also switch drivers in the middle of the race in between the 20-40 minute mark. Please come support the Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team October 2nd at Wayne State College for the team's first race of the season.

Rebuilding

2010-09-16T09:40:00.000-05:00

The power drive team is back at it they are rebuilding the previously retired A31 car that was wreck in last years Cuming County Open. They have taken the entire shell off and are rebuilding the axles. This should be finished in two to three weeks.

Big Expectations

2010-09-10T08:32:00.000-05:00

The 2010 Power Drive season is approaching swiftly. Mr. Smith is getting the students to kick it in gear and and get the cars ready for the first race. D. Wortman and L. Rascon will be working on the axels of the E car. Working on the S car is A. Steichen, D. Luedert and J. Redding. They are straightening the rims of the car. A. Berg and E. Browning are also working on the S car. They are fixing the gears and the chains on the car. Mr. Smith has big expectations for this year's Power Drive Team. The documentation team is also helping out the team by learning Google doc's, writing letters to parents and sponsors, along with thinking up ideas for the documentation books. The the is gearing up for the big race in Kansas City on October 11th. The race in Kansas City will be held at Kansas City Motor Speedway.

Seasons End

2010-05-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

With the school year at its' end the Power Drive team has called it quits for a few months. Overall the season was very successful as the team brought home 2 championship trophies. The team would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters for supporting us this season. Here's to a good season.

State Champions Again

2010-05-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

This past week the Power Drive team won their 3rd consecutive State Championship. We were able to win both classes that we competed in, the Advanced and the Standard. The A21 car placed 2nd in the Endurance race, 1st in design, 1st in Maneuverability, 2nd in Documentation, and 1st overall. The S20 car was not able to place in the Endurance race but still pulled away with placing 1st in Documentation, 2nd in Braking, 2nd in Design, and 1st overall. Along with winning documentation the team received a toolbox donated by Snap-on. Overall it was a very successful day. The team has now one 7 State Championships to go along with 6 State Runner-Ups since we started the program in 2000. The Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team would also like to thank all of our sponsors, parents, and volunteers who helped us in our successful season.

State Championship

2010-05-07T12:33:00.000-05:00

With the Power Drive season winding down there is only one more race left. The Power Drive State Championship is only one day away and we are ready. State Power Drive is held at Mid America Motorplex in Pacific Junction Iowa. The team is confident and ready to bring a third straight championship home. The State meet has three events instead of one. The first event is Maneuverability. This tests the cars movement and quickness. The next event is Braking. In Braking the car has to reach a minimum of 15 mph and then begin stopping on the line. The car that stops in the shortest distance wins the event. The last event is the actual race.

Bancroft-Rosalie April Monthly Report

2010-04-30T15:28:00.000-05:00

The month of April was a very busy time for the Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team. The month started out with the Big Red Invitational race held on April 11th. Bancroft-Rosalie’s E31 car placed second at this race. The next race was at Columbus. We placed 3rd in this race with both our A21 and E31 cars. Our next race was the Cuming County Open which was hosted by the Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive team. We needed to make sure that everything was set up for the race and also that the food was ready for the concessions. Unfortunately, we didn’t do as well as we had hoped. We wrecked both of our cars and were only able to get the A21 car back out on the track to finish the race.

After racing at the Big Red Invitational, we had a few minor things to fix on the A21 car. Due to the severity of the crash, we have regrettably decided that we will no longer be racing the E31 car. Instead, we have moved our focus to completing the S20 car that was started at the beginning of the year. We hope to have this car completed by Wayne State College Spring Rally; which is in two days on April 24th. We have been working into all hours of the night, trying to finish in time and are pretty close to being finished.

The Documentation Squad also had to finish the documentation books for the A21 and S20 cars. These books are a very crucial part of winning the State Championship and this year the winning book gets a brand new tool box for their school. This year, our themes for the books were “Go Green” and “Racing with the Stars”. We also tried a new way of presenting our books. Instead of printing out every page and putting it in a book, we have put them in a PDF layout. Not only is this more environmentally friendly, it is also a lot easier and less time consuming. We hope to do very well with our documentation this year.

We would like to give a special thanks to everyone that helped at the Cuming County Open. Without their help, the race would not have been possible. Our next Power Drive rally is this Saturday, April 24th at Wayne State College. We are hoping to race both our A21 and our S20 cars at this race. The team will be working hard to finish the S-20 car.

