Soleon: September 29th - Late Night, 100km North of Port Augusta, South Australia

The excitement is building as we not only put another half an hour cushion between ourselves and Kelly, for a total of about an hour, we gained half an hour on the team in front of us, Umicore, from Belgium. With nothing more than a few insignificant smatterings of cloud, we had an ideal day of sunshine to plough ahead.

The morning started off with a little birthday breakfast for BJ, French toast and bacon. Although he is 21 in Australia, we had a little discussion as to whether he wanted to celebrate on Aussie or Canadian time, we settled for both. To follow up, BJ found a few extra treats in his lunch cooler and we fired up Jonathan?s Pizzaria once again for dinner, a BJ, and team, favorite. I had hoped to grant his first wish of rack of lamb, but our cooking facilities make that dish a gamble. We ended the night sitting around a roaring campfire, under a starry sky, eating birthday cake.

The morning drive was once again flat, red, and open, a Martian Saskatchewan. At some points the trees disappeared outright, exposing the vastness of the terrain around us. Once again, the strong wind gusts cut through the stillness of the Outback, jostling all our vehicles around.

As we approached Coober Pedy, we came upon the first signs of the extensive Opal mining that goes on in the area. Mounds of rock and dirt popped up on the horizon, small at first like desert moguls, later growing to every imaginable size, some as large as buildings. Some were as white as snow, beautifully contrasting the crimson sun baked ground. Coober Pedy boasts their unique, underground hotel rooms, which we can only imagine as we did not have the opportunity to stay in one.

We reached our checkpoint at Glendambo by mid-afternoon and after our mandatory wait, we raced on. Using our WSC route book, we aimed for a rest stop as a safe place to set up camp for the night; we hit it at five o'clock on the nose. We're now in a region dominated by huge lakebeds, all with various amounts of water, some with none at all. BJ and Jonathan paused at one, Lake Hart, and were told by some of the locals that we were lucky to have seen it full of water since it apparently only fills up every fifty years or so. We'll take it as a good omen and a reflection of how full our own hearts are after this awesome experience.

Spirits are so high right now it's hard to describe. Garett and Colby took the car further down the race route to scout out the Belgian team. We were ecstatic to learn that we are only 16 and a half (yes, we're counting down to the meter) kilometers behind them. With only about 400km to go to the finish line we are all hungry to overtake one more team and make the top ten.

Going into our third day traveling through Southern Australia you can see how the Southern Australian portion of the Stuart highway has taken on a distinct, reddish hue, it's like they rolled out the red carpet to signal our arrival. I can assure everyone that if we continue to perform as we have been, even though we will be arriving without having showered, finishing this race will leave us all feeling like a million bucks, worthy of a red carpet welcome!

Aussie phrase of the day "The race was heaps fun?" Translation: "The race was a lot of fun?".

Laurie Heilman Bell MASc. Communications Manager/Nutritional Advisor University of Calgary Team Soleon

Soleon: September 28th - Late Night, Cadney Homestead, South Australia

Mission accomplished! We managed to overtake Team Kelly today, the production class leader, and reigning production class champion from the 2003 WSC. By the end of the day we had put 20 minutes between us, a margin we hope to increase tomorrow.

We started the day right on time at 8:06 a.m. in 2nd place. Team Kelly, out of Adelaide, led us by 50 minutes, while AGU from Japan, trailed us by 10 minutes. Within 2 hours, we had passed Kelly, thus gaining first place. At noon, the driver was replaced, Colby taking over for Kyle, and shortly after, the rear tire blew. During the change, which took about 6 minutes, Kelly passed us and the race was on. Within 1 hour, we had passed Kelly again, and did not see them again until the mandatory control point stop of Cadney Homestead. The AGU team stopped about 80 km before the control point, which translates to about 1 � hours of driving time.

Anything can happen as there are still at least 2 days left in the race, but we are confident that we stay competitive. Since Nuna completed the race today, in a record breaking time of just over 29 hours, our focus is on the production class prize.

The greatest challenge of the day was the intense wind. We passed through some very open terrain today so there was nothing to shield us from the strong gusts. The wind was strong enough to flatten the bottoms of the billowing clouds like a spatula over mashed potatoes, paralleling the cloud bottoms with the flat terrain. Visiting with Kelly at the end of the day, we learned their right wheel actually became airborne twice when meeting with two of the stronger gusts. Fortunately for us, the wind only managed to fan the fire of our motivation to win.

