OSU'S ELECTRIC RACER ZAPS U.S., WORLD SPEED RECORDS
Published: Saturday, October 16, 2004
By Mike Lafferty
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
At least one Buckeye is on a winning
streak.
Ohio State University's battery-powered Buckeye
Bullet broke the national electric car
speed record yesterday with a blistering pace of 315 mph at
the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
On Wednesday, it set an international record of 272 mph.
The two records have different judging criteria.
The Bullet, which was designed and built
by students, obliterated the 257 mph national mark it set
in October 2003 on the flats.
"It's exhilarating,'' said driver Roger Schroer. "I had
a pretty good sense we had made it, but keeping the car on
the track and paying attention to the engine rpms and
pulling the parachute keeps you busy.''
The Bullet is a 31-foot-long arrow, 2
feet wide and less than 3 feet tall. Half of the car's
2-ton weight comes from its 900 rechargeable off-the-shelf
nickel-hybrid batteries.
"It's like flying on the ground,'' said the 54-year-old
Schroer, who trains high-performance drivers at the
Transportation Research Center in West Liberty, Ohio.
The Bullet had to run the 9-mile course
in both directions for the records.
The second run must be made within 50 minutes of the
first run for the international record, while cars have a
chance to recharge their batteries before the return run
for the national record.
International speeds are generally slower because the
turnaround is faster and drivers must conserve battery
power.
"We didn't push as hard as we might have,'' said Giorgio
Rizzoni, the team's faculty adviser. "As it turns out, we
probably could have gone a little faster.''
The students were determined to shatter both records
after a mechanical breakdown in August spoiled an attempt
at the national mark.
"It's fantastic,'' said Isaac Harper, a junior
mechanical engineering student and leader of the
Bullet team. "I felt like a four-year goal has
finally been accomplished.
"We wanted a car to go 300 mph.''
Harper said the team installed a new differential,
transmission and made other changes after August.
"We think the car can go faster,'' he said. "We're on
the cutting edge with battery technology and drive-train
technology.''
Rizzoni said the Bullet is designed to
go 350 mph and he believes the students can reach that
mark.
Schroer, who said his driving style is to floor it and
hang on, credits Harper's team.
"I'm happy for the students,'' he said. "I'm just the
monkey behind the wheel.''
mlafferty@dispatch.com
Illustration: Photo appeared in
newspaper, not in the archive.
Photo caption: OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
The Buckeye Bullet was
built and designed by engineering students at OSU. The
31-foot-long racer runs on 900 nickel-hybrid batteries.
Reprinted here by permission from The
Columbus Dispatch
Thank you Columbus Dispatch!! Go Bucks!!
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