FSAE Italy 2015 - Second part

We have now reached the last two days of the events, dedicated to the dynamic tests: Sunday includes the acceleration test and skidpad test throughout the morning and the ** autocross test** in the afternoon, while the entire day of Monday is dedicated to the final endurance test, the most beautiful and intense but also the one that puts the various teams in the most crisis and which roughly only one car out of three manages to complete.

From the moment the gates open inside the circuit there is a frenzy as the sky is covered in black clouds; to avoid running in the wet and seeing the times rise in the various tests, each team tries to queue up for one of the two scheduled events as soon as possible. We manage to start second in the skidpad but due to the dirty asphalt and tyres that are still too cold, the practice time is not among the best, but the FRT still manages to place 11th. To warm up the tyres for a good time in the acceleration, the team moves on to the practice area, where unfortunately a problem is found with a component. Heart in our throats, we don’t panic or get discouraged; we head to the pit where we manage to fix the fault, unfortunately not in time to participate in the acceleration.

Not at all discouraged but pumped up for the afternoon, when it finally stops raining and the asphalt slowly dries out, we take part in the autocross with the car at 100%. We manage to place 20°, with the car behaving very well on the line, but unfortunately still with inexperienced drivers. Sunday ends quickly, full of eagerness to get to the next day for the test with a capital P, the endurance: 22 km, a driver change and breathlessness with our hearts in our throats for 29 laps.

A final check on the tightening of the screws, a wipe down of the bodywork, smiles on the face, car at the gate with the two drivers and a team member and the rest of the team in the stands cheering.

The first driver manages to keep a good time for all 14 laps, it’s time for the driver change. Car off, steering wheel switching from one driver to the other, belts fastened, and gasssss!!! The second driver also manages to keep a consistent and better time than before. Every time the car slides under the grandstand you can hear the applause of the team and the cheers of encouragement..the car is on the final lap; everyone standing in the stands, the car crosses the finish line…we did it!!! A red cloud of hugs, smiles and tears moves from the grandstands to the pits, to celebrate all together the seventh position in the test and make the team leader pay the penance!!! The whole team returns full of experience, proud and happy to Florence, where a year of car development awaits us to do even better in 2016.

Dynamic Events

Final position overall: 7th