tbt-race

The second race of the season is in the books.

The usual suspects were present for the races. We want welcome back the team from HCC for their first race since early last season and Tampa Bay Tech High School for hosting the race.

The conditions were good with cool temperatures and plenty of sunshine. The course was smooth and fast, with some cars hitting speeds in the mid 30s on the long straights.

In the experimental battery class the 08 and 72 cars battled it out during both races with Pony in the 08 beating Drew in the 72 when his batteries went down early in both races. The 72 car is new this season and Drew is working out the bugs.

In the first race the big excitement was the HCC car, with a new driver, blowing a tire on the drive wheel causing a Red Flag on the track when it went sideways and stalled. The driver did what most people do when driving. Hitting the brakes when a tire blows is never a good idea. The car got sideways and traded paint with the 08 car which escaped unharmed. The HCC car tore up the front end of the nose cone and had to withdraw as the damage caused the driver’s feet to have no protection.

A BIG SHOUT OUT to recognize the Middleton Team for jumping in to help the HCC two person team fix the car. When they were done the car looked fine but could not pass the safety inspection. The Middleton Team exhibited a good example of sportsmanship, one of the many such acts at our Electrathon Races. Before the races and during the break between the first and second races, teams were working on their cars and helping other teams with their car(s). One of the teams gave another team a new tire and inner tubes to help get them up and running.

During the second race that attention to detail monster showed up twice. The 133 car from Middleton, which was going real well and racking up the laps, lost power and had to pit. That Attention to Detail got them. A cable on one of the batteries came off. A lose bolt caused the problem and the pit crew was slow repairing the problem. The car lost multiple laps and missed out on 2nd place in that race by seconds. Then there was the 365 car from Middleton. The one that sported a green and yellow paint job that looks like a yellow beaked Oregon Duck. It spent the first part of the second race drafting the 133 car until the car took an unplanned pit, stopping up against the Brandon High School team trailer breaking its beak. The 365 car had a minor problem with the steering. The steering wheel weld to the steering shaft broke. Welds are the one thing that a safety inspection might not find, especially if the weld is not a smooth clean weld.

Thoughts from the Pits: Electrathon America Design and Safety rules allow a partial frame when the car has a full body over the frame. With the HCC and the Duck car both receiving front end damage and with no injury to the drivers the cars could not continue. The cars conformed to the safety rules and everything worked out.

ALL TEAMS should take a close look at their cars with the thought, would it be a good idea to ADD an additional piece to the frame. Look at the area where the driver’s feet rest. Then ask WHAT IF.  Is there a frame component that protects the driver’s feet in the event of a front end crash, even with a full body over the frame?

Idea for the pit crews:  How many different size nuts and bolt are there on the car?  The fewer sizes the fewer tools needed to make an adjustment, service or repair. You can have a small GO BAG with what you need to make a QUICK Repair/Pit Stop. Think Batteries, Steering, Wheels/Tires.

Results:

High School Class: Middleton 80 – 1^st place, Middleton 133 – 2^nd place, Brandon 14 – 3^rd place, Brandon 9 – 4^th place,  Middleton 365 – 5^th place

Open Class: Tiger Racing 4 – 1^st place, HCC 13 – 2^nd place

Experimental Battery Class: Electrocutioners 8 – 1^st place, Electrocutioners 72 – 2^nd place

We want to welcome Plant High School, from South Tampa, to the Electrathon of Tampa Bay Family. They picked up one of our loaner cars and will be working feverishly to get it ready to race. Hope to see them on the track in December at Lennard High School.

The next race is on the Famous Middleton High School course the first Saturday in November. We will be on the BIG parking lot. It is a long course with all the turns and long straights.

See you in November

Vic Nieves

Steve Lamson, one third of the Electrocutioners Team who has raced with ETO for the last 8 years, delivered two donated Electrathon race cars to us on Wednesday, October 19, 2016. ETO is deeply honored by this generosity and will put the cars to great use towards growing our program!

Electrathon of Tampa Bay sends our condolences during this time of loss to the family and friends of Rodney Schreck (Tiger Racing). Rodney’s father passed away Sunday, October 16, 2016.

Electrathon of Tampa Bay sends our condolences during this time of loss to the family and friends of long time supporter of ETO Doug Andrews (lifetime friend of Ken Fiallos). Doug passed away Tuesday, October 18, 2016.

Congratulations to Middleton High School Senior  Katelyn Alla Continue reading Katelyn Allan Receives The Van Guard Award →

Welcome Electrathon and Junior Solar Sprint Racing Teams, our next race of the season will be held at Tampa Bay Tech High School, located at 6410 Orient Road, Tampa Florida 33610. The race day schedule will be the same as last season.

As Hurricane Matthew approaches the State of Florida’s East Coast, Electrathon of Tampa Bay reaches out to our Teams/Supporters from Southeast Florida, Tiger Racing and Pro EV, from Central Florida, East Coast, The University of Central Florida, Palm Bay Magnet HS, Seminole State College, The Florida Solar Energy Center, Robinson and Son Racing and The Electrocutioners. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families. We hope that you are safe from the effects of this hurricane. Once this hurricane has passed, please reach out any of the Executive Board to let us know that you are okay.

