Our departure had to be delayed for a while because the engine broke down just before leaving and needed immediate repair. Everyone, except those working on the engine, seemed rather calm; they were busy packing their gear and tools inside the trailer.
The engine was ready for a start at 7:30. Upon ignition, I noticed white smoke coming from the dashboard. Stop! Students in charge of electronics made a close inspection to find out what went wrong. François and Maxime had their hands full. Two hours later, the problem was identified and corrected, although it made the dashboard non-operational for the competition.
We arrived at the hotel around midnight -- 6 hours behind schedule. We were all very tired so we immediately headed to our rooms for a good night's sleep. The morning registration was just a few hours away.
The first two days were dedicated to stationary tests: weigh-in, design presentation, braking, inclinometer, etc. Prior to that was a thorough mechanical inspection... at the end of a 3-hour wait. The tension was palpable among the team; should officials find a problem requiring more than 20 minutes to repair, the car had to be taken back for modifications, which would further delay the inspection.
The car had to meet multiple standards with regard to ground clearance, engine specifications, driving position, etc. Three inspectors scrutinized the machine and one of them actually found something: certain bolts were too short. Fortunately, the issue was solved in a matter of minutes and it was on to the next step. Every student who would drive the car had to be able to get out of it in under 5 seconds. No problem here. End of Day 2.
The engine was ready for a start at 7:30. Upon ignition, I noticed white smoke coming from the dashboard. Stop! Students in charge of electronics made a close inspection to find out what went wrong. François and Maxime had their hands full. Two hours later, the problem was identified and corrected, although it made the dashboard non-operational for the competition.
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We arrived at the hotel around midnight -- 6 hours behind schedule. We were all very tired so we immediately headed to our rooms for a good night's sleep. The morning registration was just a few hours away.
The first two days were dedicated to stationary tests: weigh-in, design presentation, braking, inclinometer, etc. Prior to that was a thorough mechanical inspection... at the end of a 3-hour wait. The tension was palpable among the team; should officials find a problem requiring more than 20 minutes to repair, the car had to be taken back for modifications, which would further delay the inspection.
The car had to meet multiple standards with regard to ground clearance, engine specifications, driving position, etc. Three inspectors scrutinized the machine and one of them actually found something: certain bolts were too short. Fortunately, the issue was solved in a matter of minutes and it was on to the next step. Every student who would drive the car had to be able to get out of it in under 5 seconds. No problem here. End of Day 2.
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