Texas is only a week away, and the RAHS Green Energy Team is in a rapid scramble to put the finishing touches on Sockeye and pack the trailer for the long journey. Over the past few weeks, the team has been refining and testing the car at the PACCAR Technical Center in Mount Vernon to ensure that the car is ready for the race. In addition, the team has been busy creating a strategy that will maximize the number of laps completed at the Texas Motor Speedway. 

Recently the team has been hard at work spending long weekend days at the PACCAR Technical Center, collecting solar and efficiency data, and repairing the small issues that arise during testing. This guarantees that all issues that are bound to occur can be resolved before the race rather than during important moments in Texas. Furthermore, testing helps the team perfect the logistics and strategies of on-track racing. From tire changes to driver swaps, the team is prepared for any situation that may occur. 

While not at the track the team has been reviewing testing data in order to create a strategy that maximizes the number of laps able to be completed. This means accounting for fluctuations in solar input, stopping time, acceleration, and more to create a predictive model for car performance. Although initial predictions are helpful, this model will have to be refined in Texas to account for differences in ecological conditions. 

Along with strategy, the team has been working on minor changes to the car including adjusting the brakes and tweaking the code. In theory, these alterations should help to increase Sockeye’s efficiency and minimize the risk of problems occurring in the future. 

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the immense support that has been given to the team over the past two years. Without this, we would not have been able to build a car and attend the race. If you wish to watch the team compete in Texas, a live stream will be available on the Solar Car Challenge YouTube page or website. Thank you so much, and we hope you follow us on our trip to Texas!