The top gear circuit was the venue for the Surrey Regional Heat, where team R-Pod took two cars, R-PodS and the all new C-Pod. We were competing in the F24 race with R-PodS, while C-Pod was built to compete in Formula Catapult - a 200m drag race in a car built with a car battery & standard car starter motor.
C-Pod had been built over the summer using parts from the old S-Factor car and had been entirely designed & built by Alex & Joe, with help & support from Sam. There hadn't been time to fully test C-Pod, so it was not surprising that it didn't perform flawlessly - it managed 3rd place but most disappointingly, the parachute failed to open, so it is back to the drawing board.
The main F24 race started well but R-Pods had yet another puncture after the second driver change. The remaining race was fairly uneventful but there just isn’t time to catch up in a four hour race so we came a disappointing 9th. Again it was good experience for the new drivers and we managed to improve their driving considerably.
Our favorite Greenpower circuit is the Darley Moor motor bike track in Derbyshire with its narrow track & exciting bends. This is the setting for the North West Heat where both team R-Pod & the Team Fusion made the trip north for the race.
As the new school term had started, team R-Pod had two new drivers to gain experience & hopefully drive in the final. The day started badly for R-PodS with a rubbing tyre that cut short practice with the new drivers (later traced to a missing bolt). As the cars waited to go out & form
the grid, the drivers noticed that R-PodS had developed a flat tyre. A frantic tyre change followed and the car managed to get out on the grid in pole position.
It proved to be a disappointing day as Team Fusion had a binding brake leading to a burnt out motor. Despite help from Sandbach School & the loan of a replacement motor, they had to sit out most of the race. R-PodS faded towards the end with serious battery trouble (in later testing it was found that the batteries were 40% under capacity). The new R-Pod drivers had experienced a race but R-PodS only managed 6th place (but was on the same lap as the fourth place car), wile Team Fusion in 21st.
