Photo Time Line

First sketches of the driver pod, took some changing before we got it right

An Isometric sketch, not even a final though

Our final Red Bull entry, the one that got selected

The first part of the seat, from glass fibre panels, stuck together with duct tape and braced with sticks and cardboard.

The leg support of the driver monocoque, also stuck together and braced as above.

The two halves stuck together, with the plug for the steering wheel stuck in place to make it look like a race car cockpit.

The monocoque completely stuck together with glass and resin, with the duct tape removed.

An exciting moment. The monocoque with the expanding foam core in place. Exciting because this was the first moment we knew a driver could fit inside the car.

Some foam piece casting. Moulds were designed in vinyl and "moats" with made with cardboard to hold the Polyurethane expanding foam in place while it set. Results were a rough foam casting that could be sanded and filed into shape.

Craig holding up a rough casting of the back of the seat including air scoop and half the rear subframe. Both pieces received generous refinement before getting covered in carbon fibre.

Lisa working on the plug for the a-arm. This was also cast in foam and shaped but got a glass fibre and body filler covering to get it into a condition to be moulded.

Craig retreiving a Red Bull from the NFL table after Kelly had brought us some supplies.

Watching some NFL preseason on the iMac while working on the subframes.

First bit of carbon fibre that went onto the monocoque. Beautiful material.

The shaped seat balanced on the subframes that had just been attached to the front half. Each little addition brought it closer to looking like a Formula 1 car.

This piece of carbon eventually became the dashboard. Very pretty.

The frame started getting its carbon skin. The strength it added was amazing.

Craig doing some carbon fibre cutting.

The chassis, upside down on the stands while we gave it a wrapping.

Justin mixing up some epoxy resin with the precise and covered in resin scale.

These two pictures were for measuring the over shoulder supports. Show the base foam support that was the basis for some carbon fibr structure.

Beautiful day so we did some moulding in the garden. Lisa mixing some resin on the wheely bin while Craig cut some pieces of carbon, for one of the a-arms I believe.

The shoulder supports in place, being shaped by hand with surforms. The dash pattern is also in place.

The inside structure which would also eventually be wrapped in carbon to leave the equivelant of a tube frame, in carbon.

Some more surforming.

A measuring session. Checking that a helmet could fit. Checking driver could fit too. Loved the side on pictures, really showed the F1 profile.

The day the tyres arrived. very exciting to put them in place and see the car taking more shape.

Our foray into screen printing, done with vinyl templates and fabric paints.

Some foam to start shaping up the suspension and brake covers as well as the nose. Again cast in PU foam and hand shaped with surforms.

Shaping up the suspension supports as well as the channel for the steering rack.

Neat little find, a steering wheel quick release which we found while ordering the driver's suit.

The steering column in place with the cut dashboard. Craig found a bearing which was glued into the back of the dash to support the column.

A little nose shot to look at the covers which had a lick of glass fibre.

After our successful excursion to fetch wheels, Franki fits a front tyre. The rears had to wait for a Mag Workshop modification so they could fit the rear stub axles.

Mocked up with wheels in place and starting to look awesome.

After lots of measuring and agonizing over having to take a hacksaw to carbon fibre, the arms were cut and a wheel was fitted. Without suspension and steering but still awesome.

To get a F1 look the name on the tyre was masked and sprayed.

Measuring up for the suspension linkage. This photo was loaded into our cutting program and pivots were designed to get 60mm of suspension travel from our 35mm travel shocks. Rush gave way to science in the end but our suspension up front worked pretty decently in the end.

Wheels attached with suspension and steering arms.

A close up of the workings, love this picture.

A press photo done for Red Bull. Late at night, had to wake Lisa up for the shot. The car was balanced on bricks and the background was our gazebo on its side, hanging off the garage door. The logo in the background, a photo shop job.

Break in time while we worked late nights and early mornings to get the final bits done so we could get to Soweto. Our rubbish bin pretty much sums up how we managed it.

Finally at the Races after a spray job. There are some pictures of us spraying the car in our driveway somewhere, can't for the life of me find them right now.

Our name tag on the pits.

Scrutineering which we were late for. All in all, driving through the night, arriving late for judging and judged on half a team, no outfits and a car that needed touches, 42/50 was excellent.

The workings of the suspension and steering. Hit a few snags with this which required some creative engineering but we got it working nicely.

The front wing, moulded on some curved steel thanks to Phil. Supported with some a-arm offcuts. Came out beautifully.

Moving up to the start line. Car got stood on a few times and got a bottle just about broken on it but the crowd seemed to love the car. Lots of murmers about "look at the race car" as we wheeled it past.

In the starting gates we found a couple missing nuts. Luckily Craig managed to get us the offending pieces of hardware which were attached in time.

The performance, an epic plan for a well drilled Formula 1 pit stop with the credit for song choice going to @F1Sasha. The song was closer to the edge by 30 seconds to Mars with a mix in of some well known commentary, some engine sounds and Murray Walker's "go go go" to signal engines revving and the smoke machine making some burnout tyre smoke. Unfortunately sound engineers mared our music and played the wrong track so all our Qs were too late and Murray Walker and the burnout were non-existant. Really messed up our performance and I'm sure made us look rather uncoordinated and a bit silly. Pity, would have been nice to see what the judges would have thought of the performance we actually prepared.

The push start, important part of the race as you carry this speed all the way down the long start straight.

Our undoing, the narrow track vs. our wide cart. The track unfortunately won.

Pushers checking out there handy work. An excellent push and a nice run until clipping a wheel.

I'd love to credit this picture, nice pic from the front. When I saw it for the first time I realized I forgot to close my visor. Was an awesome event and an excellent experience. Nice job from all the Red Bull people, hope we can come enter again next year with a finished cart. Perhaps a Cape Town event with some real downhills.