Rainy Days

2010-04-30T09:53:00.001-05:00

The Power Drive race in Wayne last Saturday was canceled due to the weather. We were disappointed but didn’t lose hope because it gave us a chance to finish up the new car. The team has been working hard all week and its showing with the results of the car. As of yesterday the canopy has been completed and the car is now ready to paint. Documentation is finished and the video turned out great. The video is located on the top right of the website. Trust me you will enjoy it.

Ready to Race!!!!

2010-04-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

This past weekend the team had 2 races. The first race was the Alternative Fuel Odyssey held in Columbus and the teams did well with the E31 finishing 3rd and the A21 placing 3rd. It was a great race with a lot of good competition. The Cumming County Open was held in West Point on Saturday the 17th. We were not as successful this race. The A21 car was wrecked in the 12 lap but was able to get back on the track and finish the race. The E31 car was not as lucky as it wrecked during lap 16 and was not able to return to the race. The E31 is currently retired until further notice. But all hope isn’t lost. This week the team has been working extremely hard to get the S20 car done and it’s paying off. With a few minor fixes the new car is ready to race and hopefully its first outing will be in Wayne on May 1st. Documentation has also been completed and has been sent in.

The Season has Finally Begun

2010-04-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

Racing season has finally begun! The spring season has begun and our first stop was Lincoln. This past week the team raced at the Big Red Invitational held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Tractor Testing Track. “It’s one of the nicest tracks we will race at this year and the people at the facility did a great job getting the track ready and running the event.” said instructor Rob Smith. The E31 was driven by E. Browning and R. Mohl. The A21 car drivers were J. Hennig and D. Wortman. Both cars ran well but both came up short with the E31 finishing 2nd in the Exhibition class and the A21 finishing 5th in the Advanced class. Even though the team did well we are looking forward to doing better in the next race.

Documentation

2010-04-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

The documentation part of our cars has begun. Documentation is a huge part in our success at the state race because it counts for a majority of our points. It has helped us to state titles in previous years. The welding is completely finished on the new car. We welded gussets in the joints that we feel need to be stronger. The steering has also been completed and we are now planning on installing the electrical.

Welding in Progress

2010-04-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

The Power Drive car is currently being welded on. The welding is almost finished besides a few complicated welds. The team is also testing batteries. This is to make sure we use the batteries that run the longest and are the most efficient on race day. Steering is also being worked on in the new car. We are using a new steering system in the new car that is different from the previous system. Also the A car is getting a new paint job courtesy of Ideal Wheels of Bancroft. A checklist for the E car has also been made and will be filled out throughout the week. The checklist is important to how well the car will race. It gives us ideas what to check and modify so that the car runs well.

A21 Car is Back

2010-03-25T09:33:00.000-05:00

The team has completed the rear wheel adjusts. They have moved on to creating a new steering system in the car. This is something new that we have never tried before. Besides fixing the steering and fitting electrical the team is also making modifications to the S20 and A21 cars. Carbon fiber fenders are being placed on the S20 car to reduce drag on the car and make it more aerodynamic. The fenders were made with the help of one of are many faithful sponsors Dave Raasch. Our A21 car was lent to the Columbus Lakeview Power Drive team for tips on how to build a car. We hope to have our cars ready for our home race, the Cuming County Open, on April 17.

Getting Closer

2010-03-19T13:26:00.000-05:00

The chassis to the car is ready to be welded together. This week the team has begun installing the motor mount to the car. The motor mount is made out of aluminum and keeps the motor in place and allows us to adjust the motor’s position. It also can increase or decrease the chain tension to our desired specification. The A 20 car is just about completed. Also on the new car the team has installed to rear and front wheels and is currently working on the steering. Some of the electrical is being placed in the car. The battery box has been completed and has been put in the car. The battery box holds the car’s batteries and keeps them from moving and shifting weight in the car.

Making Adjustments

2010-03-12T15:48:00.000-06:00

The team has been working on documentation. The team has also been making modifications to the S20 car. A. Berg is currently making adjustments to the steering components on the S20. This week they have fabricated a seat to fit the new car. The seat is made from aluminum and is TIG welded together. They have also created a circular rear on the car. We believe this will create less drag.

Progress!!!

