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.
