BITW Technologies

End of a Busy Summer

2011-09-24T14:49:00.012-04:00

Seasons change and so ends the summer of 2011. It began with BITW Technologies meeting US Senator Richard Lugar. We had a great discussion about energy Independence and how BITW Technologies is working to show the benefits of Diesel power and efficiency in automobiles. BITW Technologies was also represented in the One Gallon Challenge, held in Boston Mass. George Voll drove the VK from Indiana to Massachusetts to compete in the fuel economy rally. The route was approximately 100 miles and included rural and urban sections. The downtown city traffic of the Metropolitan Boston proved to be tough on the competitors. The goal was 100 MPG, yet the highest result was 88.88 MPG by the BITW Technologies team. Close behind where the Dirigo and Roopod.

As usual, the team has done a lot of testing, using various lubricants to evaluate which type yields highest MPG results.

Another Test!

More miles to go.

The team met with a 4H group in Corydon,IN to present the VK and talk about energy Independence and Diesel Power. This was a good opportunity to expose students to Bio Diesel and methods to acheive high efficiency in vehicles. The meeting was very enjoyable and many thoughtful questions were asked by both the 4H members and their parents.

Jack McCormack shows MAX to a Cub Scout Pack

The team had a special visitor in August, Jack McCormack and MAX. MAX is a special built two seat Diesel Powered sports car that Jack planned to enter into the Progressive Automotive X-Prize competition. Ultimately, Jack pulled out of the competition, but has since continued to improve max by rebuilding the body with more aerodynamic components, which have improved his efficiency into the 100MPG range. MAX is popular everywhere Jack takes it. This past week, George and Jack have driven to a Mother Earth News event in Pennsylvania to show the cars. During the trip, between Cincinnati and Columbus Ohio, the VK got 93 MPG and MAX got over 110 MPG, travelling at 45 MPH in a steady rain. Probably wasn't very comfortable for Jack, as MAX is an open roadster. We like what Jack has done with MAX which is more proof to show that Diesel Power can reduce fuel consumption and help America to become energy independent.

At the Mother Earth News conference

Sunday with Senator Lugar

2011-06-07T22:13:00.022-04:00

This past Sunday afternoon, the members of the BITW Technologies team had a special opportunity. We had a meeting with U.S. Senator Richard Lugar. He wanted to talk to us about what we have done with the vehicle since the Progressive Automotive X-Prize. We were excited about the fact that a U.S. Senator wanted to meet with us. During the previous week we planned our meeting by putting together data from our past for a power point presentation and putting some ideas about how the Diesel Engine Technology can be a valuable component in a practical energy policy.

As of today, there is no domestic automobile manufacturer that is building Diesel cars. There are plenty Diesel trucks on the market, just no American made Diesel cars. Why is that? Government regulations make it too difficult for producers. That needs to change. VW Diesels are imported. They get 40 to 50 MPG. Diesel Engines are much cleaner than they were in the 70's. Why not adjust the EPA requirements to allow the US auto manufacturers into the Diesel game?

I will refrain from going on about the efficiency and power that Diesel engines are capable of. This is about our visit with Senator Lugar. He came after lunch and shook hands with the team members and talked with us about what we had done. We then sat down and Dan gave the power point presentation, briefing the Senator on our project and what we had done in the X-Prize and Green Grand Prix. Afterward, we talked about energy policy and why Diesel power is in danger of being removed from the American consumer. The current EPA regulations are causing engine manufacturers to drop small Diesel engines between 30 and 50 HP. That outcome will be disastrous for the power equipment and agriculture industries without reform.

Senator Lugar had a lot of good things to say about the project and that he was glad that he named BITW Technologies as a Lugar Energy Patriot back in Feb 2010.

The meeting was held at the Mister Hardware in Edwardsville that George manages. We want to thank Phil Gettlefinger for allowing us to meet there and for all of the help and support he has provided on the project.

100 plus MPG!!!

