LYNNWOOD – Imagine free-falling 50 mph down Tuna Canyon in Malibu, Calif.
Now imagine sitting inside a homemade souped-up soapbox derby racecar, competing against other entries from Volvo, Volkswagen, Audi and Ferrari.
That’s where 21-year-old Cliff Van Sickel of Mountlake Terrace will be July 29.
“The gravity racing car is just a glorified version of a simple idea,” he said.
Faster, lighter and cheaper. Those are the goals for five material science students at Edmonds Community College.
On the day of the Extreme Gravity Racing competition, they will have a chance to show off their $30,000 Triton I and to race against major automobile companies.
“The scary thing is that they spend millions and millions of dollars to make their gravity-powered race cars,” said Rick Stilwell, 37, one of the team members. “We’ve never been there before, and that adds to the challenge.”
This is the first year participation in the race has been open to academic teams.
“I was obsessed with Formula One (car racing),” said Stilwell, of Everett. “About a year ago when I saw the (gravity) racing on TV, I knew that it would be something I wanted to do.”
Making a soapbox car in a garage might be easy. However, bringing it to the next level is another story.
The race rules require no engine and a 4-foot-wide by 9-foot-long body that weighs less than 350 pounds, including the driver.
Those are challenging enough requirements to make the students scratch their heads.
The degree of difficulty for the 2.8-mile Malibu course is extreme, according to the official racing Web site. The elevation of the complete course is 1,400 feet. The power of gravity will be the only thing the racers can depend on.
Triton I will be covered with basalt-formed fiber, which is similar to the carbon fiber Boeing uses for its airplanes.
“We chose basalt to be the body of the car because it’s light and it’s very strong,” Van Sickel said. “It’s comparable to steel or above.”
Instructor Gene Fusch said basalt was used extensively in Russia for its fighter jets.
“It’s all about advanced composite,” he said.
Students said being able to build their own racecar is an achievement, but they also have made some sacrifices.
“My wife called me and said my 11-month-old son started walking,” Stilwell said. “I missed it.”
The car is about half completed, with its frames and chassis ready to go. All the students need to do is to sand the mold (they call it a “plug”) and to apply the basalt fiber to the body of the car.
“We could have simply made a chair and not participated in the competition,” Stilwell said. “But that would be no fun.”
Reporter Tieh-Pai Chen: 425-339-3432 or pchen@heraldnet.com.
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