Jonathan, our team photographer, had a less fortunate day as the backpack he had strapped to the back of the truck came loose and was dragged for a few minutes, totaling and/or scattering much of what was inside. The only blessing was that his camera equipment was safely stored in the cab of the truck. We have begun to piece together what we can to replace what he lost, but there are a few items that the Outback, and our team, just don?t have on hand.

As I write this, Colby and I are scouring the Stuart Highway in search of Kangaroos as we?re running out of time, and Outback, to find one. To date, the only ones we have seen have been the plush versions you find in gift shops and the dead ones on the side of the road. Even the dead ones are becoming a rare site as Team Nuon (Nuna) had a car assigned to clearing road kill from the race route to ensure their safe passage. We are now returning unsuccessful, but it would be difficult to dampen our spirits today!

Aussie phrase of the day: ?He went out into the mulga to look for some roos.? Translation: ?He went out into the Outback looking for some kangaroos.?

Laurie Heilman Bell MASc. Communications Manager/Nutritional Advisor University of Calgary Team Soleon

Soleon: September 27th - Late Night, South of Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Today was a magnificent day for both racing and site-seeing, it was a goosebump worthy despite the heat. There was barely a cloud in the sky and without a single breakdown we managed to pass the Japanese team! Kudos goes to Ryan and Shawn as they appear to have worked out the electrical bugs that have been plaguing us like the Aussie flies! We are now trailing Kelly (the Southern Australian team leading our class) by 50 minutes. With half of race left, catching up is not an impossible task, more a motivating challenge.

We passed the much talked about Devil's Marbles early today. These enormous red boulders are believed by the aborigines to be the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent and the site is regarded as highly spiritual place to visit in dreams. To others, the marbles are a marvel of Mother Nature and a natural playground fit for all ages. As I climbed to the top of a "marble" pile and peered out across the Outback I understood the aboriginal perspective; I certainly do hope to visit them again in my dreams.

As we moved further south, the termite mounds (which may in fact be petrified ant hills as I learned from a souvenir fridge magnet) have begun to diminish in size. They now crop up like primitive headstones in some forgotten cemetery. Most striking along this current stretch, is the intensity of the red soil. At some points you could see for miles, perched atop the red soil like an endless terra cotta rooftop, the view only broken up by trees that looked as though they were hand picked from an Ansel Adams photograph collection.

Driving through Alice Springs was another breath-taking experience as the flat landscape opened up into valleys. The hills surrounding the area are quite unique, looking more like giant piles of red rocks. After making it through the Alice Springs checkpoint with minutes to spare, we pushed as far as we could, ending about 10km outside of Alice Springs. We quickly fired up our mobile kitchen and made personal pizzas in Chef Jonathan's Pizzeria. Jonathan has been a wonderful help in the "kitchen" on several occasions, proving he is as much a culinary artist as a photographic artist.

After dinner we took turns checking our email, using up the battery power on a couple of laptops. Every morning BJ sets up an internet cafe of sorts in the cab of our truck, although there's usually too much going on for all of us to cycle through it. The evening edition of his internet cafe gave a number of us a much needed chance to briefly connect with family and friends. Kyle, Travis and Ryan were fortunate to receive a lesson in astronomy and navigation as they sat out under a blanket of stars with our newest observer, Peter, a seasoned Outback and WSC adventurer.

It's great to watch the team in such high spirits and working together. Although there was a little concern that we were not bringing enough people on this race, our numbers seem to be just perfect as no one is too overworked or standing around idle. We certainly step on each others toes at times, but that's all part of being a family in the home away from home we have created out here in the Outback.

Aussie phrase of the day: "Ta" Translation: "Thanks" or an affirmative acknowledgment of something, often heard when you hand something to an Aussie. I thought this was an appropriate choice as I feel I was handed a great deal in the Outback today.

Laurie Heilman Bell MASc. Communications Manager/Nutritional Advisor University of Calgary Team Soleon

Soleon: September 26th - Late Night Tennant Creek, Northern Territory

It's hard to believe it was only our second day of racing, it seems like we've been at it much longer. The flies are slowly starting to lessen, but the ones that linger are relentless, much like the heat. While waiting for the solar car to catch up, Garett and I parked the campervan at a place called Attack Creek. It's aptly named as we were brutally attacked by flies on the trek to the restroom. I nearly gave up and turned around despite the fact I only had about 50 meters to walk.