UPDATE 10/7/2016

We have heard from Tiger Racing, The Electrocutioners, Robinson and Son, Pro EV, University of Central Florida, and The Florida Solar Energy Center. They have all made it through the hurricane Matthew. It was wonderful to hear from our teams. We have not heard from Palm Bay Magnet HS or Seminole State College. Hope that they will reach out to us sometime today to let us know they are okay.

This afternoon we heard from Palm Bay Magnet High School and they are okay.

THANK YOU

Rob Nolen, Manager of Lowes in Valrico for your continued support of ETO by arranging for us to use a generator for our races that do not have access to an electrical outlet to run our scoring system.

WELCOME CROSSROADS ACE

We welcome Shane Murphy and Crossroads Ace Hardware to the Electrathon Supporters for 2016-2017 Race Seasons.

Visit the Photo Album for HCC Race at: (Copy and paste link into Browser)https://www.flickr.com/photos/132647601@N06/albums/72157673849750930

Electrathon of Tampa Bay kicked off the 2016-2017 Electrathon and Junior Solar Sprint Race Season on September 24, 2016 at Hillsborough Community College in Brandon Florida. The college was a great host, providing us with snacks and refreshments during the day and a great race course for our teams to compete. We thank everyone that was involved in the scheduling for this race.

We had seven cars representing three high school teams, two cars/teams representing our college/open, and three cars/two teams representing experimental battery. ETO implemented team members (pit crew) wearing safety vests when responding to a down car so drivers can see them on the course. We asked teams to join us at the Longwood Parade on December 3, 2016, driving their car or walking the parade route handing out flyers to promote Electrathon Racing. ETO encouraged teams to plan for the races in Pensacola Florida (Five Flags Speedway), Leeds Alabama (Barber Motor Sports), and Quitman Georgia (Brooks HS, Run for the Peaches). ETO will transport four cars to each of these races in the ETO trailer. We handed out a suggested team structure to our high school and college teams to promote organization and team work.

The first Electrathon Race had a total of twelve cars lined up when the green flag dropped for racing. University of Central Florida had their wheel hub come apart sending a tire down the course, Pro EV with their new motor worked to get the alignment of their chain set. The high school first race results are: 1^st Middleton car 80, 2^nd Middleton car 365, 3^rd Middleton car 133, 4^th Brandon car 14, 5^th Strawberry Crest car 60, 6^th Brandon car 9, 7^th Strawberry Crest car 30. The open first race results are: 1^st Tiger Racing, 2^nd University of Central Florida. The experimental battery first race results are: 1^st Electrocutioners car 8, 2^nd Electrocutioners car 72, 3^rd Pro EV car 39.

The Junior Solar Sprint Races were held between the Electrathon races. Mike Wilson and Don Hasselwood prepared the course; a number of teams competed and had fun. The race results are: 1^st Kayla Pagan, 2^nd Jacqueline Suarez, and 3rd Jaylin Rasumoff.

The second Electrathon Race started with eleven cars as the University of Central Florida was not able to repair the damages from the loss of their wheel hub in the first race. Our second race had some excitement when Pro EV car 39 spun out in turn one and faced others cars on the track. We are proud of all of our drivers for the way they drove in both races. The high school second race results are: 1^st Brandon car 14, 2^nd Middleton car 365, 3^rd Middleton car 80, 4^th Middleton car 133, 5^th Brandon car 9, 6^th Strawberry Crest car 30, 7^th Strawberry Crest car 60. The open second race results are: 1^st Tiger Racing. The experimental battery second race results are: 1^st Electrocutioners car 8, 2^nd Electrocutioners car 72, 3^rd Pro EV.

We had a great day of family fun and racing.

Our overall total laps, top three team winners are: High School – 1^st Middleton car 365, 2^nd Brandon car 14, 3^rd Middleton car 80. Open/College – 1^st Tiger Racing car 4, 2^nd University of Central Florida car 823. Experimental Battery – 1^st Electrocutioners car 8, 2^nd Electrocutioners car 72, 3^rd Pro EV.

Mark your calendars for our next race, October 22, 2016 at Tampa Bay Technical High School, 6410 Orient Road, Tampa Florida 33610.

Video by Strawberry Crest HS at HCC in Brandon, Florida

Welcome Electrathon Racing Teams, our first race of the season will be held at Hillsborough Community College, located at 10414 East Columbus Drive, Tampa Florida 33619. The race day schedule will be the same as last season with the exception of this race. There will be a mandatory ETO orientation conducted for everyone from 730am to 830am. We have new teams, new cars, new drivers, new safety protocols and team structure suggestions.

The yellow is our safety barrier, red is our course, black is our scoring tower and green will be the pit area.

This year ETO will assist high school and college teams in attending races in Pensacola Florida (Five Flags Speedway), Quitman Georgia (Run for the Peaches), and Leeds Alabama (Barber Motor Sports) by transporting team cars and some equipment in our ETO trailer. This will be done on a first come basis; teams should send a written reservation to Fredi Beck (Treasurer/Publicist). Our ETO trailer will hold 3 or 4 cars and equipment.