Michael Wilson reported: Our Junior Solar Sprint girls team won 1st place this summer at the Technology Student Association (TSA) National Conference in Texas. Their car ran the fastest time and the display showed the engineering process of making a solar car.
Our Robotics Academy is one of 4 STEM programs that is being considered for national certification. This past school year we were awarded a model program status and will be reviewed by the national committee next spring. 
In February 2015, Tiger Racing celebrated its 20th year in the sport. This is t
he first Electrathon built by Rodney Schreck in 1995.
The end of the year banquet will be held Sat. May 30 at 4 P.M. at the Frontier Steak House on Sligh Ave just west of U.S. 301. We have the banquet room and dinner will be off of the regular menu.
We will be awarding trophies for the season and recognizing this racing seasons achievements.
We will also be bidding a fond farewell to our founder, Ken Fiallos, who is retiring after many years of untiring work for Electrathon racing in Florida.
We urge current and former racers, sponsors and fans to come out and celebrate the end of our season and the beginning of a new chapter for Electrathon Of Tampa Bay.
RSVP to v_nieves@yahoo.com
Vic Nieves
With the last min. cancelation of our last race of the year at the Florida Solar Energy Center there is one other race you might consider
The Run For The Peaches at Brooks County High School in Quitman Ga. is one race that is relatively close. Quitman is just west of Valdosta and only about 240 mi. from Tampa.
Its close enough to leave after school on Friday and be back in Tampa late Sat afternoon. First race is Sat at 10 A.M and the second race is 1:30 P.M. Or leave at 0 dark thirty on Sat morning.
The race at the Florida State Fairgrounds had a good turnout of cars and spectators. The Makers Fair had a large turn out which translated into quite a crowd of spectators for our last race of the season.
The last Florida Electrathon race is next Sat at the Emerald Coast 120 put on by Gulf Power at Five Flags in Pensacola.
The Electrathon race at the Florida Solar Energy Center has been CANCELED. More details will follow.
End Of Year Banquet Details will be posted soon.
At the Fairgrounds we had High School Class teams from TBT, Wharton, Foundation Christian Academy and Middleton High School with two cars.. Open Class teams were from HCC, USF, Tiger Racing out of Miami and the Electrocutioners with both of their Lithium Ion powered cars.
Girl power is starting to show up at our races with the Foundation driver continuing her strong driving performance. Middleton High School showed up with their second car, the 133 car that used to be at USF before it was at TBT, and had girls driving in both races. They took a surprising second overall in the High School Class beating out TBT and the Middleton 80 car in the second race.
Wharton High School was running a strong first race right up to the time they got tangled up with another car and broke 8 spokes in the drive wheel. They didn’t have a spare and were unable to start the second race. If you tear up the drive wheel on these cars it is almost impossible to recover because of the time it takes to replace it and most teams don’t even have a spare due to the cost.
TBT continued their winning ways with a new driver in the second race and a whole bunch of new pit crew members getting ready for next years season.
In the open class we were missing Robinson Racing and ProEV called in sick. Tiger racing showed up from Miami 40 min. before the start of the first race. Something about getting lost finding the Fairgrounds.
The Electrocutioners, both running Lithium Ion batteries had a bad day at black rock. The 8 car tore up a drive wheel, see above, in the first race and didn’t make the second race. The 90 car showed up as a completely new car. It was set up to lean into the corners with a unique steering system.
It was the first race for the new 90 car and on the very tight and rough track it was a bad shakedown run. There were problems in the first race with the steering and in the second race a broke early and hade to retire. This is the second version of the 90 car that was a leaner and there are still bugs to work out. On a longer track it should do well.
Tiger racing, who has already locked up the Open Class points title had an uneventful day and cruised to a 1st place overall.
HCC and USF ran a close race with HCC edging out USF for second in the Open Class.
On a non racing note we at Electrathon Of Tampa Bay want to take a moment to thank one of our founding members, Our Executive Director Ken Fiallos, who after 8 plus years of spearheading Electrathon racing in Florida is taking a well deserved retirement. His energy and drive will be greatly missed. His many duties will be taken up by the Board Of Directors and Electrathon of Tampa Bay will continue moving forward into the next chapter of Electrathon Racing in Florida.
Vic Nieves
Very different race day schedule for us. Some of us will be able to sleep in on Sat.
There is an event in the A.M. that goes right through our race track layout. So we will not be able to start our pit set up much before 12 Noon.
Pit space will be limited to one parking space per car. So set up your canopy and everything in one area. Tow vehicles will be staged on a side road just off the course.
You will need to have most of your car set up done before you get there as you will not have hours to work before the first race.
The track is about 1100′ and tight so practice laps are a must.
Tampa Electric is a co sponsor of the Maker Con and will have two electric cars on display at our race.Team flyer for FSF MC z(1)