Cracking eggs and crumple zones

Episode 414

December 5, 2022

Cracking eggs and crumple zones

After building their “Crumple Zone Egg Protection Devices” for a STEM Motorsports exercise, Caribou Tech Welding students put them to the ultimate test. The results were not all that they were “cracked up” to be.

The welding students were teamed up to build a device that would protect an egg that was mounted to the nose of a crash kart that descended down a sloped track to run into a steel wall.

STEM crash karts descend down this inclined track with guided rails which directs it into a head-on collision with a steel wall. The crash kart is pictured just before the smack into the wall. Out of the photo are two students who each are videoing in slow motion from two angles to review the post-crash action. The slow motion was a hit with the teams. (HTF Motorsports photo)

This is what happens to a totally unprotected egg when it is run into a wall. The wooden piece to which the egg was attached is “L” shaped and bolts to the front of the crash kart. (HTF Motorsports photo)

When the karts were released down the track, they were timed to determine speed in MPH and velocity in feet/ second. These data were used after the testing to help determine some of the forces that the kart was exposed to in the process of protecting the egg which simulated a passenger.

Prior to the build stage, welding students were introduced to the history of race car building which has gone through a metamorphosis from extreme rigidity to now incorporating crumple zones which help to reduce the forces acting on a driver.

The history of the head-and-neck restraint device and helmets was demonstrated as was SFI rated roll cage tubing padding. A few videos were shown where IndyCar racers hit a wall and shed a multitude of parts thus reducing the total energy of the crash.

The welders were then released to fabricate their idea utilizing a welder (hot glue gun) and welding rods (hot glue sticks). The students were given wooden toothpicks to build their egg protection capsule. By spreading out the build day and test day the glue was allowed to cool and harden thoroughly.

Breanna Ketch with a before shot of the egg that she was tasked to protect on its path to the crash. (HTF Motorsports photo)

What the teams did not want to see after crashing into the steel barrier. (HTF Motorsports photo)

Some failures were not as pronounced as others. The first try probably would lead to improvements that might do a better job if given another shot at building the crumple zone. (HTF Motorsports photo)

Winners of the morning class Crumple Zone Challenge were Nate Morrow on left with teammate Breanna Ketch on the right. T-shirts were donated by Nutrien Ag Solutions and Racebolt USA. (HTF Motorsports photo)

PM Welding class winners of STEM Crumple Zone Challenge were Jaden Picard on left and his teammate Tait Margeson. Their egg only suffered a tiny hairline crack. (HTF Motorsports)

Gage Theriault gains first stock car win

Limestone’s Gage Theriault wins his first stock car race at the tender age of 14, yet hold on, Theriault is not a newcomer to the world of racing. At the age of four he was winning with his Kids Kart at the Northern Maine Karting Association (NMKA) sanctioned races at Spud Speedway in Caribou, Maine.

Hero card from Gage Theriault’s debut in the Spud Speedway Kids Kart class at the tender age of four. (Gage Theriault Racing (GTTR) photo)

He won multiple track championships in kart racing and has since moved up to stock cars. Recently he raced at the newly re-opened dirt track at Unity Raceway in the V6/V8 class. The 15-car field was made up adults older than he.

At speed at Unity in his #95 Pontiac G6. The car was painted in the Lightning McQueen livery. (GTR photo)

Despite slightly frosty conditions Theriault raced his 2008 Pontiac G6, #95 Lighting McQueen special to the front and secured his first victory in the auto racing side of his career. This was just his third race in a car and his third race at the Unity track.

One blessing was that Theriault was able to send videos of his first two races for his “MaMaw” (Connie Addington) to view. In his first race he went from dead last (16th) to finish 4th in the V6/V8 class which made her shout with joy.

On the Monday before the final of the 2022 season at Unity, Addington passed away. Theriault dedicated the finale to her and capped it with a win.

Proudly displaying his first checkered flag on his Victory Lap is Limestone’s Gage Theriault at Unity Raceway. (GTR photo)

14-year-old Gage Theriault with the first-place trophy. That first win is always special to most racers. With the passing of his MaMaw earlier in the week, this one held special meaning. (GTR photo)

Kody Swanson will be racing at the Chili Bowl 

Kody Swanson will be kicking off the 2023 race season at the 37th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl with the Dan Binks #4P midget. “Dan Binks and Binks Motorsports is excited to announce a two-car team sponsored by Champion Parts for the 2023 Chili Bowl. Driven by Kody Swanson and Darin Naida with support from Kevin Doran of Doran Racing, Slusarski Excavating and Paving, Candy Dynamics and Toxic Waste Candy. (Binks Motorsports graphic)

 

With 100 entries as of November 30, 2022, the list will swell to multiple hundreds of entries with names from all types of racing. For information about the Chili Bowl and how you might view it on TV check their website https://www.chilibowl.com/about/

USAC’s Night of Champions to be recognized

The United States Auto Club (USAC) will holding their annual Night of Champions while the racing industry is in downtown Indianapolis for the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show. The USAC event will be Friday December 9 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom at 6:30 pm.

USAC Champions are all California natives:

USAC Midgets- Buddy Kofoid, Penngrove, CA

USAC Sprint Cars- Justin Grant, Ione, CA

USAC Silver Crown- Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, CA

The USAC Night of Champions trophies on display at Cold Hard Art shop where artist Tom Patsis designed and built the series championship drivers and team owner trophies for Friday night. Patsis has connections with Maine as an Ellsworth High School graduate. (Cold Hard Art photo)

Performance Racing Industry Show this weekend

The largest gathering of the racing industry is this week at the Indiana Convention Center, downtown Indianapolis. Geared to the racer only, the show brings racers from all over to look at the vast motorsports’ world from A to Z. This is on my bucket list of places to go at some point in my career. The schedule is below:

https://www.performanceracing.com/

Snowbowl excitement building as event grows

What began as an idea bantered about between Spud Speedway owner Troy Haney and Sealcoat 180 owner Jim Gamage has blossomed to what is now a jam packed four-day family event highlighting northern Maine’s winter activities. The event schedule follows.

BREAKING NEWS! BREAKING NEWS!

Hot off the press is the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) 2023 race schedule and Spud Speedway in Caribou has a date…July 2, 2023. Once again, the Feed the County 150 will feature PASS Super Late Models and the Pro Mods. Other races will be announced as information is forthcoming. Race fans will once again help Catholic Charities keep the food pantries stocked to help FEED THE COUNTY!

Let’s go racing,

Tom Hale

Soli Deo Gloria (Matthew 5:16)