National champs: U-M Solar Car Team takes first in American Solar Challenge

After a major setback, the students' indomitable spirits and another team's generosity propelled them to the finish

[Link]Students on the University of Michigan Solar Car Team race crew flank their vehicle Astrum while electrical engineering student Daryl Day drives it across the finish line of the American Solar Challenge in Casper, Wyoming. Image credit: Holly Zumbrunnen

With dedication, caffeine and the kindness of a competitor, the University of Michigan Solar Car Team on Sunday won the American Solar Challenge, an eight-day, distance-based race from Tennessee to Wyoming.

The U-M team covered 2,120 miles before crossing the finish line in Casper, Wyoming, taking advantage of many of the route's opportunities to add distance through optional loops along the way.

[Link]University of Michigan students on the Solar Car Team pose with their trophy after winning the American Solar Challenge. Students pictured (L-R beginning with back row) are: Matthew Anderson, Daryl Day, Rithik Deshpande, Norah Allington, Daniel Benedict, Aidan Goettsch, Alexander Patov, Naman Kabra, Charles Tate, Holly Zumbrunnen, Jay Lee, Purvi Raj, Julia Glasco, Kristen Schang, Kelly Park, Nicholas Lu, Abhijeet Sudhir, Jacob Lepley and Yashoditya Watal. Image courtesy: American Solar Challenge

The performance reclaims the team's title as national champions. U-M had won six consecutive American Solar Challenges, held every other year, until finishing second in 2018. This is the first U.S. race they've competed in since then, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It tested their endurance, both on and off the course.

"It feels outstanding to be national champions again," said Daniel Benedict, the team's project manager and recent U-M computer science graduate. "For the past year, all of our consciousness has been dedicated toward this vehicle. All that hard work paid off, and I couldn't imagine a better ending."

The start could have gone smoother. One of the steps toward qualifying for the race is the Formula Sun Grand Prix, a track event that requires teams to complete a set number of laps. Eighteen laps in, while going around a sharp corner, Astrum tipped and rolled.

"It was scary, but because of how we had designed the car, I wasn't injured at all," said driver Naman Kabra, a rising junior studying electrical engineering.

The team had recently reconfigured the roll cage to comply with regulations. Astrum was built to first compete in the 2023 World Solar Challenge in Australia, where it finished fourth. The two competitions have different vehicle requirements.

[Link]Students on the U-M Solar Car Team hold up their trophy for winning the American Solar Challenge. Image credit: Holly Zumbrunnen

"Retrofitting was an intense challenge, but we clearly did it effectively," Benedict said. "The new roll cage proved itself."

But the car was damaged. The team spent the rest of the day and all night fixing it. On Day 2, Astrum was back on the track. After a dozen laps in the rain, it became clear the motor had additional damage. Sidelined again, they worked around the clock.

"At 4 a.m. on the last day, we had to decide if we were going to pack up and go home or stay and figure out what to do," Benedict said. "Everyone had to dig deep and find every ounce of motivation."

They came up with two potential solutions: fly a teammate from Ann Arbor with a motor in his suitcase or ask for help getting the parts they needed. Much to their amazement, the second option panned out.

Other teams offered support, and Principia College loaned them a spare motor and motor controller. The Illinois-based squad had decided not to compete in the cross-country contest, but took second in the Formula Sun Grand Prix.

"Principia effectively saved our race," Benedict said. "We're so grateful they were willing to root for us."

[Link]Students on the U-M Solar Car Team's celebrate after winning the American Solar Challenge. Image credit: Holly Zumbrunnen

The U-M team got Astrum in shape and driver Kabra took it smoothly through another 31 laps before time was up. They hadn't qualified with laps alone, but race officials make the final determination based on a number of factors. What they saw in Michigan convinced them that Astrum was a reliable car, and the students were capable of navigating difficult, high-pressure situations. The U-M team was cleared to race.

Over the next week, the American Solar Challenge route took them along seven national historic trails. Local families-and Solar Car alums-cheered them on. Steep grades didn't phase the car or its drivers-electrical engineering students Charlie Tate, Daryl Day and Kabra, who was thrilled to be back behind the wheel.

"Our crew chief asked if I was feeling up to it," Kabra said. "I never hesitated. I felt even more ready to get back on track and show everyone we're still here."

Astrum is the 17th car made by the Michigan Solar Car Team since its founding in 1989. The team has won the American Solar Challenge 10 times, had podium finishes in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge seven times, and won the Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge in 2015. With more than 90 students from schools and colleges across the university, it's one of the largest student organizations on campus.

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