Thank you to everyone who participated. We look forward to hosting more webinars to connect the Electrathon community and learn from each other.
Attachments Electrathon America Team Webinar
Meeting records Transcript Recording
Summary
Foundation Transition
Management of Electrathon America transferred to the Bob Franz Foundation in March 2026, and a new Executive Director was hired in June.
Website Updates, Regional Competition and Vehicle Rules
New website with Team Login to edit team pages and add events. Regions have been created based on current team locations with the goal of hosting Regional competitions, and eventually a National Competition. A rules committee was formed to update handbook rules.
Registration, Events, and Leaderboard
Teams can now register using purchase orders. Event insurance and event sanctioning available. A provisional national leaderboard was introduced.
Next steps
- [Teams] Submit Lap Distances: Send the distance of one lap for race results to Michelle. Include this measurement with all future results for proper calculations.
- [Robert Wexler] Distribute Event Flyer: Provide the flyer for the February event to all attendees this week. Distribute the information to allow other teams enough planning time.
- [David Kocher] Provide Event Times: Communicate the start and end times for scheduled events to Michelle. This data is required to complete entries on the national calendar.
- [Mike Merchant] Enable Calendar Submissions: Update the national calendar to allow users to post their own events. Finalize this feature to reduce administrative overhead for the team.
- [The group] Join Funding Committee: Email Michelle to volunteer for grant writing or sponsorship outreach tasks. Join the funding committee to support future regional competitions.
- [The group] Join Rules Committee: Email Michelle to discuss joining the rules committee. Provide experience details to see if the role is a good fit.
- [Todd Thuma] Join Competition Committee: Join the national competition committee to assist in developing event plans.
- [Michelle Hickey] Discuss Insurance Requirements: Coordinate with Charles Harrison to review insurance policies for upcoming events.
- [Todd Thuma] Update Safety Diagram: Partner with Jim Robinson to design an improved seat belt safety graphic for the handbook. Submit the final diagram for review and approval.
- [Todd Thuma] Research Advanced Batteries: Assist in researching the advanced battery class and requirements. Help determine fair standards for weight and capacity limitations.
- [Michelle Hickey] Provide Handbook PDF: Provide a downloadable PDF version of the handbook on the website to facilitate easier access and printing for teams.
- [Todd Thuma] Submit Race Data: Submit race results and measured lap distances for the Malbury High School race.
- [Todd Thuma] Measure Home Track: Measure the track distance for the upcoming home race this weekend.
- [Michelle Hickey] Share Webinar: Create a blog post summarizing the webinar content and provide access to the recording.
- [Michelle Hickey] Follow Up Volunteers: Contact volunteers offline to coordinate tasks discussed during the meeting.
Details
Meeting Opening and Setup: Michelle Hickey opened the webinar, noting that they had 18 participants present out of an expected 33. Mike Merchant asked if they should record the meeting, and after confirming, they requested recording and transcription permissions to ensure the session was properly captured (00:03:25).
Webinar Agenda Overview: Michelle Hickey outlined the meeting agenda, informing attendees that they would cover welcome introductions, current status updates, new resources and developments, a Discourse platform walkthrough, pre-submitted Q&A, open discussion, and next steps within an allotted hour and a half (00:07:59).
Participant Introductions and Team Highlights: Participants introduced their respective high school, college, and organizational teams, sharing their geographic locations, program histories, and milestones . Terry Breheny discussed their training company and plans to bring Electrathon to Colorado by 2027 (00:10:09); Charles Harrison highlighted Electrathon Tampa Bay’s nine-season schedule; Brandon Cherry described West Florida High School’s carbon fiber monocoque car project (00:11:27); Brandon Mitchell shared their team’s recent awards in Georgia (00:12:50); Cliff noted 15 years of racing experience; David Kocher discussed their high school team and new presidency (00:13:42); James Fox shared their racing history across Florida (00:14:59); Robert Wexler expressed enthusiasm for their fourth upcoming season (00:16:17); Ryan Heitz introduced a first-time high school team from Virginia; Samay Jaiswal noted their club’s third-place finish in Connecticut (00:17:27); Steve Archer detailed their long history and involvement with Electrathon parts and publications; Todd Thuma shared their ten-year history at Mulberry High School (00:18:36); Zain Haq discussed racing in Texas (00:19:57); Russell Alvarez noted their team’s early success in Texas (00:21:01); and Mike Merchant shared their background as a student of Bob France and their current role as board chair (00:22:09).
