ABOUT THE RAYCE
The 2005 North American Solar Challenge is a special edition of the American Solar Challenge that will be in both the USA and Canada. The Mission of the American Solar Challenge (ASC) is to promote and celebrate educational excellence in science and engineering. ASC also promotes renewable energy technologies and the creative integration of technical and scientific expertise across a range of disciplines.
The 2005 event is a cross-country solar car rayce that will be held in July, 2005. The Rayce will run from Austin, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta. Up to 60 solar car teams from universities, colleges, and private organizations will be competing in the Event. Entrants design and build vehicles that are run entirely off of solar power, which they store in batteries as they rayce. Teams will be required to pass technical and safety inspections before being allowed to rayce.
NASC2005 will be an exciting and challenging rayce. This will be the longest solar car rayce in the world, with teams facing varied climates, topography and road conditions. Safety is the organizers' primary objective, and every effort will be taken to ensure that participants rayce safely and responsibly. Full event support will be provided in the form of emergency response personnel who will accompany the Rayce along the route.
The Rayce will be staged at three locations, with teams checking in at Checkpoints located every 150-250 miles.
OBSERVER FAQ
What is the Rayce format
Is Training Provided Before the Event? When & Where Should the Observers Arrive?
What is the General Role of the Observer?
What are the Observer Logs used for?
What is Battery Impound?
How are the Observers Assigned and Where Do they Sleep?
What Should an Observer Pack for the Rayce? What Happens to Luggage?
What is Provided by ASC and What Do the Observers Provide for Themselves?
Whom do I Contact to be an Observer?
Overview of the North American Solar Challenge Rayce Format
- Rayce start is in Austin,TX with the first stage location near Dallas, TX and the next staging location in Winnipeg, MB.
- Prior to the start of the Rayce, solar cars will be inspected and tested at a Qualifier.
- The winners are ranked according to least cumulative time from Start to Finish.
- Teams receive a time penalty, assessed by officials, for breaking rayce regulations. This penalty is calculated into their final time.
- Checkpoints are located approximately every 150-250 miles, in towns that generally offer all of the basic services. Teams must spend 30 minutes at each Checkpoint, where the observers are rotated and submit their observer logs.
- A crew of officials and inspectors will be staffing the Checkpoints.
- Raycing on Staged Days starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends after 9 hrs. Official Time.
- Raycing on Non-staged Rayce Days starts at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 6:00 p.m. (10 hrs.).
- Teams have a 45 minute time window to choose a stopping point. Their stopping time will determine their exact start time the following morning.
- Team batteries are impounded (to ensure fairness) at 8:30 p.m. every evening. The batteries are released from impound at 6:30 a.m. the following morning.
- Checkpoints will be "Active" for a set number of days and "Open" during a set time for each Active day. At the end of the active period a Checkpoint becomes permanently "Closed". A team has officially missed a Checkpoint if they arrive after it has closed. Penalties will be applied for missed checkpoints.
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Is Training Provided Before the Event? When & Where Should the Observers Arrive?
Prior to the NASC Start, the teams have to go through qualifying tests and inspections. This happens for about a week prior to the start of the Rayce, and is known as "the Qualifier''. During the last two days of Qualifiers we are planning to schedule some observer training sessions. In these sessions we will cover the material discussed here, as well as several other topics that deal with the observers job and life on the road with a team.
When we have confirmed the dates and locations of the Qualifier, we will publish confirmed dates for observer training. Generally, plan to have to be at the Qualifier about 2 days before the Start Line. The observer vans will probably leave the meeting point about 2 or 3 days before the Start, depending on their locations, to get to the Qualifier.
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What is the General Role of the Observer?
The observer is an objective 3rd party with the task of recording team activities and administering battery impound.
The observer keeps a written log of times and details of significant events over the rayce day; for example:
- Start and finish times for the day.
- Details of occurrences such as teams pulling off the road for maintenance.
- Procedures used when passing other teams.
- General adherence to rules and regulations.
- Accidents or injuries that may have occurred.
The observers are provided with journals in which times, details and any important information are written. The official journal, with the observer's notes, is referred to as the Observer Log.
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What are the Observer Logs used for?
