A GREAT DAY FOR A RACE AND A SWIM

The day started off with great weather on the USF course. The weather forecast varied all week from 20-80% chance of rain LATE in the afternoon. Then the radar showed a BIG rain band out in the gulf and that late rain showed up at 1:30 and drowned the place.

We normally start the races at 10am and 1pm, with the radar looking real menacing we started the second race at 12:30. It turned out to be a good idea. The cars can run in the rain but its not a popular choice.  Mike Fredricks, our race steward, waved the checkered flag 1 minute early just as the clouds opened up.  We got the race in but had to take down the course in the rain. Trophy presentations were held under the canopy in the rain.

In the High School Class it was Brandons #14 against the three cars from Middleton. In this race it was Brandon #14 against Middleton #365 with Brandon taking 2nd in both races and Middleton taking 1st in both races.

In the last race it was Brandon #14 and Middleton #80 tied for season points. In this race it was #14 and Middleton #356 with Middleton taking first overall for the day to pull within 2 points of Brandon #14 and the season lead. There are 3 cars within 6 points of each other for the season.

In the Open Class we had Rodney, HCC and the #242 car.  The #242 car was at Tampa Bay Tech but Tech does not have a team this year so BRADY, some other Alumni and current students raced it in the Open Class. The #242 car was and is very fast and it was great to see it on the track again. Brady now has the car with plans to continue racing in the open class as the Titans.

Rodney in the #4 car took both races with HCC and the Titans car both having to withdraw with mechanical problems. They were not able to start the second race. The Titans car had a catastrophic blow out on a front wheel that blew the rim apart. In 10 years of racing we have seen many blow outs, flat tires and wheel collapses but never a rim coming apart like that. Almost half the rim sidewall was left on the track.

In the Experimental Battery Class it was close all day with Drew and Slam battling all day with Slam in the #90 car taking the day with 146 laps.

In the first race the #8 car had electrical problems and had to withdraw. Drew, Slam and USF were within 3 laps with Drew on top with 76 laps, USF with 74 and Slam with 73.

In the second race it was the #90 car and Slam with 73 laps and everyone else way behind. USF and ProEv both had problems and had to withdraw. Drew in the #72 car had problems with his car and it conked out several times and had to be pushed started to get going again. Pony in the #8 car had a wire come out of a connector and killed her throttle. Several members of other teams carried her car off the track and found the errant wire and soldered the pin and got it back on the track. The problems dropped her out of the season lead and put her 4 points behind Drew in the #72 car.

Next race will be on the Track at Brandon High School on March 25th.  We will be doing another speed event. Two twenty minute races going for speed and distance. Between the races there will be an extra special event. Team sponsors and ETO officials will be taking to the track for a short race. If we can manage to get into the cars.

Finish Order:

High School: 1st  Middleton #365, 2nd Brandon #14, 3rd Middleton #80, 4th Middleton #133, 5th Brandon #9.

Open: 1st Tiger Racing #4, 2nd HCC #13, 3rd  Titans #242

Experimental Battery:  1st Electrocutioners #90, 2nd Electrocutioners #72, 3rd USF #132, 4th Electrocutioners #08, 5th ProEv #39

Our next race will be held at the University of South Florida. The campus is located at 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa 33620. The Engineering Expo will have events on Friday, February 17, 2017, ETO will have Electrathon cars on display. Our Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) and Electrathon Races will be held on Saturday, February 18, 2017. The green flag for the first Electrathon race will drop at 10am. Our JSS Races will be between 11am and 1230pm. The green flag for our second Electrathon race will drop at 1pm. The Electrathon course is challenging for our drivers and exciting to watch as a spectator. Come out for a free day of fun for the entire family.

Yellow – Safety Tape

Red – Track/Course

Pink – Scoring Tower

Blue – Pits

Orange – Cones

Visit the Photo Album for Wharton Race at: (Copy and paste link into Browser) https://www.flickr.com/photos/132647601@N06/albums/72157675532300803

What a day and what a race.  The course was one of the best we have been on in a while.  14 cars battled for 2 hours of racing and in the Experimental Battery Class the margin of victory was a whopping 1400ft.

Wharton High School did an outstanding job putting on the races and had their BBQ grill working overtime between the races.

In the High School Class we want to give a shout out to Palm Bay Magnet High School.  They are over on the east coast, south of Cocoa Beach.  They took a third place finish in the second race.  They are still working the bugs out of their car and will be a contender in the near future.

There were some close finishes in the High School class.  In the first race the Middleton High School #80 car and #365 finished 1st and 2nd with the #80 finishing 4 seconds ahead after 1 hour.  In the second race it was the Brandon #14 car beating out the Middleton #80 car by .47 seconds over the one hour.

The Open Class was a lonely place with only the #04 car of Tiger Racing running.  We missed the HCC and Robinson Racing cars this race.