2011-04-15T21:30:00.015-04:00

BITW TECHNOLOGIES Vincitore' 1000

The Green Grand Prix was a great event! We got to run the VK on the Watkins Glen International road course. We won our class( Diesel) and exceeded our MPG numbers to date,.. by a large margin. The number was 6.667 MPG above 100. That would be 106.667 MPGa. 100 MPG was the benchmark that we had been working to achieve, and we exceeded it! This was done on a racetrack with hills and hairpin turns with traffic! There were 45 entries that competed during the rally. There were also teams that had competed in the X Prize that were in the GGP. West Philly High School, Cornell University, and Enginer. The Dirigo car was also there. Many Diesel entries competed.

Diesel Competitors at Watkins Glen International

We found that the TSD format was challenging. It required a navigator to keep track of lap times and overall time to stay at the correct average speed for the rally. The navigator has a tough job keeping time and holding back a driver that wants to speed up. We will definitely do this at the next opportunity!

George meets Mr. Turtle

After the rally, everyone received a treat, literally! Mr. Turtle, from Demet's Candy Company, brought in the original Turtles candy. That made us forget about lunch for a while while the MPG's and scores were determined.

There was also a competition for high school students to build and race electric karts, the Electrathon. Some very nice and competitive karts ran in it.

Two Chevy Metro based cars won their respective classes. The car to the right was entered by Corning Community College. It is a 96 model with a 3 cylinder gasoline engine.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors! Their support helped make our goal possible! 100 MPG is achievable in a production type car. I mentioned in the last blog that there were two new sponsors. Here they are:

Lucas Oil and RenDiesel. Lucas Oil lubrication products were used in the VK to help improve efficiency. RenDiesel is a Synthetic Diesel producer. We are testing their product and used some during the GGP. We would like to also thank our other sponsors, XS Power (light weight battery), Blue Cotton (Team Uniforms), Diesel USA Group (Technical Support and other things) and the National BioDiesel Board for spreading the word!

BITW Technologies supports the research and development of alternative fuels sources for use in Diesel engines. BioDiesel and Synthetic Diesel are both fuels that have many benefits for improving the world we live in and securing a future of energy Independence for our children.

A New Track

2011-03-31T18:47:00.007-04:00

The VK under ice

Once more, spring is seemingly late in arrival and time spent testing and prepping the VK for the next event leaves one with a chill. So, what have we been doing, you might ask. We have been prepping the VK for an Eco Rally, the Green Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International road course. A Road Course!!!! We love these type of courses. It is literally like driving through the hills of Southern Indiana. The VK will be participating in the Doris Bovee Memorial Road Rally, which is an SCCA event. Watkins Glen is a great track with loads of history! This rally will be on the 2.45 mile road course, which is the same used by the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. It will be lots of fun.

The team has picked up some new sponsors. We look forward to unveiling the latest sponsors logos just before the race. Who are they??? Well, a hint would be one is an Indiana based business that is well known for sponsoring large things. The other is a relative unknown that we hope will be known after the Rally! We still have our first sponsor on board, XS Power. We are using their latest technology in the VK. The BITW Technologies team really appreciates the staff at XS Power! Diesel USA Group is also giving us great tech support. Thank you Roger Lighter and Staff. We are still wearing shirts from Blue Cotton, Thanks Mike.

We will post more data about the event up to when the rally starts!

Diesel Power magazine will be covering the event, watch their blog after April 15.

2010 What a year!

2010-12-31T22:40:00.006-05:00

Well, the end of the year is upon us and it is time to ponder the outcome of the last 364 days.

BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!

I'm not very reflective, as I like to look to the future and NOT cry about where things did not go as planned. It is obvious that we did not win the 24th letter competition that we spent the past 2 1/2 years working on.

Coloring sheet compliments of the Saint Louis Science Center

We did learn a lot and have found that there are many smart people in the world that think like we do. Diesel powered vehicles are the most energy efficient vehicle one could drive. We found that the Mid Ohio Road Course is a fun place to drive. We plan to be at Watkins Glen in April for the Green Grand Prix, an SCCA sanctioned event. (greengrandprix.com) The Vincitore' 1000(VK) should be ready for the event. It will be a lot of fun to be on a track again.

The VK is currently being driven on a daily basis in ALL weather conditions. Kind of like the Mailman, neither snow, sleet or driving rain can keep the VK down.

Hope you all have a Great New Year!!!

The BITW Technologies Team!!

Diesel Power Magazine

2010-11-26T23:56:00.004-05:00

George Voll makes some final adjustments before the economy run begins.

