Continuum Finishes 7th in Challenge Class
Continuum completed the last 280.7 km of the race in 2 hours and 55 minutes with an average speed of 96.7 km/h. Yesterday we ended with an empty charge on our batteries and today we finished with more than half of a charge remaining. For the Alice Springs to Adelaide half of the race we averaged 89.8 km/h and finished that section of the race only 16 minutes behind Nuon's time. We started this part of the race with well less than half of a battery charge, while they were given time to fully charge their batteries in Alice Springs. Continuum only just barely didn't catch up with the 3 Teams directly in front of us and we should end up in 7th place in Challenge Class. Overall we passed over 25 Teams on our climb up the ranks after the accident. Continuum was the 4th Team to cross the finish line. Congratulations to the Nuon Solar Team for their 1st-place finish.
We must admit, from the beginning our goal was to place with a different finish than we ultimately placed, but at the end of the day we are very happy with how Continuum performed. To us, the first half of the race demonstrates that we are one of the best Teams in the world, while the second half demonstrates that we have one of the best cars in the world. A first place finish almost comes as an empty victory because it doesn't demonstrate how good a Team really is. Only adversity demonstrates this, and having rallied around the crash we were able to show the world just how well we face and conquer it, and how well-prepared the Team was. As we crossed the finish line there were 25 friends and family members who had made the trip to Australia to watch the race and cheer us on. All of us were happy that we could make them proud by completing this race the way that we did.
The World Solar Challenge has left everyone with a desire to continue racing Continuum. We all look forward to participating in the North American Solar Challenge, where we will have the opportunity to show what Continuum is truly capable of. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of our sponsors including our Platinum sponsors: The University of Michigan, The University of Michigan College of Engineering, BHP Billiton, Ford, and General Motors. We would like to thank all of them and we hope that we have made you proud to be a part of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team!
Go Fast, Go Smooth, Go Blue!
We must admit, from the beginning our goal was to place with a different finish than we ultimately placed, but at the end of the day we are very happy with how Continuum performed. To us, the first half of the race demonstrates that we are one of the best Teams in the world, while the second half demonstrates that we have one of the best cars in the world. A first place finish almost comes as an empty victory because it doesn't demonstrate how good a Team really is. Only adversity demonstrates this, and having rallied around the crash we were able to show the world just how well we face and conquer it, and how well-prepared the Team was. As we crossed the finish line there were 25 friends and family members who had made the trip to Australia to watch the race and cheer us on. All of us were happy that we could make them proud by completing this race the way that we did.
The World Solar Challenge has left everyone with a desire to continue racing Continuum. We all look forward to participating in the North American Solar Challenge, where we will have the opportunity to show what Continuum is truly capable of. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous support of our sponsors including our Platinum sponsors: The University of Michigan, The University of Michigan College of Engineering, BHP Billiton, Ford, and General Motors. We would like to thank all of them and we hope that we have made you proud to be a part of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team!
Go Fast, Go Smooth, Go Blue!
Labels: WSC 2007 Season
Posted by Tom Carroll at 6:47 AM | Permalink |
40 comments
40 Comments:
Any chance that photos will appear here on this blog? I know many of us want to see the car and team members.
You guys have learned more than you relise, and you have made all of us at home very proud! Great job! Cheers! Baileys
WOW! What a spectacular performance! We are all incredibly proud of you - your technical skill, perserverence, and teamwork have been amazing, and you have done a fabulous job showcasing your ground-breaking technology. Your dealings with other teams and businesses along the way is also a great testament to your school and country. Great job! ~The Cramers~
Congrats to all! Countless people in Minneapolis are cheering for you!!
Much love from MN,
Lauren
Congratulations! It has been truly inspiring to follow your team this whole time. I've loved every blog entry and I'm so proud of you all!
Hugs to Steve from his sister,
Lisa
This race and this team will be remembered by the whole Solar Car community for countless years. Congratulations to everyone is Australia, I can't wait for you (and Continuum) to get back.
NASC next summer is going to be a blast.
Alex Dowling
Interim Strategy Director
Michigan Solar Car Team
Good work guys!
