2005 - 2006 Campaigns

Aurora's Campaigns from 2005 to 2006

Wonthaggi 24 Hour Grand Prix

AURORA 101 RELAXED AND DRY IN WONTHAGGI
WONTHAGGI 24 HOUR HPV GRAND PRIX
ENERGY INNOVATION FESTIVAL

25-26 February, 2006

Aurora 101 was back amongst the Human Powered Racers! This time at the Wonthaggi 24 Hour Grand Prix in the south west of Victoria. The Aurora show circuit commenced 9 events ago in December 2005 at the 24 hour race for HPVs backed by RACV in Maryborough in the north west of Victoria.

Aurora 101 meets up with Firetruck and Daniel Mills in practice
Aurora 101 meets up with Firetruck and Daniel Mills in practice

Wonthaggi owes its roots to the establishment of a significant coal mine in 1910. This supplied the Government's steam trains but stopped operations in 1965. It is a famous local tourist attraction and is being modernised to open again in 2009.

Six Aurora team members took turns at demonstrating the Michelin shod Aurora 101 solar car. Driver Kon Kotsonis had the job of doing 3 demonstration laps around the tight 1.4 km track and then the priviledge of being the pace car for the start of the 24 hour Grand Prix itself.

Aurora 101 paces the 24 hour race start
Aurora 101 paces the 24 hour race start

It was the 24 hour HPV racing that inspired the Aurora team to undertake a 24 hour world record for solar cars, setting the mark at 1701 km on 30 January 2006. The HPV distance record at Wonthaggi stood at 753 km set in 2004. Was this going to be a record year for the pedallers?

Aurora heading the field
 

Race organiser Ewan Cole himself a retired pedaller holds the lap record at this track having recorded 2:01.87 in 2002. That's an average speed around the track of 41.98 km/h.

Fastest qualifiers lead in the first lap Second pack in lap one
Fastest qualifiers lead in the first lap Second pack in lap one

Once the official duties of the pace lap were finished the Aurora 101 was set on display as part of the Energy Innovation Festival alongside Don Elliott with the Chisholm 'Eagle' electric car and a Toyota Prius hybrid car. We had a chance to meet Bill Shand, the ace builder of the international class sail boat, the Flying 15. He remembered seeing Hans Tholstrup and Larry Perkins driving through Yatala in South Australia early in 1983 in the first epic solar car crossing of Australia. Doing the impossible.

Bill Shand Damian Harkin
Bill Shand Damian Harkin

We also met Damian Harkin, member of the Australian HPV Association. They are affiliated with the International HPV organisation founded by US aerodynamicist Chester Kyle. Chester himself has been heavily involved in solar car activities particularly the World Solar Challenge.

Damian brought a number of recumbent bikes which everyone wanted to test ride.

10 year old Gabrielle tries a recumbent Aurora team member and new solar car driver Sally Forsyth
10 year old Gabrielle tries a recumbent Aurora team member and new solar car driver Sally Forsyth
Todd tries out a recumbent
Todd tries out a recumbent

We were watching for the Berwick entry 'Firetruck' with Aurora member Daniel Mills involved. Also we wondered how the new HPV from Greenspeed would go, partially designed by Don Elliott. Then there was Ben Goodall of Trisled, with his entry 'The Apex'.

The big event became the rain. At about 5.30 PM it just poured. For several hours. No let up for the entries on the track. The open cars were soaked, the closed cars were fogged, the track was slippery, the pit crews drenched and the pits just rolling in water. Plenty of activity for the flag marshalls.

Race official beats the rain Enjoying the rain?
Race official beats the rain Enjoying the rain?
Hunchback stops to dry out
Hunchback stops to dry out
The 'Monterey Mauler' Sort of shelter
The 'Monterey Mauler' Sort of shelter
A welcome driver change
A welcome driver change
Greenspeed, fifth place Firetruck, sixth place
Greenspeed, fifth place Firetruck, sixth place
Comet, sixteenth place
Comet, sixteenth place

Former member of State Parliament Susan Davies took pity on Andrew Lamb and his two children and offered a warm and dry dinner before they resorted to spending the night in the solar car trailer. All night the HPVs hummed around the track. The lighting was marginal and there were many shunts to manage. The morning was dry and on the event continued until 12.00 midday.

Andrew Lamb with Susan Davies Aurora 101 sits soaked with Eagle
Andrew Lamb with Susan Davies Aurora 101 sits soaked with Eagle

A new distance record was established by the winning community entry from Bendigo at 563 laps or 788.2 km. And that was in spite of the rain. Ben Goodall finished second just three laps down. Greenspeed finished fifth at 539 laps. Berwick's 'Firetruck' covered 522 laps or 730.8 km to be the best high school finisher.

Now if they were all in solar cars maybe they would be dry but out of battery power.

Full event results can be found at www.racetime.com.au.

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