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Alpharettan Helps Team Win Human-Powered Vehicle Contest

Jones, Olin College teammates take vehicle to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Eric Jones of Alpharetta took part in Olin College's award-winning Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) team at Indianapolis Motor Speedway recently.

Jones, a meber of the class of 2013, traveled with his 15 teammates to ASME's Human Powered Vehicle Competition (East) at the speedway, where they took top honors in all events. The team drove their race vehicle down in teammate Ben Chapman's veggie-fueled car, towing a U-haul trailer with the bicycle inside, according to a news release from Olin College.

Due in large part to a new, more aerodynamic shell, the team placed first out of 13 teams in all events–first overall, first in design report, first in male sprint (38 mph), first in female sprint (30 mph) and first in the sprint endurance event. Additional information about the race, which was hosted by Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, can be found here.

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The team's success could also be attributed to its reliable bicycle, which made it through the entire competition without a single mechanical difficulty­–a first for this young group. This was only the third competition for Olin's HPV team.

The Olin college team had visibility issues on the last day due to rain and humidity, prompting them to ride without the top half of their aerodynamic shell.

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"Building a recumbent bike and competing at HPV competitions provide me with a chance to get my hands dirty doing something I love, and I can apply what I learn to most of my classes," said Ben Smith , classoof 2014, a co-leader of the HPV team. "Next year, we plan on building an entirely new style of bike, and I can't wait to conquer the mystery of what lies ahead."

The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is a private undergraduate engineering college located in Needham, MA. The college opened in 2002 and has since graduated more than 300 students.

 


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