Vetter Challenge

Last Friday, July 20, we took the VK to the Mid-Ohio racetrack for the Vetter Challenge, which was during the AMA Vintage Days. It was a great event held during a great AMA gathering at a great venue.

 I am always excited to go to Mid-Ohio and get on the track, even if it is only one lap. We met Friday morning and prepared to take an 80 mile run. It was unique for u.s, as most of the vehicles were streamlined motorcycles. Last years event had our friend Jack McCormack with his Diesel sportscar,Max, as the lone 4 wheeled entrant. This year we were privileged to be invited. The criteria for the challenge is that the vehicle must be capable of going 70 miles per hour, into a 30 MPH headwind while efficiently and safely carrying 4 bags of groceries. Carol Vetter insured that the groceries fit within the competitors vehicles. We were nervous, but passed with room to spare. We had a lot of stuff in the trunk, such as extra toolboxes, chairs, fuel containers, wax and other items needed for a cross country trip. We made room in the back seat for the bags. After topping off the fuel tank and rigging the video cameras, we were ready to hit the track

We took the lap around Mid-Ohio and proceeded out to the open roads. About a third of the way into the run, one of the electric bikes was layed over in a curve.  Looked like he hit a wet spot and the rear tire broke loose. The rider was OK, bruised with a bit of road rash, it shows the value of using proper protective gear. When all was clear, we continued on the route, but had lost the main group.  We missed a turn and ended up 5 miles over after the end of the run. Keeping up with motorcycles burns fuel. They accelerate quicker and take hills better.

In the end, the top bike was the Hayes Diesel Airtech, at over 143.6 MPG @1.93 cents per mile. We got 57.6 MPG in this run. Looks like we have some work to do to get the numbers up again. Noticed a few mechanical problems that were repaired when we got home. Later found a leaky fuel return line.  That doesn't help with mileage either. For full results, see link below.

http://www.craigvetter.com/pages/2012-Fuel-contests/2012-Vintage-Days-Challenge.html

We talked to some of the competitors. There were a lot of interesting people in the group. One common bond was a desire to get the most fuel efficiency possible from the vehicle.

We were very impressed with the bikes that shared our combustion cycle, the HDT motorcycles. Fred Hayes has been developing a Diesel motorcycle engine that is a purpose built motorcycle engine. It is not a modified automotive or industrial engine like the ones you may find in Europe or even in some bikes here. It is a very special engine that could revolutionize the motorcycle world. He designed them to be used in military motorcycles, per U.S. Navy specs. One fuel improves logistics and is a tactical advantage.

Fred Hayes is a very interesting man with a lot of great ideas.

Makes me want to get a motorcycle and start streamlining it!

No School Like the Old School!

1957 Heinkel 130 MPGa, Old School Technology.

The BITW Technologies Team recently went to Watkins Glen, New York, to compete in the Green Grand Prix. This year marks the first return to the track, after a 106.67 MPGa performance on the short course. Unfortunately, the VK did not do as well this time around. It was, however, an enjoyable event that is educational in many ways. We made a few modifications and did not get to test as much before the race as we would have liked to. That lesson was made plainly evident when the car was weighed after Fridays run on the track. The VK burned 13 pounds of fuel, which gave us a lower score than anticipated. A quick assessment was made and we determined that the injectors were running richer than we realized. The highest MPG recorded was 130 MPGa by a 1957 Heinkel. Old school tech wins out in this event. Our next event will be the Vetter Challenge at Mid Ohio Racetrack, July 20.

BITW Tech Team asking questions about the scale procedures.

Former X-Prize Competitor Jack Chen of Enginer

Next Event

Here is the latest press release for the Green Grand Prix to be held at Watkins Glen International Race Course. BITW Technologies plans to return to defend it's title as best in Diesel Class.

Toyota Green Grand Prix Returning to Legendary Watkins Glen International in 2012

(for release March 4, 2012)

WATKINS GLEN, NY – The Green Grand Prix, a showcase of motoring technology that aims for a cleaner environment, returns to the famed Watkins Glen International race course in April with Toyota as a first-time major sponsor.