BITW Technologies Vincitore' 1000 was featured in Diesel Power magazine, again! They wrote a story on the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize competition and how the VK was the best fit to achieve the goals of the competition. The powertrain is approaching 30 K miles and keeps running strong in all types of terrains and temperatures! Diesel starts easier than E-85 below 60 degrees, which was very evident during the Shakedown part of the competition.

Prepping for Shakedown Economy run, April 2010.

The team was at Chelsea Proving Grounds in October to do coast down testing and then to Auburn Hills to get an emissions test. Testing went very well and we were amazed at how low the CO was. The car went over a mile in the coastdown, and did very well for a production chassis. We will have more about that one later!

Return to St. Louis Science Center

2010-10-18T01:59:00.008-04:00

The BITW Technologies Team pushes the Vincitore' 1000 into the Center.

This past weekend the BITW Technologies Team got to display the Vincitore' 1000 at the St. Louis Science Center for a second time. It was a great day to be at the Center! The president of the X-Prize Foundation, Robert Weiss was visiting the Center to speak about the progress of the various X-Prize activities and competitions. He later came over to visit the BITW Technologies Team to see the car and ask a few questions. We pushed the VK through the front door with a few inches to spare. "Under the Hood" is a interactive hands on display of fuel technologies in that shows the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize entries. It was a very informative display.

Under the Hood Display, see the middle column!

Team members fielded many questions about the VK and Bio Diesel fuel from visitors. Some of the kids asked questions like, "is it real?", "How did you get in in here?" It was an enjoyable experience to explain to the younger visitors how it works and what it can do.

George answering questions about the VK.

Once again, the VK was driven, under it's own power, from Southern Indiana to St. Louis. After the event, George drove it to Michigan, fully loaded, to perform emissions testing at Chrysler's Chelsea Proving Grounds and at the Auburn Hills Test Facility.

We were very honored to be asked to come back to the Saint Louis Science Center and more so to be considered their "Home Team". BITW Technologies Team and their families, thank all of the staff and volunteers at the Saint Louis Science Center. You guys are great!!

Dan, Ethan and George with the VK.

DC Road Trip

2010-09-15T23:06:00.011-04:00

Been a while since the last post, "Practical Is", and we have been busy doing the things that average American families do. Football, Cub Scouts, Family Reunions, and School have occupied the time of the BITW Technologies Team.

The Progressive Automotive X-Prize Web Site had some fan voter contests this summer and one was "Most Practical". We are proud to say that the Vincitore' 1000 got 4th place in the rankings and was top of class in the "Most Practical" Fan Vote. In the "Most Wanted" category it received 5th place, and 2nd in class to the Illuminati 7. It is a great daily driver and commuter and is capable of hauling passengers short and long distances. This week it was used to travel to Washington D.C. to attend the Awards Ceremony for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize. The route covered the hills of Kentucky to the Mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. A route that has some serious hill climbing. The Vincitore' 1000 (VK) was once again up to the task. Hills are no problem. George and his family are very familiar with D.C., having lived there for a number of years, so the traffic is not an issue. Parking may be, however, as parking in D.C. has never been easy.

We are waiting to see who the winners of each class are going to be. George is the only team member attending the event. Logistically speaking, it was very hard to fit it in to every ones schedule. One thing that may not be known about our team is that we don't all live in the same town. The team members with the closest distance would be Bob Boyd and Bob Voll, at about 8 miles. George is about 8 miles from them. Dan is North 100 miles away and Dave is South 130 miles away. Mark approx 110 miles South East and Robert 120 Miles North of the Garage. Brian lives about 15 miles away but works out of town frequently and could not work on the project on a regular basis. We were all able to work on specific projects to apply to the VK at our respective locations. Had we been closer, the outcome would have been much better. We accomplished something that many teams couldn't at a very low cost.

The event represents the end of a chapter in the BITW Technologies story but not the end of an idea. As we have stated before, we are continuing to refine the vehicle powertrain and are looking at some new platforms to apply the technology to. We have been collecting more data on the road time also. We still have some options open that we have been examining. We might write a Do It Yourself manual since we have talked to a lot of people that have been interested. It could be the fastest way to get this technology on the streets and highways of America. Stay tuned, you will see it here first!

