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| A duplicate of the engine to be used in the race car. |
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| The body. Once these parts are in place, the car will begin to take shape. |
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When it was decided that the Tokai University car would compete in Le Mans, every team member was delighted. But that also meant that there was much work ahead. Many students worked through their spring breaks, and when it was announced that their car would actually compete, motivation increased even further and all members worked from 8:30am, when they had their first meeting, until 11:00pm, when the university closes its doors. Some even worked through the night.
Along with the elation of the decision to compete in Le Mans was the pressure on the Assembly Team to build the car from the ground up and to service it in the pits during the race. Questions were raised such as, “Can we really compete with professional mechanics?” and “Is it even possible to complete the race?” There is always something to keep the team preoccupied. Every day, each member approaches the tasks of completing the car and improving on their technical ability with the knowledge that if even one bolt is too loose, it could lead to a malfunction or even an accident.
Members of the Management Team are especially busy. They have to deliver the necessary parts and equipment to each team, while the deadline gets closer and closer every day. Additionally, they are responsible for booking lodging in France and making arrangements to send the completed car by plane. After a domestic test run in April, they must ship the car to France before the Japanese Golden Week holidays during the first week of May. With so much to do and so little time left, they are feeling the pinch. |
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| A tidy workspace is straightened up every day no matter how busy work gets. |
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| Each of these many parts will be designed and assembled by students. |
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| My company, YGK CO., LTD., is creating the engine for Tokai University’s race car, and I have also been advising students on technical issues since last year. The mechanics at Le Mans are pros among pros. And since the students are competing with their experience and ability head-to-head, they can’t take a half-hearted approach to this project. Since not all 40 participants can realistically become professional mechanics, I think it is important to first provide the 10 members of the Assembly Team with near professional-level experience. They may not have run into any difficulties when they were developing blueprints at their desks, but when it comes down to actually building the car, real problems were bound to arise. They had to address and solve these problems and gradually turn each solution into second nature. As the project gets even busier, each and every student must pull their weight for the car to succeed at Le Mans. I know that every member of the team is deeply involved in their work, but I hope they also keep an eye on their health during this busy final push. |
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| 01.Our Dream to Build a Le·· |
02.The Expertise of Each·· |
03.Nearing Completion: ·· |
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