news update links
May 22, 2009

Leesburg, FL - Gainsville, FL - 77.5 miles


By Valerio,

Hi this is Kenny V. one of the best fans of Denny's restaurants! I just got to know from Marcelo that I have been snoring like a motor saw..man I didn't expect it from my nose!! We set up the array around 9 a.m, the sun is not shining that much, it will take some time to charge the battery. We immediately go to Denny's for a waking up coffee! A woman recognizes us as the members of the solar car team and gives us free breakfast..great to see how many people collaborate to our project!!Yesterday we had a good talk between Josh Marcelo and me..I think we really needed it! We have slightly different points of view on the final goal of the mission: world record breaking, instruction for other people and collaboration with industry for use of solar energy for civil applications. Anyway these all converge to the same point and can be seen as different results of a unique effort. I am outside the restaurant checking the car, playing my saxophone and answering the questions of all curious people coming on. It is fun to see their faces when you give details like “75 miles an hour” or “0 to 60 miles in 5 seconds”. Josh went for some needed shopping and Marcelo is working on updating the website. I get a call..we have to be at the University of Florida in Gainesville at 4 p.m. to have a chat with some students (they have been recently working on solar cells as well) and an interview with the local press. Time to rush it is 2:30, will we make it on time? Battery half full..I am half tanned, car ready Marcelo jumps in the car. Top down, locks closed, blocks removed, van's light back-view camera on radios active, check copy, navigator disconnected! Shit! Ok old fashion method.. get the atlas!! I wrote a route already, let's move. Rain starts falling down. Get to stop for hydraulic problems..of physical nature!! We are late but we cannot miss the interview with local press!! The great navigator Josh remembers the city guides us directly to the university where we meet some students. And now in Gainesville what to do?? Magic Josh has a brilliant solution.,...ARI CRISNA!!!!!Everybody says that they are really open and really good food. We entered the temple and there was the grandson of Mr. Ford the inventor of the car Ford. Weird!! In the meantime here come Edd and Pet, they invite us to stay at their place for dinner and spend the night there..man amazing!! A big house in the fields surrounded by “Spanish mos” with swimming pool. Pizza and high technology conversations. We have a friendly talk and destroyed as usual after dinner straight to bed...I keep the PC open because I wanna write something ..noway!!Good night! Kenny V.


By Josh Holton;

Nothing like free Denny’s coffee delivered to the van/hotel to start the day! I spent much of the day organizing events in Gainesville. Free breakfast was provided, thanks to the beautiful and gracious Denny’s wait staff. It turns out they were also into photography. We got organized with some UF engineering students, and set up a time for them to see the solar car. Despite rain and heavy cloud cover, the XOF1 made it into Gainesville around 5:30.PM. We answered questions about the car, and then sought housing. We stopped by the Hare Krishna temple in search of hospitality. It turns out that Henry Ford’s great grandson was delivering the sermon. It was quite interesting for the family of the pioneer of automotive technology was at the same place as the solar car. Laurie’s husband Jim contacted Ed Regan, who would give us housing. He works with Gainesville Regional Utility, and has helped bring the country’s first city-wide feed-in-tariff system to Gainesville; a huge leap in the advent of grassroots solar power in America. We drove deep in the woods to find his place, and it was so worth it. We talked about battery power and perpetual motion machines, among other things, over some Papa John’s pizza. Surprisingly, our resident Italian friend Valerio enjoyed some delivery pizza! It was nice to have a place to shower once again!


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