Practical Is

2010-07-25T18:59:00.022-04:00

One thing that we have not talked about in depth is the practical values of the Vincitore' 1000 (VK). In this blog we will highlight these to give people something to think about regarding selection of a high MPGe automobile.

Four Doors, Four Seats, Four Wheels:

Easy access for adult passengers. (George is 6'4" tall)

Seating for four adult passengers, with comfort.

Stable platform for safe driving and sure handling.

Ample trunk space, over 10 cubic feet.

Great Diesel Performance:

Excellent economy without resorting to hypermiling techniques.

Great torque for climbing hills or pulling a load, such as a jet ski or Parade Float.

Multi Fuel capability. Fuels include Diesel, B-20 Diesel, B-100 Diesel, Veggy-Diesel and Strained Cooking Oils. Other potential fuel includes synthetic Diesel and Algae Diesel, plus many other lipid based fuel stock.

Click on link for Bio Diesel information

http://www.indianasoybean.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=86

Fueling in less than 5 minutes, anywhere Diesel is found. Diesel is an existing part of the national fuel infrastructure.

Click on link to view St Louis Trip

http://www.youtube.com/user/BITWTechnologies#p/u/8/7T2McLnOWSI

Long Range, the VK can travel up to 1000 miles on a tank of fuel. That means non stop until the tank is empty. Drive coast to coast with 3 fill ups.

Click link to view Nashville trip.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BITWTechnologies#p/a/u/2/dB11FHzxhV0

Reliability, Diesel engine is very simple and thus reliable. Starts easy and is ready to go quickly.

Maintenance is easy and mechanics will appreciate the drivetrain access.

Comfort:

The VK has basic accessories such as Air Conditioning, Heat and Defrost, bucket seats, radio and windows that roll down.

The VK was designed as a daily driver and has met and exceeded this role since being assembled. It is not a concept, but a reality at a cost less than $20K. As a commuter car, a fleet car or a family car, the VK can do it all. On or off road when hauling people, luggage and trailers, the VK is nothing, if not Practical!

Tell the world what you think is practical, too! Vote BITW as Most Practical!
http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/fan-favorites

School of Hard Knocks

2010-07-10T20:12:00.016-04:00

George drives with the windows down during the city run.

Now that we have had a chance to sleep a little more than in the past 6 months, a reassessment of strategy has come about for BITW Technologies. What next, park the VK (Vincitore' 1000) for 20 years and wait for the next contest, or attack the market with some proven solutions. Being a student of General GS Patton, waiting is not the answer. If you want to get noticed, you need to be seen. We will be working on a visual marketing strategy for the next couple of months that will unleash the full fury of the internet and other media outlets. A plan will be developed and the value of the small displacement diesel will be exploited.

We have also analyzed some things that were done to the VK during the run up to the Knockout event. We found that out testing methodology has been consistent and in accordance with standards used in various industries and institutions, so we will continue to use those methods. Our competition prep has shown some weaknesses, including the event procedure. We will make better checklists and increase inspection frequency. Simple things like an inspection could have made the difference in the Knockout event, as was noted in our previous blog. Perimeter security is also something that will need to improve. It's good to show the car, but some areas should be guarded and discipline in our area maintained.

Vehicle performance is another thing that has been analyzed. The strengths of the VK are as follows:

The car is solid. It breezed through the Durability run in the shakedown. Wish there was more video of that event( There was a camera crew at the hairpin curve). No breakdown. No overheating. The VK responded to harsh driving with spirit. Ask any trackworker that saw it.

Handling is good. No problem with the accident avoidance maneuvers. The car has a full independent suspension with Kumho Solus tires on Volk Racing wheels.

Braking was good. The VK passed the braking test, although one of the videos showed the VK locking up in a stop. That was more of a human error problem.

Acceleration gave us a little trouble in the Shakedown event, but our fix answered that problem.

Range is well over 200 miles, as shown during the drive home.

Space and accessibility are excellent. Four adults can get in and out quickly, via there four doors. Plenty of trunk space.

MPGe is higher than what was obtained during the efficiency run. 99% reliability still means 1 % failure. The lack of boost cost us the run. We know what the vehicle would do in portions of the test and were disappointed with the problem. We will demonstrate the MPGe capabilities and post them.

