Aurora 101 Solar Car returns to Suzuka Formula 1 Track
The Melbourne based "Aurora 101" solar car team is returning to the
Japan Formula 1 race track in Suzuka for the famous "Dream Cup". This
is the world's largest solar car race, with 78 entrants registered for the 2004
event, to be run July 31 and August 1, 2004. Aurora 101 will be the only foreign
entrant.
The "Dream Cup" was first held in 1992 and is Japan's most popular meeting of solar cars and teams.
Aurora 101 was an unofficial entry in the 2003 "Dream Cup" becoming the first car to achieve 50 laps of the 5.8 km track in a 4 hour heat, and recording the fastest lap time in the race of 4 mins 29 secs.
Five of the top Japanese teams, TIGA, OSU, Team Sunlake, Team Tokai Falcon, Tokyo Salesian Polytechnic, as well as Aurora 101 will return to Japan next week, after competing in the pre-Olympic "Phaethon 2004" solar car race and rally in Greece, late May. TIGA and OSU dominated the event with spectacular speed and brave driving. Aurora finished 4th in the track race and 6th in the 775 km rally, achieving an unofficial 3rd place overall. Daily race reports and full result details are available on Aurora's web site.
Eight Aurora 101 solar car members will participate in the Suzuka "Dream Cup" including 4 members from the Southern Aurora Hamilton Team. Hamilton based, Derrick Rodgers is lead pilot, backed up by 17 year old Hamilton & Alexander College student, Damien McArthur. This will be Damien's third visit to Japan with the team, and his second year as a driver. Other team members are: Tom Baker, David Fewchuk, Andrew Lamb, Jack McArthur, Doug Williams and new recruit, Queensland GP Dr David Peterson, owner of the 1987 World Solar Challenge Dick Smith, Team Marsupial solar car.
The Southern Aurora-Hamilton Group, formed in 2003, is mentored by the Aurora 101 team and RMIT Hamilton. In their first World Solar Challenge, the Southern Aurora team finished 10th in 2003.
The Aurora 101 solar car is supported by 38 sponsor companies predominantly
from Victoria's car and component industry. Aurora team members self-fund their
travel. Aurora remains the world's most accomplished solar car team, holding
10 world records.
Daily reports on the Suzuka Dream Cup will be available on www.aurorasolarcar.com
High resolution images and further background on Aurora available on the Aurora web site.
For further information contact: David
Fewchuk 8608 2889, or 0411 250464
Foundation Sponsors: Ford, Minter Ellison, 101 Collins, Gochermann, Sumitomo.
Major Supporters: 3M, Bosch, Hook Plastics, CSIRO, RMIT, Yomiuri Shimbun, Aurora Place, Technique.
Supporters: ATA, PBR, TOLL, AFT, Orbital, Air International, GH Craft, Refine Engineering, Tridonic, MoTeC, Auto Innovations, Marand, Eibach, City of Melbourne, Nissan, Mazda, CAMS, Flexdrive, Artimech, AERL, Tritium, Koni Toperformance, PPG, Ford Geelong Toolroom, Dyno Dynamics.