We faced equal challenges with the solar car today as what turned out to be a bad connection caused multiple power failures. The electrical team now believes they have repaired the problem, but only the race tomorrow will tell us for sure. Even with these failures we managed to reach our goal of Tennant Creek, adding another 500km to our distance traveled. We were not able to camp at Devil's Marbles as we had hoped, but for the opposite reason I had anticipated. The picturesque site is actually further south on the race route, just out of our reach for today.

Overall, the team is very happy with our performance. When we are cruising, we are able to run consistently at about 70-80 km/h and if we can maintain our average of 500 km per day we will reach Adelaide with a day to spare.

We are having some very interesting experiences on our travels. Last night our media relations team member, Greg, shared his hotel bathroom with some frogs, while both Ryan and BJ reported meeting up with geckos in their rooms. A moment ago Colby just killed a nice sized cockroach in our room, followed by a healthy sized spider and for a grand finale, a cricket. I have often appreciated that the Canadian winter brings relief from bugs, but never more than right now!

A more novel hazard we've come across in the Outback, more menacing than even the four trailer long semis known as "road trains" we've been passing on the highway, are the mini tornadoes that tear through the Outback. These dirt devils are called "willie willies" by the Aussies. On the drive from Adelaide, BJ and I spotted two, and although most are harmless and appear as no more than wisps of red dust, the second one we encountered was several meters wide and so thick with dirt and debris it was black. Our first instinct was to marvel at it and even slow down to assess it, but as we saw it was on a collision course with our car, we quickly sped off. Garett and I saw two again today, although like most of them, they were small enough to be merely interesting, rather than alarming.

Since we reached the control point at Tennant Creek right at the close of the day, we must endure our mandatory half an hour wait first thing in the morning. This has the benefit of giving us extra time to charge the batteries first thing in the morning. The sun sets so quickly in the evening we only manage to recharge about an eighth of a pack at the end of the day. With any luck, the extra morning top up will give us enough juice to pass the Japanese team we've been trailing.

By this time tomorrow I hope to be writing from at least Alice Springs, the well known half way point of the race! On behalf of the entire team, I also want to mention to all our family and friends with whom we have not been able to communicate, that it's not for lack of trying, but rather a lack of cellular reception and spotty internet service that has to be shared by the whole group. We are thinking of you and we are all doing well!

Aussie phrase of the day: "I'm just here to have a sticky beak" Translation: "I'm just here to have a look." (Said today by a couple who came to check out the solar cars).

--Laurie Heilman Bell Communications Manager/Nutritional Advisor University of Calgary Team Soleon

Soleon: September 25th - Late Night near Larrimah, Northern Territory

We officially have a second race start under our belt! It was an early morning, with the all cars having to report to the race start by 6 am to prepare for the 8am start. The crowd was a moderate size, enough to feel important, but not enough to appear crowded.

Although initially the day seemed promising, Soleon began losing power within the first two hours of racing. The problem was sourced to the motor controller, which was replaced with a time cost of only 20 minutes.

At the first control point stop in Katherine, our telemetry data showed that about one quarter of our solar panels were not functioning. Ryan, our electrical manager, investigated the problem, tracing it to a faulty connection, and repaired it with only a five minute price tag.

After a quick driver change, Soleon left the control stop with a fully operational array. At approximately kilometer 360, Soleon began losing power again. After a little verbal troubleshooting, Ryan and Colby decided that the motor controller was overheating. The high ambient temperature (roughly 35 degrees) and low airflow in the car were felt to be contributing factors. To increase air flow, the wheel well covers were removed and after a short stop at the side of the road to allow the controller to cool, Soleon was again off and rolling. Thankfully, no more problems were encountered for the rest of the day and Team Soleon was able to log almost 500 kilometers.

Garett and I caught up with the rest of the team about 10 minutes after they stopped for the day and we took our first stab at campervan living. We managed to prepare a nice dinner, but with no hook-ups for the air conditioning, and 10-12 people sandwiched inside, the camper felt more like a sweat lodge. The alternative was to stand outside, which meant risking your sanity combating flies.

