Twente takes pole position in World Solar Challenge

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Twente takes pole position in World Solar Challenge

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Team Twente from the Netherlands takes pole position for the Veolia World Solar Challenge.

16 October,2011 12:27 pm

Solar Team Twente took pole position in qualifying trials for the Veolia World Solar Challenge on Saturday (October 15) in Darwin, Australia. The race officially begins on Sunday (October 16), and the Netherlands-based Solar Team Twentes qualifying success will allow the team to put its car, named 21 Connect, at the front of the pack for the race start.In a narrow margin of just 0.3 seconds ahead of their Dutch compatriots, Nuon Solar, Team Twente qualified with the fastest lap time of two minutes 2.2 seconds and an average speed of 85.43 kilometres per hour (53.08 miles per hour).Well, its good to start from pole position, of course, but I think tomorrow everything starts over again. I think we have less traffic, because of the pole position, but of course, two minutes on the next team is nothing on 3,000 kilometres. But of course, Im happy with pole position, said Siebe Brinkhof, Solar Team Twentes team leader.Taking second place at the trials was another key contender, Team Nuon Solar, whose car, Nuna6, achieved a lap time of 2:02.5. (2 mins 2.5 secs) Third place was the University of Michigan, with a lap time of 2:03.01. Last years winner, Team Tokai from Japan, took fifth position with 2:07.7.Thirty-seven cars from 20 nations will line up for the official start from State Square in the northern Australian city, travelling across the Australian outback, covering a distance of approximately 3,000 kilometres (1,864 miles) to the city of Adelaide, in Australias south.