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Solar Car Challenge Event Update 2025-1
Significant Dates in the 2025 Solar Car Challenge
September 14 - Teams Workshop
DFW Marriott & Golf Club, Fort Worth, Texas
January 17-19 - Specialty Workshop
DFW Marriott & Golf Club, Fort Worth, Texas
January 31, 2025 - Deadline to file Intent-to-Race Form
https://www.solarcarchallenge.org/challenge/intent.shtml
March 1 - Deadline to file Official Registration Documents and Fees
(1) Mail the hard copy of the registration documents to: Solar Car Challenge Foundation, 3505 Cassidy Drive, Plano, TX 75023. Registration envelope must be postmarked no later than March 1st.
(2) Email the digital copy to registration@solarcarchallenge.org. Use a Word or pdf format. Google documents will not be accepted.
June 1 - Deadline to submit solar car vehicle liability insurance certificate
Email to marks@solarcarchallenge.org
June 15 - Deadline to submit digital copy of Team Scrapbook required by Rule 3.9.
Send scrapbook in pdf format to scrapbook@solarcarchallenge.org
July 1 - Deadline to send video of Team Oral Presentation
Send to video@solarcarchallenge.org
July 16 - Team Check-in at the DFW Marriott & Golf Club, Fort Worth, Texas
[All persons taking part in the Race must attend Team Check-In]
July 16 - All Team Meeting & Drivers Meeting - Ballroom of the DFW Marriott
[All persons taking part in the Race must attend the All Team Meeting]
2025 Race Fees
The non-refundable Registration & Racing fee must accompany the registration packet due March 1, 2025.
After a great deal of consideration, the Solar Car Challenge Foundation Board of Directors has announced an increase in the Registration and Racing Fees for the 2025 Solar Car Challenge Education Program. This is the result of the Texas Motor Speedway increasing prices, and the rapidly increasing costs associated with the conduct of the education program and racing event.
Registration Fee
[Cross-country racing fee for 15 race participants] |
$3,000
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Racing Fee
The Solar Car Challenge pays this fee to the Texas Motor Speedway for using the speedway. This fee applies to each vehicle entered into the Racing Event.
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$1,250
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Additional Team Member Fee
Teams are provided 15 free sets of credentials. These credentials are required for admission to the garage and race events. Teams bringing more than 15 people will be assessed a fee of $200 per person. [Payable at Team Check-In] |
$200/person
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Late Arrival Fee
Our lawyers and insurance underwriters require race participants attend events scheduled on Team Check-In Day. Every year, we have requests for people to arrive late. For this reason, we will allow persons to arrive later, but they will have to pay $250 and watch an hour safety film before receiving credentials. |
$250/person
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Banquet Ticket
The Banquet Ticket provides admission to both the Opening Banquet and the Awards Banquet. Tickets can be purchased for $65/person prior to June 15, 2025. Tickets purchased after June 15th are $75/person. Tickets purchased at the door will be $100/person. |
$65/person
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Best Practices
Best Practices are not rules, but are suggestions to help teams with design and engineering.
Use of Bicycle Forks
Several teams have attempted to use bicycle forks for their suspension. Bicycle components are designed for stresses along the vertical axis, in line with the fork. However, solar cars must deal with both vertical stresses and horizontal stresses, as the solar car does not tilt as a bicycle does. Additionally, teams must consider how these bicycle forks are mounted, as improper structure will cause the suspension to collapse when turning. Teams must consider how to properly mount the bicycle forks and the impact of solar car stresses on those forks if they plan to use bicycle forks in their solar car design.
Use of Bicycle Wheels
Several teams have used bicycle wheels. As with bicycle forks, bicycle wheels are designed for stresses along the vertical axis, in line with the wheel hub. The solar car's horizontal stresses, along with increased weight of a solar car compared to a bicycle/rider, have caused bicycle wheel spokes to detach during turns and puncture the tire. Other bicycle wheels have collapsed or have bent in half due to the stresses on the wheel. Teams should consider reinforcing spoke attachments and whether bicycle wheels can endure the weight and horizontal stresses of a solar car before incorporating them in their solar car design.
Solid-State Relays
While solid state relays are allowed to be used as the motor or array relay/contactor, some solid state relays could fail closed (a short circuit) rather than fail open (disconnected circuit). Repeated operation of a solid state relay could potentially cause the contactor circuitry to weld closed. Teams considering solid state relays for their relay/contactor should perform adequate testing to ensure proper operation of their solid state relay and incorporate some type of backup in case the relay fails closed.
Crush Zone Materials
Most teams design their crush zone using metal bars/tubes. However, teams should also consider use of foam or other materials for their crush zone to provide impact protection. A full metal frame, especially if built with the same material as the safety cell, may not provide as much impact protection as other materials that are intended to yield/deform upon impact.
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