Congrats folks! Been following what's been going on since the start. What a way to rally from the crash, spirit truly befitting the tradition of Michigan Solar Car teams: Never give up!
Go Blue!
Adriaan Zuiderweg
2001 UMSCT Meteorologist
Winston Churchill once said that "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference"
I think this Team proved the point.
Congratulations to you all on a battle well fought.
GO BLUE
Go Blue! Go Proud!
Your team has made us very proud to be sponsors. Thank you for the opportunity to be associated with this incredible group of Wolverines.
Congratulations!
Rita & Dean Wisniewski
Great Job Big Blue.
I appreciate the challenges and the remakable recovery. Another Churchill saying is to Never, Never, Never Give up.
Take pride in oyour accomplisment.
Go Blue
Dave Sayre
Congratulations and well done!! Whenever I think I can't be any more impressed by our students, a new group finds a new way to amaize me. :) You have represented us in the finest spirit and deed of the Michigan Tradition and beyond! Many thanks for the blog and all the efforts of the M Solar Car family current and past.
Rainey, A2
Good work, guys. I look forward to a 1st place finish in NASC this summer. :)
-Robert Vogt IV
'03 & '05 Strategy Director
“Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are."
The ContinuUM team has shown us who they really are.
Let us show them how truly proud we are.
I would like challenge the supporters to post a comment on our blog for each kilometer ContinuUM traveled for the 2007 Panasonic World Challenge or at least for the number of times we all hit refresh on the various Blogs during the race.
P.S. Hope this doesn't crash the site :-)
Great job guys.
Your attitude from the crash (posted on dailytech) gave you a big California following.
To us, Michigan is some school from "out there where it is cold". We were walking around at work saying "Go Blue!".
The techology is awesome. I can't wait to see some more uses come from these events.
I thank your sponsors too. With out them, this technology will not progress as rapidly.
Ted
Congratulations on the finish!
I can't wait to see what you guys can pull out for NASC in '08. :-)
Russ
UMSCT '97 - '01
If they make a movie of this year's race, I hope all the Continuum team members will get to play themselves--they are definitely star quality!
The web page for the 2008 American Solar Challenge lists the UM entry as "Momentum II." Are you going to update this with the name "Continuum"?
Hail to the Victors! I've read every post, and cheered you on your great journey. You've just had a once in a lifetime experience. Cherish it!
I participated in the early stages of the "Maize and Blue" team, but graduated before the 1993 race. I've always wondered what the journey through the outback would have been like. I am a bit jealous after reading all the posts, but immensely proud to say I'm an alumnus of the University of Michigan Engineering School! Go Blue, always!
-Doug Geiss
BSME 1992
" TC Lambert 2 days later:
Congratulations, Team Nuon on winning yet again. I hate you so much right now. No, I don't, I'm just kidding. Well, maybe I hate you a little. TC Lambert (father of a kid on another team)
TC Lambert about 22 hours later:
Gefeliciteerd, Team Nuon. Once again, your professionalism, demand for quality, and ingenuity came through. Does the race have to end? I'm hooked. I want more. -TC Lambert "
Mr. Lambert, from one parent of a solar race kid to another: Brilliant race and well deserved Congratulations to your team ! Any other kids lined up for the next races ? We're hooked too and fortunately still have one more ready to race Nuna7 in 2013 ! That should be fun ! Until then perhaps ?
Well done! I hope you get a chance to savor the moment. When you get a chance, please do post some pictures from your journey as I'm sure your fan club would enjoy seeing them.
On the WSC website is the team of University of Oregon listed under the challenge class with start # 256..... but there is no other reference to them at all. Does anyone know what happened ?
Oops ! Of course I mean Oregon State ...
amazing job you guys! you're hard work and dedication over the past 2 years really came through this past week. no other team could have performed as well as you under such unpredictable circumstances. you had the best car and team out there. we are all so unbelievably proud of all of you. congratulations!
To Tom Carroll: Excellent blog entry. I love it when you throw numbers around. You say Continuum will run in the NASC in '08? Well, by then, you will be able to cruise at the speed limit the whole way. You need more handicap. How about towing a 1000 lb. trailer. Naw, you guys would just design the most aerodynamic trailer in history and still blaze down the road. Is there any way to invite Team Nuon into the NASC?
