The team has been on fire preparing the car for the 2021 Solar Car Challenge. The team has spent a total of 7,236 recorded hours on the car, and that’s only since February of 2021! It is so exciting to reflect back on all of the hard work, and just how far we have come in very little time. This journey alone has been an amazing one, but we’re nowhere near the finish line.
We are excited to introduce La Cucaracha!!
The final touches were installed on the car this last week. Water bottle holders, fans, Loctite, extra horns, and cockpit insulation are small tasks, yet crucial to meet the race’s Scrutineering requirements. We took advantage of the time at the shop to do a final run through to confirm that our car meets every safety standard that will be challenged during the Scrutineering stage. After we determined that our car was completely set, we packed all of the tools, materials, spare parts, and supplies we anticipate we will need for car repairs throughout the race. The car and all of our supplies were loaded into the trailer, and strapped down for the road trip.
The car will depart Seattle on Saturday, 10 July 2021. They will embark on a road trip making stops at Boise, Idaho; Price, Utah; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and will arrive in Fort Worth, Texas on Wednesday, 13 July 2021. Meanwhile, the rest of the team will depart Seattle next Wednesday, 14 July 2021, to fly down to meet up with the car.
As the trailer door closed, there was a great sense of accomplishment. It’s been two years worth of hard work to hit such an incredible milestone. A small feeling of sadness washed over as we said goodbye to Mentor Alain’s garage, which quite literally saved the club during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The team celebrates the send off of La Cucaracha alongside team members who can not join us in Texas, or have moved on to chase bigger things. They have been absolutely instrumental in the team’s success. A huge shout out to our biggest supporters, sponsors, and families. Thank YOU for making this life changing experience possible.
As Race Day nears, we hope you can help cheer us on! Racing officially starts on 19 July 2021 0850 (MDT), you can follow the official Solar Car Challenge Live Stream here. Make sure to subscribe to our Instagram blog for daily updates throughout the race.