Schoolgirls charge to the front of electric racing
Visitors to the Lafert Electric Motors stand at the Drives & Controls Show in April will be able to see an electric racing car built by girls from Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College. The company is sponsoring teams at the school who are taking part in the IET (Institution of Engineering & Technology) Formula 24 and 24+ battery-powered racing car competitions.
The Sandbach teams – who race under the CAUC (Complete and Utter Chaos) name – have achieved six firsts, three seconds and a third since first entering the competitions in 2008. They were National Champions for Formula 24 in 2008 and 2010, and for 24+ for 2009 and 2010. During 2013, the team took part in six events at different circuits and set a new lap record on each occasion. These successes have been achieved against teams from major car manufacturers.
For the IET events, teams have to design and build electric racing cars based on specified motors and batteries. The Formula 24 is for teams of 11–16 year-olds, while Formula 24+ is for 16–24 year-olds. The teams compete in a series of regional races with the winners being those cars that have travelled the greatest distances in a given time. The top three cars after 11 events qualify for the final.
The Sandbach teams use trackside telemetry to monitor data sent by the car so speed, power settings and battery life can be set to maximise efficiency.
