Racing Monthly Challenge – February 2017

200 Points

Due: March 17, 2017

One of the most important things to consider when you are preparing your SRC car for competition, is race data! Have you collected good race data that clearly shows you where your team needs improvement? Have you repeatedly encountered the same problems when you attend a face to face event? Good car maintenance and careful racing practice, with recorded and analyzed race data are critical keys to your success.

This month, we ask you to design and set-up your own 50 ft x 30 ft circuit track with left and right turns. Race on this track as if you are at a competition:

1. 5-minute best lap
2. 10-minute most laps
3. 25-minute endurance

For each race event set up your data tables using the Racing Challenge data sheets.

For the 5-minute best lap, plot lap number (or attempt) versus the lap time. When was your best lap? First lap? Last lap? In the middle?

Record number of crashes or errors.

Repeat the above steps for the 10-minute most laps.  Was there a pattern of when you have faster laps?

What problems did you encounter?

For the endurance race, how long before you had to PIT for a battery change? Record the starting and finishing battery voltage. Did the motor or other components get hot? How would you keep the car cool in long endurance races? What items should you keep in the PIT for emergency repairs during an endurance race?

Submit a complete report that includes:

1. Introduction
2. Track layout
3. Race data and graph for each race event.
4. Answers to the questions for each race event.
5. 1-2 pictures of your students during each race event.