That is a start, we are still compiling data and will continue to improve the VK and the BITW Technologies team. The data will also be used to build the next generation VK.

The events also gave us a good perspective of the variety of methods employed to improve efficiency in automobiles. Lots of neat ideas at the competition. The X-Tracer vehicles were very impressive. Ethan got to ride in the E-Tracer on Saturday. He was impressed. A few vehicles may even score spots in hollywood productions. We met a lot of very interesting people, some of whom had a lot of influence on various vehicles that we respect and admire. Very educational.

Achilles Last Stand

2010-06-27T13:23:00.023-04:00

WHAT HAPPENED

After making our first runs in the fuel economy trials, we learned that our DAS numbers on mpg-e were really good, and our car had no problems on the run. At least, none that we could see…

After our highway segment ended, George Voll was a little shaken about the effect of the last lap, since the race officials forgot to signal him with his team flag, wondering how that late call might have hurt his efficiency through the trace of the course. After getting the car back to impound, it was time to weigh our fuel, to see what the overall fuel consumption was for the course of the three separate segments of the fuel economy run: urban, city, and highway. When we learned how much fuel we used, we knew it was something bigger than a missed signal.

So on Friday, we were called in to meet with officials about our status. We couldn’t argue with the numbers that were produced, but we did make an argument about how the data were collected. And so we were instructed to include that in our protest, to have it filed and hope for an appeal to continue our entry in the competition.

But when we returned to our bay, a fellow competitor was

there to inquire about a certain part was on the engine. George took a look and yelled for the rest of us to see. We discovered that a cap had been removed from the turbo , nullifying its boost effect and inhibiting our water injection system from operating. Loosing boost is like running a 100 meter sprint breathing through a straw. Instead of using more air, it uses more fuel to do the same amount of work. Our friend from the other team added that he saw this a couple of days before—which would have meant he noticed it before we performed our economy run.

Yet our car still ran…

And our car was running as a normally

aspirated engine, with no help from turbo boost, or water injection. We ran our fuel economy test with none of our fuel economy technology operating. And because of our understanding of the rules, we weren’t allowed to perform any maintenance or routine inspections on the car, never looking under the hood after each leg to ensure things were intact.

It’s baffling to us how it might have happened. While we should have caught it before we ever left our bay, we may never know how the plug came off of that port. One of two things: engine pressure, or a sharp yank.

I was thinking that this plug was our "Achilles Heel."

Kevin Smith, of Illuminati Motor Works, also mentioned Achilles as we discussed the events in the garage after the events. Like the Led Zep song title, Achilles Last Stand, so it was for BITW Technologies. Just like the 1967 Indy 500 Turbine car, we were felled by a part that cost less than a dollar.

We packed the trailer, loaned by Doug Harkness, of Corydon Glass and Mirror, and said our goodbyes. George put a new plug on and with 180 lbs of extra weight, drove home. We fueled up at Coldwater, MI and drove 201 miles to Whiteland,IN, averaging 65 MPH. George put in 3 gallons to top off the ATL fuel bladder.

Did you do the math? We got 66 MPG at 65mph with the plug in place. What would we get at 50 mph? Point proven to ourselves, but that won't get us back into the competition.

We got this far on a stock car, and still achieved better MPG than cars being sold today. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, yet some of our former competitors believe that is the only way to achieve real fuel efficiency. We’ll see how far they go before returning to time-tested conventions.

There are many unanswered questions we’ll continue to explore. What would our numbers actually be if our tech was connected? As of now, we may be out, but we’re not down. More to come.

BITW Technologies Team Member Profiles: George Voll

2010-06-12T18:32:00.009-04:00

Helping the world, one customer at a time.

BITW Technologies Team Leader, George Voll, likes to solve problems—they give him something to do. It’s a good thing, considering the fact that Voll has been in the home improvement industry for most of his career, offering insights and solutions to customers of the hardware store he operates in Edwardsville, Indiana. Whether it’s electrical, plumbing, or a carburetor rebuild, Voll always knows what tools and equipment to use to get the job done. He even specializes in failure analysis of small engines, with his extensive experience and certification in the field. His customers are his public, and they know who to ask to find the right solution for their own problems.

