Greenpower Race at the Bedford Auto Drome

Following some swift organisation and a concentrated effort to get the cars race-ready, seven pupils raced our two electric cars, Phoenix and Sprocket Rocket, in the F24 and F24+ races at Bedford Auto Drome on Sunday 25 April.

The morning was for practising on the track, where the team experienced a tyre blow-out, drive-chain failure and a few steering issues. All of these problems were overcome, and the cars were fine-tuned ready for the races. In the afternoon, under enhanced Covid-19 rules, there were four 20-minute races. This allowed for the safe swapping of drivers between races and made for some exciting sprint racing action on the track. The idea was to cover the greatest distance in the time available, with no battery changes allowed between races. Sadly, Phoenix, although the faster of our cars, ran out of battery power halfway through the final race. However, Sprocket Rocket continued to the end. In the final results, the cars finished a very creditable 9th and 10th place out of the 20 starters.

Fabulous teamwork was in evidence, with a number of Wycombe Abbey pupils racing for the first time, ably coached by our more seasoned drivers. The remote race data showed excellent tactics in driving to maximise battery life and distance covered. The teams are now setting their sights on the Finals at Silverstone, and hope to gain an invitation to this prestigious event soon.

Mrs Sue Buxton
Director of Science and STEM