Update: June 29
Adding 78 laps to its run on Saturday, Team PrISUm made an extreme comeback on the final day of the Formula race to land in third place. Only two laps short of first, Iowa State’s solar car completed 191 laps at the F1 race track in Austin, Texas.
Even dealing with the same problems from Day 2 of racing, the team was able to come up from a starting place of 18 laps behind the leader. Team PrISUm was only five seconds away from completing its 192nd lap, which would have tied them for second place, when the race ended.
Update: June 28
Team PrISUm found more problems in the pits during day two of the
Formula Sun Grand Prix three-day race. The team had trouble with one of the rear wheels, making tire changes difficult and losing time while other teams took advantage of Iowa State’s 90-minute break.
The group did find a backup plan for changing the tires, which was slower than usual but faster than fighting the bigger problem. When the car was back on the track it made its fastest lap of the race, with a time of 4:42.289 around the 3.4-mile track.
The first day of the Formula Sun Grand Prix was a hot one, reaching temperatures close to 100 degrees in Austin, Texas, which is just what Team PrISUm had hoped for.
Following some lengthy pitstop repairs, the team was able to use the heat to its advantage while others fell behind in the first part of the three-day race.