To Anonymous, who quoted a couple of my "reacties" to the Nuon blog, and has a son who wants to be on the Nuna7 team in 2013: You're Oliver van der Meer's mom, aren't you? I remember Oliver's younger brother posting something about wanting to join the team in 2013. I only have the one son, and I sincerely hope Doug graduates before 2013. He's technically a senior now, though he took this semester off for some reason. By 2013, he could be a multiple PhD, which might be a good thing. He's in Michigan's mechanical division, and I think they did a pretty good job this race. Pretty sure Doug contributed to getting Continuum back on the road.
To all on Team Continuum: Gefeliciteerd! That's Dutch and they used it a lot on Nuon's blog, so I think it's something good. Congratulations on a successful adventure, and an adventurous success. Way more drama than expected, and heroics galore. honestly, though, one of these times I'd like to see Michigan run a clean, boring race--no crashes, no chunks of metal imbedded in the car's nose, just a nice, clean win. Still, being able to repair bad crash damage in a day and then zoom up to finish fourth. Wow! What incredible engineers you're all going to be. No, check that. What incredible engineers you already are.
-TC Lambert (tclambert@gmail.com, proud father of Doug)
Awesome job everybody, I can't wait till the next race! Somebody give Roxanna and the rest of the Ops team a big hug for me!
i thought when i called, i'd wake deanna up or at the least, disturb the 'partying.' not so. they were getting ready to pack the car or the semi (i forget which one, if not both)for shipment.
the team believes they just may place higher than 7th...they won't know until the awards ceremony.
i could still sense some 'tension' in her voice...
i believe they all are still in 'overdrive' from the experience.
i told her we are getting restless and WANT some pics! she told me she will see what she can do.
Hey !, If you would like to watch daily video's of the race:
For the Twente car, thats the car who's using lenses too, they have had an accident too, click on 101 TV BNN:
http://www.solarteam.nl/Solar%20Report/
and for the Nuna car, click on 20-10 World Solar Challenge afl.1 et cetera 1.532 kbps :
http://www.rtl.nl/automotor/worldsolarchallenge/
Michigan had bad luck, Wubbo Ockels said , before the accident, that the Michigan car was the fastest car of all.
The video's are in Dutch, sorry !, but its just for the funnn.
Next time better luck for you all !
Greeting !,
Cu!, Jeroen Verbruggen,
Elementary School Delft,
group 4, The Netherlands/Holland
Two questions I had forgotten to ask:
1) If you run Continuum at NASC, are you planning on keeping the concentrators? That seems to be a fantastic leap forward in raycing technology.
2) Did the UAV ever fly?
Jose
97-99'
UMSCT
As a father with a son on the team and as an engineer, I was really impressed by your resilience in recovering from the accident and to finish so strong. In the long run what you accomplished this week will have more lasting impact on your professional careers than if you led wire to wire. In the real world sudden problems, accidents, incidents, etc. will occur that will require each of you to make important decisions to help rescue the project you are working on. When this happens to you in the future just remember how you reacted to the crash this week and apply it to your future work. You could have just ended the race and wallowed in your misfortune but you came back to make the best of it.
Everyone on the team, your supporters, your university, your solar car peers on other teams, and especially your sponsors recognize your effort. You had your Appalachian State moment and handled it much better than the football team.
" A first place finish almost comes as an empty victory because it doesn't demonstrate how good a Team really is. "
As parents of a solar race kid, we beg to disagree with this statement ! After going thru countless hours of blood, sweat and tears, frustration and sacrifice, plus a complete academic year of full-time work on the project by the whole team, we can assure you that any sweet victory is meaningfull and proof of enormous Team cooperation and perseverance !
Proud Parents of the RED DEVIL on Nuna4.
Success is not measured by the position one has reached in life, rather by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed. - Booker T. Washington. Congratulations on your success, Dr. Montgomery
“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors."
Hail to the Victors
GO BLUE
The way you overcame adversity sets the bar pretty high for you future behavior. In a way, that's good and bad. When everybody else says, "Oh, that's too hard. I can't do it." you may be tempted to join their chorus, but that little voice in your head is gonna say, "Hey, wait, I handled that thing with the solar car in '07. I guess this thing is not too hard. I CAN do it. Darn, I guess I will have to do it."
