Sun Run Day 3- Into Ohio
The morning started with a downpour of rain, the sky canvased in billowing dark clouds, which Antony, our weather strategist, tells me are cumulonimbus clouds., The ground was also in sad condition, being covered in slick puddles of rain.
The tires on Aevum were never designed with this situation in mind. The treadless tires provide for less rolling resistance and great speed in the arid conditions of the great Australian Outback, but in the downpour in the middle of Pennsylvania, we prioritized driver safety and decided to swap to a different tire model and wait for the rain to lessen before continuing.
Thus, our plans to go on our way were put on halt until the rain stopped and the ground had mostly dried. Lucky for us, weather was on our side and as predicted by Antony, the sun soon peaked through the dense array of clouds and the rain subsided to nothing.
As soon as we could, the solar car was on its way, handling the hills gracefully as if it were no large task, while here in the media vehicle the engine of our car had started roaring in protest- a clear testament to the engineering excellence of the solar car and the insane amount of food supplies jammed into the media vehicle.
As we struggled up the hills and braked down the slopes, the solar car and main caravan suddenly stopped. For the first time since the start of the Michigan Sun Run, we had to stop for a problem not related to the solar car. Rather it was the lead caravan vehicle that was the culprit behind the delay. While trying to allow a truck that had gotten between the lead vehicle and the solar car to pass, the lead vehicle had driven too far to the side and ended up partially in a ditch.
Thankfully, our insurance policy in the name of the media vehicle was available, allowing the people in the lead vehicle to quickly switch into the Media vehicle and continue onward with the solar car, leaving me and my wonderful driver/team advisor on the side of the road with the original lead caravan vehicle in a ditch, a sky high pile of food, and the trailer which Adam and Robert manned.
Getting out of the ditch and repacking the food went surprisingly smoothly as we had help from outside sources. A police officer helped us direct traffic and a kind tow truck driver towed the car out of the ditch for free.
Everyone on the team was really surprised by how hospitable the people in Ohio were, given that we were all dressed in UMich gear from head to toe, but I guess kindness has no space for rivalries and interest in solar cars know no boundaries.
Overall it was a fruitful day, with the solar car driving a bit over 200 miles- great progress considering what happened today. The solar car is doing well, and in pristine condition, so late night patches will not be needed. Even the drive with the solar car went well, with Victor remarking that “I’m not going to lie, this is legit kind of fun” as he rolled through the hills in Aevum.
His experience is really reflective of how today went for the whole team. It was a day full of hardships, like the hills that Aevum had to climb up, but also fun like the momentum gained on downward slopes.