The Season has Finally Begun

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

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

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

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

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.