On Wednesday, we reported that the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team grabbed first place on the fourth day of the American Solar Challenge.

Today, the team announced that its position in the race remained unchanged, despite a significant change in weather conditions.

Calculated risk

The grey sky and thick fog – far from ideal for charging the battery – led the team to decide to take a calculated risk and drive to a sunnier area as quickly as possible. 

That took extra energy, but once we reached the sunny section, we were able to slow down, spend more time driving in the sunlight, and absorb the necessary UV radiation to recharge our battery properly. At the end of the day, the team had built up a 38-km lead over their competitors from Delft.

Three days to go…

With three more race days to go and a significant distance to cover to Amarillo, in Texas, the team members realize that the race is not over yet and that they have to stay focused. To be continued…