Voll has been tinkering with engines of all shapes and sizes over the last three decades, both professionally, and as a personal hobby. Voll became friends with Assistant Team Leader, Dan Boyd, in high school, and the two were soon working on each other’s daily drivers, and each other’s project cars, which included special interests such as vintage Swedish automobiles and a ’64 Barracuda. Along the way, Voll learned a great deal about foreign and domestic automotive engineering while rebuilding engines, coming to understand what things worked, and what didn’t work. Voll has always been interested in diesel engines, and has been working with them in cars, trucks, tractors, and even lawn mowers. Long before the Vincitore’ project, Voll had already performed a bio-fuel conversion on a VW diesel using the waste oil discarded from local restaurants, something he has been doing for the last twenty years. (pictured, from left, Bob Voll and George Voll speak with Aide Larry Ordner about receiving the Lugar Energy Patriot Award from US Senator Richard Lugar)

Despite his passion for cars, Voll did not pursue an engineering education after successfully completing a few early level courses. Instead, he earned a degree in business from Indiana University, and later attended the USDA Graduate School taking classes in statistical analysis, specializing in economic forecasting before returning home to run the store where he worked full time while attending college in the evenings. Voll also studied Chinese language, a skill he and his wife share with their son and daughter.

Family life is most important to him these days, as he works hard to ensure the safety and well-being of his wife and children, and giving them plenty of their own challenges to help develop and enrich their minds. To this end, he also volunteers much of his time as a den leader in his son’s Cub Scout pack, and helping his kids with their math homework. (at right, Voll and son working on a Tiger Scout project)

With his involvement in the X Prize through the induction of his latest bio-diesel project, he wants to contribute to drivers around the globe, by developing solutions that harbor the powers of proven technologies, utilize time-tested support infrastructures, and can use sustainable fuel sources. Voll knows the tools that are out there and available, and believes he has found a great solution for families who are conscious about fuel consumption, efficiency, and, most importantly, highway safety.

SCIENCE!!

2010-06-01T20:48:00.007-04:00

Science! hearing the word reminds me of a tune from the 80's by Thomas Dolby. So what does that have to do with today's post?

Over the weekend, the BITW Technologies Vincitore' 1000 made a visit to the St. Louis Science Center. Team leader, George Voll, and his dad Bob got to answer a lot of questions about the car and the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize competition. The car was on display in the lower level with a few other alternative energy displays. The Allis Chalmers Model G Electric tractor was very interesting. The Model G was designed as a small crop/ garden tractor with a rear mounted engine to improve visibility for cultivating. The engine was removed and an electric motor put in it's place. The Saint Louis Science Center hosted a “Community Science Day,” on Saturday, May 29th, 2010. This free event featured hands-on activities for visitors to gain a greater understanding about the science and technology related to super-efficient vehicles. The event was sponsored by the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Education Program and the U.S. Department of Energy. Visitors were able to come and check out the hands-on activities and walk away with the know-how required to make educated choices on the future cars you purchase and drive.

George and Bob found that many people do not understand how a diesel engine works or that they are much cleaner than they used to be. George and Bob were able to explain the difference between the Diesel Internal Combustion Engine vehicle and the Battery Electric Vehicle. It is always a good thing to educate people about how technologies can benefit society, locally and globally. We were honored to be asked to display the Vincitore' 1000 at the center. It is a great facility with a wonderful staff! St. Louis is a fun place to visit with historic value. It was the official starting point for the Lewis and Clark expedition, after they picked up most of the group from the Louisville area, taking a boat down the Ohio river to the Mississippi. After the event had concluded, George drove near the Arch for a camera pose.

For that Thomas Dolby tune, here is a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V83JR2IoI8k&a=p8AVQFfiIRU&playnext_from=ML

Carl Fisher's Test Track

2010-05-25T22:29:00.006-04:00

Carl Fisher was a businessman that wanted better tires after a trip to Ohio resulted in a lot of stops due to poor road conditions. It was Autumn of 1908, and highways did not exist. Wagon trails and horse paths were the roads that people drove on to go from town to town. The automobile was becoming the hot new technology item that everyone had to have. The technology was outpacing the roads needed to drive on. Carl thought that a test facility to develop new tire designs would be beneficial to Indiana's growing auto industry. He convinced some of the top businessmen in Indianapolis to join him in the effort. In 1909 the track opened and the rest is history. Competitive events began in spring. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the testing location for many automotive innovations. Racing gives the opportunity to push a car beyond it's daily expectations to see what works and what fails under the extreme stress. The first 500 mile race was held in 1911 and has since been the standard to which all racetracks and races have been held. This weekend another race will be added to the history books. There is great history at the track. In 1952, Freddie Agabashian put the Kurtis Kraft Cummins Diesel Special on the pole, breaking the one lap record in the process. We love diesels. Carl's dream grew larger than he may have expected. Tires are still tested on that track.