In the Experimental Battery Class it was a tight race all day with Cliff from ProEv taking the day with a total of 159 laps over the Electrocutioners #08 & 72 cars with 158 each.  Cliff has always had a VERY fast car but in the past has been plagued by mechanical problems and wearing out the tires on his car.  Today it all came together and he ran two trouble free races, except for trading paint once during the race.

We were glad to see Slam make it back on the track to round out the three car Electrocutioners team.  Something about he had to work all those past race days.  His new #90 car, which was late starting the first race and was on a shakedown run.  It was very fast and was the best looking of the field.  If he doesn’t have to work next month watch out.

Can’t wait to see what Drew Jet has to show from his fancy drone he was using at the race.  He has the coolest toys.

We hope to see Strawberry Crest, Wharton, Jefferson, Plant, Foundation and our other Open Class cars for the BIG RACE at University of South Florida in February

OVERALL STATS:

OPEN CLASS:  1st Place #04 Tiger Racing 145 laps

EXPERIMENTAL BATTERY CLASS:  1st #39 ProEv with 159 laps,  2nd #08 with 158 laps,  3rd #72 with 158 laps,  4th #90 with 146 laps, 5th #132 with 41 laps.

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS:  1st #80 with 138 laps,  2nd #365 with 130 laps,  3rd #14 with 123 laps,  4th #101 with 97 laps,  5th #133 with 93 laps,  6th #09 with 67 laps,  7th #86 with 39 laps,  8th #30 with 33 laps.

Our biggest race of the year is coming up in Feb. at the U.S.F. Engineering Expo.  We will have a display area on February 17th where teams can show their cars, equipment and answer questions.  The race is on February 18th and has the most challenging course we race on all season.  Wheels and tires take a beating so now is the time to get everything in top shape.  Charge up those batteries and get those tires and wheels ready to go.

More info on U.S.F. Race will be up shortly

Vic

The Electrathon of Tampa Bay trailer picked up a nail in one of the tires during its last venture to our December race, causing us to have it go flat after sitting over the holidays. We want to thank Matt and Bob Clarke at Clarke Automotive located at 131 Central Drive, Brandon, Florida 33510 for repairing the tire. Clarke Automotive is a great supporter of Electrathon of Tampa Bay and continues to be there for our organization. Their support has the trailer ready for its next venture to Wharton High School for our next race on January 14, 2017.

This is Tampa Bay’s oldest and biggest Maker festival celebrating the DIY Inventive Spirit! More than 100 exhibitors, comprising of more than 400 technologists, artists, crafters, mechanical and electrical wizards, costumers and prop makers, robot cists, musical artists, inventors, coders, gamers, electric car races, battle bots, drone racing, and more!

Every spring, Gulf Coast MakerCon holds an annual community festival celebrating the DIY (Do It Yourself) Inventive Spirit! Here’s some of what we have on tap for 2017:

• 40,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space at the Special Events Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds
• Cigar City Multi-motor Drone Race exhibition
• 3rd Annual Southeast Combat Robotics Championship
• 3rd Annual Electrathon Car Races
• Annual Inventors & Entrepreneurs Showcase
• Makers Market
• Young Makers Village
• Workshops & Demos
• Deconstruction Zone
• Gaming Expo
• Heritage Makers
• Transportation Exhibits
• Garden Tech & Sustainability
• 21st Century Tech
• And much more!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4pr8jtqkiti8a72/electrathon.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/n1q5f77t0d0xa2x/Gulf%20Coast%20Maker%20Con.mp4?dl=0

We have obtained a fix it up trailer for a team to transport their Electrathon car and supplies. Trailer is available and free to any high school or college team, trailer needs some TLC (tender loving care). The closed container of the trailer inside is 6′ long, 4′ wide by 3′ tall. It will connect to a vehicle using a 1 7/8 inch ball. Please have your team sponsor contact Charlie to arrange viewing and pick up of trailer. Trailer offered on a first come first gets it basis.

Our next event will be held at Wharton High School located at 20156 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa 33647. The day will include two Electrathon Races (10am and 1pm), Junior Solar Sprint Races (1030am to 12pm), and RoboFlag Competition (10am to 2pm). Our Wharton Electrathon Team and Sponsor Chris Hart are hoping to debut their new car at this race.

We want to thank Matt and Bob Clarke at Clarke Automotive located at 131 Central Drive, Brandon, Florida 33510 for the use of the tires at the Lennard High School Race. Go by and say hello to them and tell them you saw it on our website.

We want welcome Ace Hardware located at 13364 Lincoln Road, Riverview, Florida 33578 as a 2016 – 2017 Electrathon Sponsor. Manager John Dallimore assisted us in the Lennard High School Race by providing us with bales of hay to use on our course. Please stop by and say hello to John and tell him you saw the post on our website.