Good Day Solar Racers,

As we approach this summer's Solar Car Challenge, I want to make sure teams are aware of certain key provisions in the Rules which may influence your race planning:

1. Cross country races require teams to travel at a reasonable road speed. If at any time a solar car's speed drops below 15 mph on the race, that solar team has two alternatives:
   1. Safely pull off to the side of the road and charge your batteries with your solar arrays until your solar car can proceed at a reasonable speed above 15 mph.
   2. Safely pull off to the side of the road, trailer your solar car, and travel to an upcoming media stop or rest stop to charge your batteries with your solar array.
   3. The Race Judge traveling with the solar car team will help the team choose the safest alternative.
      
      
2. Teams will travel within a convoy of three vehicles:
   1. Advance Car (several car lengths ahead of the solar car)
   2. Primary Chase Vehicle immediately following the solar car (with special tail lights)
      [The Primary Chase Vehicle can never be separated from the solar car]
   3. Secondary Chase Vehicle 8-10 car lengths behind the solar car.
      
      
3. Each convoy vehicle must have a flashing yellow light prominently seen from both the front and the back of the vehicle. Multiple lights may be required.
   
   
4. Special attention must be given to notify other vehicles that a solar car is ahead. To this end, chase vehicles must display a large sign informing traffic "SOLAR CAR AHEAD." The Race will supply two of these signs to each team at the time of Team Check-in. Teams need to plan a procedure to adequately attach these signs to their chase vehicles.
   
   
5. The chase vehicle immediately following the solar car must also have highly visible warning lights that will alert vehicles coming up behind the convoy. We have learned over the years that flashing yellow warning lights are not sufficient for the Primary Chase Vehicle. The Race will require teams to attach a sufficient number of ECCO Warning Lights Model 3510A to the Primary Chase Vehicle to alert traffic approaching from behind the Primary Chase Vehicle [See attachment for details]
   
   
6. Teams are officially "on-the-clock" from the start of the race day until the end of the race day. [See Rule 6.1].
   1. Teams pulled off to charge their batteries are still "on-the-clock."
   2. Teams will be required to stop for 30 minutes at the mid-day lunch stop, and 15 minutes at each media stop. [Two media stops per day]
   3. At 5:00 PM, no matter where a solar car is located on the race route, that car must be "trailered" so that it can rejoin the racing group for planned evening activities.
      
      
7. Teams are required to take part in all media and rest stops. This gives you an organized way to meet the public, promote your solar team, and share the fun of solar car racing with the crowd. Please designate one of your team members to be your Public Relations Person. This will really help you with "onlookers."
   
   
8. If a solar car team is "trailering" their vehicle into a Media Stop or a Rest stop, but they can still drive their solar car, the team must place their solar car back on the road and drive the last half-mile into the stop. We've learned that the public is very disappointed when they don't get to see a moving solar car! The Race Judge traveling with the solar car team will provide advice on this decision.

Thank you for sending in your Initial Report. Please be sure that you have also e-mailed a digital copy of your reporting documents.

Best regards,
Dr. Lehman Marks
Solar Car Challenge Foundation:

Copyright (c) 1995-2024 Lehman Marks. All Rights Reserved. Solar Car Challenge, 3505 Cassidy Drive, Plano, TX 75023 Questions about the challenge? Contact Dr. Lehman Marks, Event Coordinator