Testing is a huge part of developing a car. We have been testing the Vincitore' 1000 for months to prepare it for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. Like Carl Fisher's desire to improve tires led to the greatest race in the world, our desire to improve the MPGe of our car may lead to something big!

Here's a quiz. What was the first competitive event held at the Speedway?

Meet one of our Sponsors

2010-05-12T22:50:00.004-04:00

As many of the readers of this blog may have noticed, we have a few stickers on the car now. One of the stickers is from XS Power. They make high performance automotive batteries and are located in Knoxville, TN. We met them at the SEMA show while taking a break from the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize team summit meeting. We had a good conversation and thought they had some good equipment, so we contacted them about our project and they were interested. They have been very helpful and we are honored to have them as a sponsor. Check out their website, http://4xspower.com/ .

Back Home Again

2010-05-03T18:25:00.003-04:00

It is good to be back home in Indiana after a busy week at MIS. We learned a lot of valuable lessons about our car, the Vincitore' 1000 and about the competition process. The durability run was a good test to see how the car components stay together. It was held on the old road course South of the main oval. The official running the said it would be like driving in Kentucky or Tennessee. I grinned, as Southern Indiana roads are the same, and knew this would be lots of fun. Lots of bumps and about 23 laps later, the fun was done and we had to get back to the garages. Friday we did the efficiency run and that gave us some good data to work with. We have more work to do, but all is positive. We left Friday afternoon and arrived at the garage Saturday afternoon. We unloaded in rain just like we loaded the week before.

ON THE TRACK

2010-04-29T13:36:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday, we got to go out to the track and run some emissions tests. Semtec supplied the equipment, installed, and monitored it. We began the prep run and after a couple of warm up laps, we had to cut off the test due to construction equipment entering the track. George proved how maneuverable the car is by avoiding a tri-axle truck. Later, the Vincitore' 1000 re-started the test and we gathered some favorable data. It is always good to be on the track!

WAR PAINT

2010-04-26T19:29:00.003-04:00

We have completed our first day at the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize Shakedown event. What a busy day. We were first through the initial inspection with a few things to revise. Not bad at this point, just a lot of things to do. We have applied the decals to the Vincitore' 1000, so now the war paint is on! Looking forward to getting out onto the track for some testing. The staff has been very cordial and helpful. This shakedown is not only for the competitors, but for the event staff to get things ready for the Knockout event in June. They have been under a lot of stress and seem to be doing fine. We will try to post more news as it occurs.

Mid Ohio Road Course

2010-04-22T23:30:00.005-04:00

During the past couple of years, we have done a lot of work to get prepped for the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize. Spent a lot of late nights crunching numbers, compiling data and researching things that most people didn't know were in their cars. There were some bright spots like when we got the new engine or drove the car for the first time. The SEMA show was enlightening. We met many vendors and saw a lot of great equipment. Yesterday, we hit on a major fun part of this competition. The requirement that drivers, George and I, had to have a high performance driving certification.

I heard about the Mid Ohio School from my sister-in-law, Jill. We looked into it and they had openings available in the nick of time for us. We went out there and found a racecourse in the beautiful hills of central Ohio. The school was great, instructors knowledgeable, and the cars fast! The Honda S-2000 is a fun roadster. Growly engine with torque to spare. There was a variety of students there. Some were there to learn how to control there sport cars better. One student had taken the teen driving class, which sounds like a great class for driving safety, and wanted to expand her skills. We came in at the buzzer and sat next to Jack Chan of the Enginer team and the Liberty Motors guys. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize dominated the front row of the classroom with 3 teams present. The class started with a test. They put us in an Acura TSX, and had us drive an autocross course. I had an OK time. We then went back to the class to discuss vehicle dynamics and then back to the course. We drove the skid car and then worked on improving our lines. That is a fun thing to do, which culminated in driving on the track for an hour playing follow the leader with the instructors. The Acura was really hooking up! It brought back the memories of sprint kart racing from close to 20 years ago. These cars were a bit faster than a Yamaha KT 100 racing kart, however.