2010-03-04T15:30:00.000-06:00

The team is about finished with the front of the chassis and is working on the rear. The chassis should be finished in a week or two. Currently the team is also making adjustments to the S20 car. These modifications will help in the race. The seat for the new car is also being modified to fit expectations.

Catching Up

2010-02-26T16:31:00.000-06:00

February hasn’t been kind to Power Drive, creating problems like snow days that hinder the progress of the car. The team is still working on ways to raise money and are preparing for the upcoming Cuming County Open which is scheduled for April 17. The team is holding concessions and is in charge of setting up the track for the race. We encourage anyone that enjoys a good race to come and support us in West Point on April 17. Also congratulations to R. Mohl for receiving a scholarship to play football at Wayne State College.

Weighing In

2010-02-12T09:55:00.000-06:00

In Power Drive this week the team is working on the chassis. The team also held concession stands again for the high school basketball games. The weight of the prototype was also calibrated. The team used a digital go-cart scale to find the correct percentages of weight in the front and rear of the car. This scale was donated by one of our many sponsors Rick Logeman and River Rat Racing.

Working Hard

2010-02-05T15:42:00.000-06:00

The team is still hard at work. They are currently working on the chassis for the new car. M. Wellman and R. Mohl have finished the nose piece to the car and are starting on a new piece to the car. The construction of the nose piece took a variety of tools. One of the tools used was the tubing bender. With the tubing bender the team is able to make precise angles and radiuses on certain pieces. Another tool used was the tubing notcher. The tubing notcher is used to place an opening in a tube to allow pieces to fit together. Also this week the team is working on the documentation video. We would also like to congratulate team member K. Anderson on her scholarship to play basketball at Morningside College.

Getting Started

2010-01-28T09:50:00.000-06:00

The team is currently still working on the chassis for the new car. This past Tuesday the team held concession stands for the girls and boys basketball games against the Winnebago Indians. The concessions were very successful. Some members have been practicing TIG welding on Chrome Molly. Chrome Molly is a material that is strong yet flexible so we are able to bend it into the angles we need them at. We also acquired a new sponsor this week. Special thanks to our new sponsor Brian Tietz.

Back to Work

2010-01-18T09:50:00.000-06:00

Christmas break is over and Power Drive is in full swing once again! Also the team welcomed new members this week. The new members are K. Anderson, T. Ostrand, B. Petersen, J. Schuetze, and D. Wortman. Most of these new members will help mainly on the documentation part of class. Documentation is a huge part in the bid to win another state championship. Documentation has been a key component to our success at the state Championship. The team is currently working on the chassis for the new car. Also they are designing a different steering system to fit in the new car.

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-22T14:23:00.001-06:00

The team took their semester finals on Monday and now is getting ready for Christmas Break. They would like to wish everyone, especially our sponsors, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ready for Christmas Break

2009-12-17T09:52:00.000-06:00

The team has been working on documentation. The groups have been making good progress on their prototypes in the past 2 weeks. They are making their final revisions on the prototype chassis. With Christmas break coming up the team has to prepare for the next semester by lining up our sponsorships for the 2009-2010 season. Starting in January the team has to fill out monthly reports for OPPD. The reports are part of the documentation on the team’s progress. Each report is worth 25 points towards documentation.

Rough Times in Power Drive

2009-12-03T10:12:00.000-06:00

The Power Drive team has seemed to lose its way. Many distractions have derailed the direction of the team. The Power Drive team has been working on other projects such as helping the One Act play with their set and organizing the school garage. Absences have also contributed to the delay in progress. Students have missed for reasons such as one act play, sports, illness, assemblies, and an array of other activities. The lack of experience in Power Drive has also created a bump in the road. The bumpy road will hopefully be paved in the near future with hard work and commitment. Students will continue to finish the prototype chassis this week. The Prototype chassis are full scale models built of ½ inch conduit donated by Renz Electric and Plumbing. The team would like to thank Cary and Peggy Renz for their continued support of the Power Drive team. Student teacher Scott Versch and J. Wegner bent the roll bar for the chassis. The roll bar of the chassis has been a hard piece to construct in the past. With the roll bar done the team is looking to finish on Monday, December 7th.

