FS Czech fourth place filled with emotions

10.8.2014 | author Jakub Dražan | translated by Stanislav Tomášek

We have concluded our previous report from FS Czech with finalizing all of the static disciplines on Friday. Our team had claimed TOP3 position in EDR (Engeneering design report). Definite positions weren't declared until final result announcement on Sunday. In the end, we've taken third place, with loss of only 1.2 points against italian team "Squadra Corse".

Saturday on the razor's edge

You must know those days, when you wake up, everything is going great and nothing can get into your way to success. Well, Saturday wasn't exactly one of those days. We've initally started with right foot. We successfully passed the brake test with non-driven brakes albeit on second try. With this behind us, all of technical checkups were completed and we could get right into the testing zone to try out our new components and powertrain before starting competing at dynamic disciplines - acceleration and skid-pad.

After a half hour of testing, a badly vented cooling system caused an overheat of engine electronics creating a great challenge for our team. We were testing to our last moment, when only hour and half remained to drive through first two dynamic disciplines when our car was rendered immobile. A quick work of our mechanics in paddock ensured, that our car took stand at start of skid-pad discipline. Unfortunately our problem with electronics weren't entirely solved and even through great effort of our team, car wasn't able to go.

Saturday had swung into it's second part when our lunch break started in noon and ended after hour. After that a track tour for AutoX (quick round) begun. In meantime we've worked hard so our car would be able to compete in the Endurance race. We've succeeded in making car run at about 17:30 when only a half hour remained to the end of AutoX discipline. Our pilots completed discipline albeit in very slow tempo that our car allowed. Mood in team was at complete freezing point because only 20 hours remained to start of main 22 kilometre-Endurance race. This time required our full determination to solve all car's problems, so our car would became competitive again, knowing that, we've worked relentlessly through entire night.

Three magic S' - Sunday, Sun and Success

Our team had awaken into mildly sunny morning. Like the Sun didn't know whether to shine, our team didn't know whether to rely on our car to finish in main race event. On the starting line of Endurance race, we've learned an important lesson, that you've got to earn your success, saying that, we weren't able to take off at the determined time.

Further line of work was done in depot, with our alarms set at 12:30. That was our deadline for second start after end of lunch pause.

During our second start both team and spectators were electrified. Nobody knew wheter our car would take off and even if it would, would it be fast enough for referees to let us finish race ? Green flag waven and with massive applause, our car began it's trip forwards. After end of first round it was almost certain that we would overcome the race's time limit. Car's tempo was so fast that we even overcame all of competition which was present on the track!

Many people had watched our team during Saturday and Sunday and known very well in what situation we were and given all of their support for the team. For this support we are very grateful!

After pilot switch in twelveth round, car had it's second part of race to overcome. Tensions were running high in the depot. Many of cars are disqualified from race because of their insufficient technical state. It's not a rare occurence for car to not even start up again. Fortunately that wasn't our case and second pilot had successfully returned FSE.03 onto race track and continued to compete in the race.

In the end everything went well and eForce Prague Formula with FSE.03 finished it's first Endurance race in which has taken excellent 2. place!

Happiness from our success has slowly transformed into support for other Czech teams in combustion category of Endurance race. They had also performed above expectations. Especially in finale in which the overall second position was claimed by our fellow team - CTU CarTech.

The FS Czech competition for year 2014 is over and we would like to thank all of public spectators, organisers and partners of the team, hoping, that we'll meet again at CzechRing next year for third year of Formula Student Czech Republic.

In just week and half we're embarking to the race at Hungarian Györ from which we're continuing straight to Italy.

With best regards from eForce Prague Formula team, Jakub Dražan & Stanislav Tomášek

Results of eForce Prague Formula from FS Czech 2014