The 2012 Toyota Green Grand Prix will present a two-stage road rally on Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21, and a NYElectrathon race on April 21. Both days offer educational seminars and displays by appropriate manufacturers and vendors.

The Toyota Green Grand Prix is part of the season-opening weekend festivities at Watkins Glen International. No admission is charged for the Green Grand Prix, open to the public on both days.

Those interested in taking part in WGI’s Opening Day festivities on April 21 will need to pay $25 to take their vehicle on the track. WGI festivities continue on April 22.

The Toyota Green Grand Prix’s two-stage rally will have a stand-alone segment on each day, offering up challenges and excitement for pre-registered drivers of alternate-fueled vehicles, hybrids and traditional gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles.

Individuals, colleges and universities, car clubs and manufacturers are all invited to participate.

The Electrathon race, primarily for high school teams, will be on Saturday. Part of the event will be educational technical talks by students from the teams.

The diversity of the activities over the two days emphasizes the breadth of the goals of the Toyota Green Grand Prix.

“The mission of the Toyota Green Grand Prix is educational, to promote innovation in sustainable transportation technologies,” said Bob Gillespie, chairman of the Green Grand Prix Corp., a non-profit organization. “We are proud that our event, in its eighth year, attracts students from universities, colleges and high schools. We want the Green Grand Prix to be a means of encouraging technology students to stay in the Northeast to help move our region to become a center for clean energy.”

The Toyota Green Grand Prix is again part of the season-opening weekend festivities at Watkins Glen International.

“It is a pleasure to host this outstanding event at The Glen for the second consecutive year,” WGI President Michael Printup said. “Hosting the Green Grand Prix is the best way to kick off our Opening Weekend and continue our strong commitment to environmentally green initiatives with our season-long recycling program.”

Friday’s segment of the Doris Bovee Memorial Road Rallies will be a 130-mile, fuel economy event completely on the 2.45-mile short course at WGI,which has hosted competitive racing events since 1957. The rally is open to all classes of road vehicles.

On Saturday, the rally moves to public roads for 140 miles and another fuel economy run.

Both segments will be conducted at highway speeds.

“This year’s rallies will offer competitors the opportunity to establish fuel economy records in various categories on a world famous racing venue and on the picturesque roads of the Finger Lakes ,” Gillespie said.

After they return to the track at the end of Saturday’s rally the vehicles will be on display in the WGI Tech Garage from 1-5 p.m.

Spectators will be able to view a wide variety of fuel-efficient vehicles powered by several different fuels including gasoline, biodiesel, hydrogen, propane and compressed natural gas. Many hybrids, plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles are also expected.

The Doris Bovee Foundation is one of the Green Grand Prix’s key supporters, and the rallies are dubbed the Doris Bovee Memorial Road Rallies. The rallies are sponsored by the Glen Region Sports Car Club of America and are the only official SCCA road rallies of their kind in the nation.

Other important supporters of the event are Corning Enterprises of Corning, NY; the Auto Career Development Center of Worcester, MA; and the Central New York Clean Cities Coalition based in Baldwinsville , NY .

The rallies honor the memory of well-known area environmentalist Doris Bovee, who taught for many years in the Corning-Painted Post (NY) school district and was known for her love of plants and birds. She also was involved with SCCA road rallies and was part of the Glen Region SCCA at its inception.

The Electrathon race will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday on a course set up in an infield area of the track. The race is sanctioned and organized by NYElectrathon.

Single-seat electric vehicles built, maintained and driven by high school teams are powered by the battery equivalent of 1 hp. They race at speeds of about 30 mph. Last year’s Green Grand Prix Electrathon drew teams from 10 schools in New York and Canada .

Entries in the rallies are now being accepted through the Toyota Green Grand Prix website at www.greengrandprix.com. More information about the NYElectrathon event is available at the website www.nyelectrathon.com.

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For digital photos from the 2011 Green Grand Prix and for more information, contact Robert Gillespie by e-mail at rgillesp@roadrunner.com or by telephone at (315) 694-2812.