The Haarlem students Kees, Tijn and Bashtian, who are participating in the solar racing world championship in Australia, are plagued by forest fires. This makes their participation and the battle for first place considerably more difficult.
Australia is currently ravaged by forest fires. Participation in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge falls in the middle of the so-called bushfire season.
The three Haarlem students had to cancel a test day a week ago due to a forest fire in the area. Today’s Brunel Solar Team race did not have to be stopped, but the forest fire along the route did make their participation more difficult.
Flames in the distance
It was an impressive experience for the people of Haarlem and their partners. “Smoke during our travels is not unusual, but this time it was extremely close,” says driver Kees Broek. “We noticed the smoke when we were still several kilometers away, and it started to obscure my vision.” Suddenly Kees sees flames in the distance. “It was an intense experience to see this up close.”
To guarantee the safety of the participants, the team was in constant contact with the organization of the event. In addition, there are some safety officers who ride along the route and keep an eye on the participants.
Second place in the race
The students started the first day of racing on the route, which is a total of 3,000 kilometers, at 8 a.m. local time this morning. On the first day of the world championship, the team covered 740 kilometers. This puts them in second place, with only the Belgian team ahead of them.
The southern neighbors have a lead of 22 kilometers. This offers opportunities for the team of Kees, Tijn and Bashtian. “We are currently in second position, which is positive,” says strategist Basthian Galenkamp. “But we have to make maximum efforts to reach first place.”