The observer is, in most cases, the only official to witness the team's actions and decisions. It is possible that a team's actions could result in penalties being assessed (for example, improper passing procedures). The observer records the actions but does not judge whether or not penalties should be given. When the logs are turned in to officials the observer should point out areas of concern: the inspectors then take care of reviewing the logs to assess the actions and then decide whether or not to give a penalty. Teams are allowed to appeal their penalties to a jury. The notes of the observers serve as the official record in penalty cases, so it is important that clear, accurate and objective notes are taken.
The Log is also good a summary of a team's overall performance: both technically and as a group. ASC organizers recognize the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship and problem-solving ability, and give awards to deserving teams based on the observers' notes.
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What is Battery Impound?
Each evening, every team must remove their batteries from their solar cars and pass control of these on to the observer. This procedure is known as Impound and signifies that the team can no longer work on the batteries and ensures that no non-solar charging can take place. On regular raycing days, impound is at 8:30 p.m. By 8:30 p.m., the teams must disconnect their batteries from the solar car and array, and seal them in their battery box. This box is then locked by the observer (using a lock provided by ASC). The batteries are released from impound the next morning at 6:30 a.m. At this time the observer unlocks the battery box, the teams get their batteries, and solar charging may begin. When solar cars are at a Stage location, impound is carried out by ASC inspectors.
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How are the Observers Assigned and Where Do they Sleep?
- The observers will be taken to the Start Line where they will be placed with their first assigned teams on the morning of the Start.
- From then until the end of the Rayce the observers are assigned to a different team at each Checkpoint.
- When observers are not with teams (e.g., acting as a spare observer) they will be transported by ASC to the next Checkpoint where they are required.
- When observers are with teams, they spend the night with their assigned team, wherever that may be: this may often be in a camping situation.
- Observers' official duties end after the teams have crossed the Finish Line in Calgary.
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What Should an Observer Pack for the Rayce? What Happens to Luggage?
In general, the observer should pack a minimum amount, as luggage will stay with her/him at most times, with no one else to carry it from place to place. When the observer is with a team, the team will make room for observer luggage in one of the convoy vehicles. It is left with the observer at the Checkpoint when the observer leaves that team.
Here are a few packing tips:
- Pack luggage in duffle or gym bags rather than hard-sided suitcases. Make sure luggage is well tagged.
- Bring a sleeping bag and, if possible, a small tent.
- Prepare for hot weather in the southern part of the route and the possibility of cooler weather in the northern part of the route. Bring rain gear.
- Pack sun protection: hat, sunscreen, etc.
- Closed toed shoes preferred, rather than sandals
- Keep a private supply of small snacking items (example, granola bars). The teams will provide observers meals when with a team, and ASC will provide meals when they are not with a team, but it is good not to be caught without a snack or two.
- Small container of laundry detergent as well as any personal hygiene items.
- Make sure to bring a supply of any medication you may need! There are very few opportunities to run errands, and many areas of the route have few services.
- A water bottle will be handy. It will be important to keep hydrated.
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What is Provided by ASC and What Do the Observers Provide for Themselves?
ASC organizers will be providing the following:
- Transport from the Qualifier to the Start Line.
- Transport from Checkpoint to Checkpoint when the Observer is not with the team.
- Possible transport by van from one or more mid-points in the United States to the Qualifier location and then back from the Finish Line to that point (location to be determined later).
- Lodging during qualifier, the night before the start, Stage locations and when the Observer is not with a team.
- Uniform Shirts: Each observer will be issued with a few uniform T-Shirts: these must be worn at all times during the Rayce Days so that observers can be easily identified by teams and staff.
- A small stipend: some amount of petty cash will be given to the observer to be used for any necessary purchases (food, etc).
Observers will need to provide:
- Transport to and from the qualifier/finish or the designated meeting points for the Observer vans.
- All personal care items.
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Whom do I Contact to be an Observer?
The first thing to do is fill out the Interested Volunteer form.
This form only takes a minute or so, and should be filled out as soon as possible. Applicants will receive a follow-up call or email from Julie Hirtz, the Observer Manager. If you have questions about being an observer or if you do not have a forms compatible browser, please email Julie directly at observerinfo@americansolarchallenge.org.
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THANK YOU!
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