One Last Chance

Today is the last day of the World Human Powered Speed Challenge. Matt Scott will launch at 6:17 pm and should cross through the timing marks about 8 minutes later. For the collegiate speed record a lot of things will have to fall into place. Firstly the weather will have to cooporate, the track will have to be dry for us to run, and the wind will have to be slow enough so that it is under the legal limit of 325 feet per minute; a sever wind could also push the bike off the course. Also, it would be preferable if the temperature was warmer so that there would be less aero drag. The forcast is for a partly cloudy evening with a temperature of 58 degrees when Matt takes to the track.

The bike will also need to be flawless. Mechanically the bike will need to stay together. A few of the competitors have had chain derailments and other rubbing issues. There are still a few cosmetic/aerodynamic details that need to be smoothed over before our last run tonight.

Finally, Matt will need to produce a record breaking run. Both the bike and Matt are capable of breaking 61 mph, but they will both need to break it on this run. Matt will need to bring the bike up to speed at the right time, and then lay the power down early enough that he hits max speed through the traps, but not too early that he peaks before the timing tape. Visibility on the bike is not the best, and Matt will have to be able to see the signs and where he is on the road.

So with a little luck we will set a new collegiate speed record this evening.