'It's a learning curve': Crestview High navigates challenges during electric car race

PENSACOLA — On Saturday, it wasn't the thunderous roar of 36 super late models that routinely take to the banks of Five Flags Speedway. Rather, there was a high-pitch whine of electric motors as 26 high school teams, including four local high schools, competed in the 20th annual Electrathon presented by Florida Power and Light.

Crestview High, led by automotive instructor Damon Welch and three of his students, Bobby Kennedy, Landon Andrus, and Jack Strause, joined schools such as Pensacola High, West Florida Tech and Navarre High in the event.

Unlike a typical race, where speed is the name of the game, the Electrathon focused on the distance covered throughout a two-hour race. After two hours, it became clear to the Crestview team that surviving to the end was the main obstacle to overcome.

Trials and Tribulations

After an uneventful opening practice round, the teams had an hour-long break before the second and final practice round before the first of two 60-minute races.

For their first entry, the No. 24 machine, driven in both races by Andrus, had power issues throughout the event. The battery-powered car's age caused this, as the kart had been sitting unused for the past four years, rusting away in the Florida elements.

A few weeks before the event, Welch's team cleaned the kart up, and, to their surprise, it worked. But it was a little underpowered compared to the No. 00 kart, a kit car provided to all teams by FPL before the event.

About 10 minutes into the hourlong practice session, Strause's No. 00 suffered a broken front left tire and stopped on the apron before the entrance to turn three. With the help of FPL officials, the kart was then returned to the Crestview pit stall, where repairs commenced.

At the same time, the green flag waved to begin the first 60-minute race with the No. 24, driven by Andrus. With the lack of power in his machine, Andrus could sometimes be seen moving at a snail's pace around the half-mile oval, with his fastest lap being 1:01.30.

With 30 minutes remaining in the first race, Bobby Kennedy's No. 00 exited the Crestview pit stall and joined the race. About 20 minutes later, Andrus entered pit road complaining of a loss of power, with Kennedy pulling in one lap later with a flat left front tire.

Andrus and Kennedy finished 23rd and 24th, respectively, with 40 laps completed between the drivers.

Co-op-itition

The Electrathon America program allows students nationwide to apply creativity in practical situations in a timed race across parking lots and race tracks using teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking. The hope is that one day, the skills used will translate into a future in a STEM-related career field. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"We are so proud of the teams that came out today," said Isabella Burckhardt, FPL EVolution associate project manager. "It is FPL's mission to empower our students with opportunities for hands-on STEM education. We want to encourage them to consider career pathways and interests in STEM and clean energy fields."

One of the many high points during the event was seeing other schools help each other by lending spare parts to different teams.

"That is what this sport is all about, and that's what we're trying to show our students and have them experience that spirit of co-op-itition," she said. "You can't win against another team if they're not on track next to you. You want to help each other."

The Electrathon event showcased a budding future of electric vehicles now being seen on roadways across the country. According to FPL, it is estimated that one in three cars on the road will be electric by 2027.

In Northwest Florida, electric and plug-in vehicles have seen a 34% increase compared with last year. FPL says more than 6,600 electric vehicles have been registered in our area since January.

Finding speed

After a sprocket change on the No. 24 kart, both Crestview High entries were poised to rebound in the afternoon's second race.

As the green flag waived, the No. 00 quickly jumped out as the fastest kart in the high school division, posting a 51.926-second lap, or an average speed of 35.3 miles per hour.

However, that quick jump at the start led to some issues later in the race. On lap 21, the No. 00, driven by Strause, came across the start/finish line at a walking pace as the kart began to run out of battery power.

As for the No. 24, driven by Andrus, the sprocket change on the motor gave the car some life with a one-second increase from the fastest lap posted in race one. However, while the No. 00 slowed to a crawl, the No. 24 did the same, citing power issues, and both drivers pulled off the track at the pit road exit and returned to their pit stall.

Strause finished 23rd, with Andrus one place behind in 24th. In the overall standings, Crestview tied with each other for ninth in the high school standings, with the cars completing 26 and 24 laps.

Navarre High tied for second place out of the four local schools that competed in the event, completing 121 laps. West Florida Tech finished fourth, completing 103 laps. Pensacola High failed to complete a lap in the event, with mechanical issues affecting their vehicle in both races.

Looking ahead

As the event ended, the Northwest Florida Daily News caught up with Welch to get his thoughts on it and his students' performance.

"First of all, did you all have fun?" Welch asked, to which his students replied that they did. "That's what matters."

The team was limited in the time they had to prepare for the event. Not only did they have to keep up with coursework throughout the week, but the car was delivered around winter break, Welch caught a case of COVID-19, and a new child was born. Time was not on their side.

"It's just one of those deals, you know. It's a learning curve. This is the first race. Next race, we will be more prepared and ready to roll," Welch said. "Hopefully, we will do better; that's the key. We've got a starting point now, and we just got to improve."

The Northwest Florida Daily News last talked to Welch in June, when he led a summer class teaching the basics of automotive repair to a group of elementary students. In that class, he said it gave a glimpse of what life in the automotive industry could be like, teaching skills that may one day be used in the real world.

With the event on Saturday, he said his students, now juniors and seniors in high school, could use the lessons learned in his class and apply those skills to a real-world problem, such as racing go-karts around Five Flags.

"It's great to see, especially on the electrical side," Welch added. "The kids can do wiring on the cars. They can learn about a series and see how it acts. We must improve at tackling how many amps we use in an hour. As I said, it's a learning curve.

"It's nice to know that the kids can do it," he said. "Ultimately, I am happy with the way everything went today. Obviously, it's a great learning experience, and we can only get better from here."

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Crestview High students race electric cars at Five Flags Speedway