Wycombe Abbey Greenpower Team is Back on Track
8 June 2022 - All
With blue skies and the promise of a sunny day, the 2022 Greenpower racing season began on Sunday 8 May with the Goodwood Heat at the Goodwood Motor Circuit.
We refurbished our two electric cars, ‘Phoenix’ and ‘Sprocket Rocket’, to get them ready for the race. Through our collective team effort and innovation, we are also building a new car from scratch for the future. From first-time to experienced drivers, the team shares the same passion for motorsport and STEM.
At Goodwood, we were amazed by the competition and anticipated many challenges. In preparation for the practice laps, there were many setbacks; the tyres were slackening, and ‘Phoenix’ had a persistent clicking noise, but through working together, the cars were fixed. Everyone drove around the track while the cars remained sound, and there was great team spirit as we cheered for each other.
Before the first four sprint races began, we needed to get the cars to the starting grid on a first come first serve basis. On the track, the team showed awesome driving skills as we sped past bends and cars with agility. The race, unfortunately, ended abruptly due to an accident with three other cars, luckily, no one was hurt.
In the afternoon, the F24+ race tested our endurance. Despite the scorching heat, the over 16s came to a strong finish. Afterwards, the under 16 drivers, armed with fresh knowledge, drove in the second sprint race swifter than before. As we watched the time go by, breakdowns were evident all around the track and cars began to slow down. After ‘Sprocket Rocket’ missed the sign to change drivers, we had growing unease of not being able to cover enough distance. However, as a team, we overcame the challenges, and set the second fastest lap in the F24 category.
It was a wonderful experience to be back on the track again, and everyone involved had a brilliant day. From the workshop to the track, the team has shown great resilience and fantastic teamwork. We look forward to the next race.
Fiona, UIV
Greenpower Education Trust inspires young people aged 9-25 to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), through a unique challenge – to design, build, and race an electric car.
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