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| A
successful test day builds confidence for the week end. |
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Confidence
is a wonderful thing.
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| We
finished charging the car last night. This morning the pack is 393
volts and 23 degrees Celsius. Air temperature is 18.5 degrees. All
the cells are within 4.11 + or - .07. |
| We
set the current limit to 500 amps. |
| The
crew does the usual pre-race checks. The radiator fluid is a little
low but it has been losing a little fluid each run. Odd though, we
filled it last night after test day. |
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| There
are forty cars in our group and the session will be twenty minutes
long. Our plan is to line up for our qualifying session just as the
group before us goes on the track. This will mean we will start our
qualifying session as one of the first cars on the track and have
the best shot at getting a clear lap or two before traffic gets bad. |
| We
get our timing perfect. The only car that makes the grid ahead of
us is the Jim Kellogg's Mini-Cup BMW. This is a tube frame 1500 lb
race car with a 7/8th scale plastic replica BMW body. The car is powered
by an aluminum 2.5 liter motor. This car is half the weight of the
Electric Imp and has a little bit more horsepower. The Mini-Cup cars
are not actual a 'Production' based car but the SCCA decided that
SPU was the best class to put them in. |
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Jim
was SPU SARCC Champion last year and is the favorite for this race.
He will be extremely tough to beat. Starting qualifying behind him
gives me an excellent opportunity to follow him around and look
at his strengths and weaknesses.
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The
pit marshal waves us on to the track. We both accelerate hard. I
come off the throttle as Jim slows a little to do the tire warming
weave. For an instant, the Imp does not slow down. Then there is
the 'clack' of the contactors dropping out. I cycle the switches
and try and reboot the drive. No response.
And
so go the fortunes of racing. One second you are chasing the leader,
next you are waving everyone else by.
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| I
aim the Imp clear of the track. An emergency vehicle pulls me to safety
behind a corner worker station. |
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I signal
that I am 'OK' and start to troubleshoot the problem. The computer
reports an error condition of 'throttle position > 0'. I pump
the throttle a few times to make sure it is not stuck 'on'. No change.
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The
team has prepared the car for potentiometer failure. I unbelt, open
the hood and pull the connector from the throttle potentiometer
to the controllers. We are using a dual potentiometer, so I can
replug in the controller cable to the other lead.
I close
the hood. Leap into the driver's seat and cycle the switches. Nothing.
The computer still reports 'throttle position > 0'.
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| I
remove my helmet and watch as 39 cars battle for a qualifying position |
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