It was great fun and George and I received our certification along with relief from the computer screen and piles of paper . I look forward to going back for the advanced class.

1 Week Away!

2010-04-18T22:27:00.003-04:00

Next week we will begin the on track testing that we have been preparing for the past couple of years. That is to be held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI. We have had a lot of hours put into this project, but the track time is worth the work. This week the logistical problems will be solved and our checklists compiled. The tools will be packed, as will suitcases and computors. We mounted the trailer hitch this past week. If we had a small pop-up camper we could haul it up there, ha ha. Maybe we will do that after the competition. This week the focus is on getting ready to travel. We should have a lot of posts next week!

Working on details

2010-04-10T20:48:00.006-04:00

This week we have been working on the details for the upcoming event. Dan and I have to get our high performance driving certification so we can do our projected 135+ at MIS. Sure hope we don't "Crack-Up" with such high speed driving. We've been testing the aero package and fine tuning it. The no lag intercooling system has been installed this weekend along with the ATL fuel cell. We have over 3000 miles on the Vincitore'1000 and over 12000 miles on the drivetrain. Looking forward to going to Michigan.

Nashville Trip

2010-03-31T23:37:00.005-04:00

This past weekend, team members George and Bob Voll, son and father, drove to Nashville Tennessee for the wedding of a family member. George, as he often does, drove the Vincitore' 1000, to put it through a long trip. The car handled the foothills of central Kentucky with ease, making the trip in a little over 2 1/2 hours. He was happy to pass by all of the fuel stations with out a need to stop. While in Nashville, team videographer and editor, Dave Boyd, shot some scenes with the Vincitore' 1000 and did an interview with George. These shots will be edited into a video to be posted later. The next day, after recovering from lots of eating, George and Bob returned to the Hoosier State. While going through Bowling Green, Kentucky, they stopped at the National Corvette Museum ( http://www.corvettemuseum.com/ ). A fun place to visit if you love cars! In the front was a the 1968 Astrovette. This is an experiment in how aerodynamically efficient the Corvette body could be made.

There are many ideas that were used that were not new at the time, such as the boat tail, wheel skirts and flush hubcaps. They did stretch the car a bit from it's original length, resulting in a very attractive shape. What does this visit have to do with the Vincitore'1000 and high mileage efficiency? Drag coefficient. By improving the shape to allow airflow to move without obstruction or turbulence, higher operating efficiency was achieved. The same is being done to the Vincitore'1000. The original Chevrolet Metro has a shape that works well, but needs a bit more turbulence reduction, which is going to help us win the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. By making the car "slicker", the car will leave a smaller wake, producing less turbulence. That in turn, puts less demand on the powertrain, and the result is higher MPGe for the vehicle. The stop in Bowling Green was a good learning event along the highway.

Lugar Energy Patriot

2010-03-22T23:39:00.001-04:00

As you may have noticed, the BITW Technologies team was honored by Senator Richard Lugar as a Lugar Energy Patriot. We are proud and excited about this recognition. One of the goals of BITW Technologies is to promote energy independence by building a vehicle that can be powered by sustainable fuels, such as Bio Diesel and WVO (waste vegetable oil). Anyone that has a diesel vehicle can modify it to run on Bio Diesel or WVO. Some of the newer diesel vehicles are not capable due to emission system design. Bio Diesel and WVO are clean alternatives to petro diesel. At this time, there are many research projects examining the potential of algae derived Bio Diesel. This technology looks promising and has the potential to make the American Farmer energy independent if the farmer chooses to use some of the farm ponds as algae incubators. If every farm in America had an algae Bio Diesel processor, think of the petroleum that would be left in the countries that are hostile to the U.S.! We at BITW Technologies like the idea, coupled with super efficient vehicles! Independence and ingenuity conjoined are a uniquely American trait. It is what fueled the industrial revolution and what inspires the BITW Technologies team to build the Vincitore' 1000.