After dinner, the team settled into their various dwellings, some in tents, others in cars, and a few in the camper. After some discussion, we drove the camper 5 minutes further down the race route and found a campsite with hook-ups, which provided a slightly more comfortable living environment. This environment was briefly interrupted when Garett removed his shoes and socks for the night. After enduring a number of complaints, he agreed to visit the shower facilities to wash his odorous feet. As he exited the camper he found that we had attracted a group of donkeys, he surprised about 8 of them as he opened the door. Startled, the donkeys quickly ran off to the highway, where Garett pursued them in hopes of saving some money on the food budget. Fortunately for the donkeys, his hunting skills leave a little to be desired, so in short, we?ll be sticking with the chicken and beef stocked in our fridge.

We plan to make it at least another 500km tomorrow, hopefully more. We would all love to camp at the stunning camp area nestled in the Devil?s Marbles, but unfortunately we?re just under 500km from that site so we will, in all likelihood, be making another sacrifice in the pursuit of solar car success. Regardless of where we land, tomorrow?s start is approaching fast?so until tomorrow, good night!

Aussie phrase of the day: Why ya so buggered? Translation: Why are you in such a bad mood?

Laurie Heilman Bell Communications Manager/Nutritional Advisor University of Calgary Team Soleon

Soleon: September 24th 2005 - Late Night Darwin, Northern Territory

Shame on me for thinking that today might be uneventful! Team Soleon qualified today in the wake of a frightening and unforgettable incident. Moments before Soleon was to take their turn on the race track, MIT?s Tesseract met with disaster. Tesseract?s front, left, carbon fiber tire rim broke on a tight turn causing the driver to loose control and roll over. After a few tense moments it was announced that the driver was okay, walking away with only a sprained wrist and some very rattled nerves. At the team meeting later in the day, it was mentioned that when the solar car was righted, the driver?s head actually bumped the ground as the canopy had split on impact. Thankfully, MIT is one of a few teams participating in the WSC that prioritizes safety over aerodynamics, using both a roll bar and a helmet. No one doubts that the inclusion of these two safety measures assured that the driver was able to walk away today. Tesseract, on the other hand, did not fare as well as its driver. The array and top shell suffered substantial damage, but like any dedicated team, MIT is now burning the midnight oil in hopes of being on the starting line tomorrow morning.

Only a short time after this very unsettling scene, and fighting some damped spirits, Colby, our project manager, pulled Soleon out on the track to perform the two required laps, a test lap and the timed ?hot? lap. Although the test lap went smoothly, during the second qualifying lap Soleon suffered three separate power losses, slowing Soleon?s performance. Despite the complications, Colby managed to complete the lap in a respectable time of 2 minutes and 32 seconds, earning us an ideal starting position of 11th place, right in the middle of the pack.

The events at qualifying were followed by more bad news as word spread that The University of New South Wales suffered a roll over accident with their trailer resulting in irreparable damage to the team?s solar car. Understandably, this was a disheartening blow to the Aussie team and such news always sends a certain amount of sadness through a very sympathetic race community. Fortunately though, no injuries have been reported and I?d like to believe that each of these incidents can be learned from by all involved in this sport.

Although the anticipated high energy of the qualifying events was not to be, we moved forward to prepare for the race ahead. The rest of our day involved preparing the team and our vehicles for the week long journey. The WSC differs from the NASC in that there are no staged stops and therefore no potential for down time. Until we reach Adelaide, we will race from 8 am to 5 pm, with the sun setting by about 7pm. As one can imagine, the Outback offers little in terms of modern conveniences, with only a few populated areas where one can access a grocery store. To help prepare the team, Garett and I filled the afternoon by filling a shopping cart, four or five times over, in two different grocery stores, to acquire enough supplies to last our team through the busy week ahead. I must say, as hard as it was to train myself to drive a car the left side of the road, it was even more difficult to remember to keep my shopping cart on the left side of the aisle. I went head to head with a few unsuspecting Aussie shoppers!

Although we are sure to face a few more challenges on the road ahead we are looking forward to competing alongside such a diverse field of international racers. One piece of good news to end on, a company called Inmarsat has generously supplied our team with satellite equipment, known as R-BGAN, that will enable us to access the internet during the race. This means I will not have to scour the Outback for net access and can continue to relay all our adventures to you, our fabulous supporters!

Aussie phrase of the day "Whatcha chasin'?" Translation: "What are you looking for?"

Laurie Heilman Bell MASc. Communications Manager/Nutritional Advisor University of Calgary Team Soleon