Some people are afraid to try things they think might be beyond them. Some people are afraid to use power tools. Some people are even afraid to use hand tools. You guys will say, "Oh, look, a computer-assisted milling machine. I can figure that out." (Or, if you're my son, "Ooh, can I play with that?")
You can handle pressure. You can handle adversity. You can handle calamity. You can figure out technologies you've never worked with before. You can figure out technologies no one has ever worked with before. That right there is not a bad resume.
In other words, I'm kinda proud of you all, but especially of my son, Doug. I have no fears for what's to become of him in life at all. I just hope your mother and I aren't too much of a burden for you.
-tclambert@gmail.com
What you guys accomplished was amazing, but by no means is it the most difficult thing you are ever going to face. It was easier to keep on going with the solar car b/c everyone had already given up so much to get it to Australia and the race was the sole purpose you were even in Australia. Just remember that life is not like that. Things will come up unexpectedly that you hadn't been working for and that you hadn't devoted all your time to, but will still be just as important as the solar car if not more. During those times, you will have to draw on the responsibility you showed during this race.
In my opinion, it's not that you kept going; it's that you did what you had to do when you had to do it. That is the real life lesson.
DON'T YOU QUIT!
~By Anonymous~
When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but
DON'T YOU QUIT!
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup; And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver lining of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit...
It's when things seem worst that you
MUST NOT QUIT!
The provisional results pdf file shows Michigan finishing 7th, just nine minutes behind Solar Team Twente. If you subtract 10 hours of repair time, Michigan would have finished (are you ready for this?) third, behind Nuon and Umicore. (What is it with Michigan and third place in Australia?)
Okay, now here's the calculation that will make Team Nuon's fans explode: If you subtract Michigan's first day of actually running, when the car was half repaired and they only went 600 km, I get that Continuum's average speed for the remaining 2399 km of the race was 90.87 kph, EXACTLY THE SAME as Nuna4's to 2 decimal places.
What I would really like to compare is Michigan's elapsed time from the Dunmarra checkpoint to the end of the race vs. everybody's else's. Unfortunately, I cannot find when Michigan left Dunmarra. It's not on the WSC website, nor Michigan's.
Please somebody, give me a number.
"If you subtract 10 hours of repair time"
Who is comparing what ?
-repair time Twente One : 5h.28m.
(4x wheel suspension, oa cause
of the wild-grid and they had an problem with the electronicz of the lenses, lenses turning to the sun and the solar-cells under the lenses can move, as the solar-panel can move by a servo, low power 64 % for 37.2 % of the race time).
-repair time Nuna4 : they are not back home, so I can find it, but they had 14 x a flat tire, takes at least 5 minutes (fastest time was stop/drive 2m.54s.) They had an problem with the controller and had to take over 37 caravaans, about 150 cars, they had 3x a problem with the left shock absorber, 1: 16m.18s., 2: 7m.37s., 3: 14m.08s., because of the crosswind (last day SW 11 m.s, burst 14 m.s.)Michigan got the day after 4 m.s., burst 5 ms.). And the Sat.connection was down day 2 and 4, and they where not allowed to go faster then 110 speed limit, between Glendambo and Adelaide, even full batteries and sun power
for 147 km/h. or 93 m/h.
à la comparaison, la différence n'est pas grande !Bienvenue aux combattants de la dernière heure :=_ !
Bonjour tout le monde !, auf Wiedersehen en de groeten!
Jeroen in the house
Dunmarra 633 km :
Umicore at 07-10-21 16:05:00
Aurora Challenge 07-10-21 16:13:00
Nuon Solar Team 07-10-21 16:39:00
Adelaide time Finish 2999.7 km :
Nuon Solar Team 07-10-25 16:54:00
Umicore 07-10-26 09:13:00
Aurora Challenge 07-10-26 09:54:00
Bye,Jeroen
I love those! I would like to drive once something like this, but until then I need to make a lot of money from my home because those are very expensive "toys" :)
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