Putting the Pieces Together

2009-11-20T15:44:00.000-06:00

The groups have now begun the construction of their prototypes. The groups are making the prototypes from electrical conduit. They have been at it for the whole week and day by day are getting closer to finishing. New measurements and shapes are being designed as they go to improve each group models. The groups weld the pieces together using the GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) process. This process is easier because it has a continuous wire feed that is adjustable to specific rate. This can contribute to a good weld and also go much faster.

Ready for Prototypes

2009-11-16T15:38:00.000-06:00

This week in Power Drive is about the same as the last. The groups are continuing to work on their full sized drawings of their cars. Both groups are working on a top view and also a side few of their models. Along with making measurements for the cars the groups also have to calculate the weight of the chassis and the weight of the materials that go on the car. The chassis is the foundation of the car. It takes a well built chassis to have a fast car. The chassis will most likely be made out of 4130 chrome molly alloy because it is strong and durable. The groups should have their full sized drawings done by next week.

Week #5 in Power Drive

2009-10-30T15:07:00.000-05:00

Week 4

2009-10-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

This week in power drive the team has started outlining their full scale prototypes. They are making their cars to full scale on paper first. From there they will adjust the measurements to make sure that the drivers and parts will fit in the car. Two teams are working on two different cars. The reason they do this is so that they can make adjustments to the car before they actually start building the actual prototype. This saves time and money. The designers of the two cars are M. Wellman and J. Hennig. The cars that were chosen had the less drag and force put on them in the wind tunnel. Both teams are taking a different approach at designing the car. The group using J. Hennig’s model is creating the car from a side view. The group using M. Wellman’s design is creating the model from the bottom view. To see how they are the team is doing check out the blog next week!

Testing

2009-10-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

The team is finally done with their wooden models and has been testing them in the wind tunnel. They have been testing last week. There have been some inconsistent results with the wind tunnel and they are working on making them better. The wind tunnel is a devise that the team uses to test the drag and aerodynamics on the models. The wind tunnel has a small grain bin fan that draws air through the tunnel. The fan was donated by one of our great sponsors Stanek Brothers Farms. We give a special thanks to them. It roughly runs at a speed of 85mph. The tunnel is made out of Lexan glass. It is also sealed tight to insure that they are able to get a quality reading from the force sensor. The force sensor is the devise that measures the force on the model. It is attached to a scientific calculator which shows the results. As the fan draws air through the tunnel it pulls on the model and the more the model is aerodynamically the less drag which in turn puts less force on the gage. This is important in making the car. The less force on the car allows the batteries to use less power. In the coming weeks the team will be working on making prototypes of the cars. Check out the blog next week to check out what’s happening with The B-R Power Drive Team.

Week 2 in Power Drive

2009-10-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

Week 2 in Power Drive is just as interesting as the first as the team finished up there models and are getting them ready to test. Students are working to get the wind tunnel up and running. First they checked for any defects to make sure that the wind tunnel works properly. “The whole project is going great.” quoted Mr. Smith. The team is starting to test and is finding out just how well their designs will work. In order to have a good car the team must find the model with the least amount of drag and one that is highly effective in aerodynamics. So far the cars that have been tested have had a moderate drag rate. After the wind tunnel testing the team will make full scale prototypes of the models that worked the best. “We are looking at some great models so far that are sure to be winners” Mr. Smith also quoted. It looks like B-R will be looking at another great year in Power Drive!

Welcome to our Blog!!

2009-10-01T10:03:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the Bancroft-Rosalie Power Drive Blog! This blog was started because here at B-R we are all about Power Drive. This year the Power Drive team is hard at work designing a new car for competition. The Power Drive team recently raced at Wayne and got 5th, but like any competitive team we don’t like finishing in 5th. So this week the team is working hard to find a good design for a new car. In order to do that the class is making wooden models of their very own design. To start the process, Mr. Smith had his students make designs on paper of their ideas for a new model. The class took about a day or two to get their ideas on paper. “The results came out pretty well as we found some good designs and I liked a lot of the ideas and think they could work really well.” said Mr. Smith. After the class discussed everyone’s ideas they are now making a wooden model. The students will build their models to a scale of two inches equals one foot and are in the process of carving the models out. The class will test the models in the wind tunnel to test the drag and aerodynamics of the car to see which one is suitable to race. I will have a new blog each week to keep you in touch with what is going on in the class and the other exciting events the team will participate in.