Bob France Foundation Stewardship Transition: Mike Merchant explained the organizational transition where management of Electrathon America was transferred to the Bob France Foundation about six months prior, following a board vote. They emphasized that their goal is to honor Bob France’s legacy and drive the nearly 40-year-old program forward through increased community collaboration and investment (00:23:16).
Website Updates and Event Sanctioning: Michelle Hickey introduced new website developments, explaining that teams can now submit event sanctioning forms directly through the main menu. They noted that event insurance is available for purchase through Electrathon America at $642 per event alongside liability waivers (00:26:38). Additionally, Michelle Hickey established a rules committee comprising experienced members to review and update the handbook and address competition standards (00:27:52).
National Calendar, Competitive Leaderboard, and Regional Divisions: Michelle Hickey detailed the implementation of a national calendar populated with event dates and a competitive leaderboard that requires specific lap distances from race results to calculate miles per gallon equivalents (00:29:02). Furthermore, they explained that artificial intelligence tools were used to establish regional divisions restricted to an eight-hour maximum drive limit to streamline regional competitions, with top teams advancing to future national events (00:31:04).
Website and Team Page Demonstration: Michelle Hickey walked participants through the newly launched team login features and customizable team pages, where participants can upload logos and descriptions . Todd Thuma confirmed that they successfully navigated and updated their team page, while Mike Merchant clarified that temporary password emails were distributed earlier that day to registered participants to establish access (00:37:05).
Discourse Forum Launch: Michelle Hickey and Mike Merchant introduced the newly launched Discourse community forum at community.electrathonamerica.org, which utilizes the same single-sign-on credentials as the WordPress website . They reviewed initial discussion categories—including events and racing, rules and competition, building and design, safety and inspection, team resources, and general discussion—encouraging participants to utilize the platform for community communication (00:44:53).
Geographic Team Development: Addressing pre-submitted inquiries regarding team development, Michelle Hickey stated that while West Coast expansion has been slower—highlighted by a denied Oregon grant that they are actively reapplying for—they are currently working with communities in California, Oregon, and the Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland areas to establish sponsorship and new teams (00:47:12).
Vehicle and Financial Costs: Addressing Vincent’s pre-submitted question regarding finances, Michelle Hickey and other participants discussed cost estimates, noting that building a car typically ranges from $3,000 to $8,000, while maintaining vehicles during a season costs around $5,000 according to Robert Wexler (00:50:41) (00:56:24). Todd Thuma and David Kocher noted that utilizing loaner cars helps new teams bypass initial building hurdles (00:51:41) (00:53:48), and utility companies frequently serve as primary sponsors across multiple regions (00:49:34).
Event Logistics, Trailers, and Alternative Insurance: Participants discussed event organization costs and logistics, with Robert Wexler noting that timing equipment costs around $1,000 and running an event requires significant investment (00:54:39). Charles Harrison shared that Electrathon of Tampa Bay utilizes a private insurance vendor costing $2,100 annually for nine races with a $1 million to $2 million policy, and emphasized their community’s strong mentoring culture where teams support each other during races (00:57:52) (01:01:07).
Event Insurance Refund Policy: Steve Archer inquired whether event insurance is refunded if an event is canceled due to weather days in advance. Michelle Hickey confirmed that insurance is refunded provided there is at least one full day of notice. Charles Harrison noted that Electrathon Tampa Bay pays for their policy in March, which covers the existing season from July 1 to June 30 of the following year, and they receive no refunds for cancellations (01:02:02).
National Competition Vision and Planning: Todd Thuma proposed establishing a regional or national multi-day gathering or competition like the Solar Car Challenge at the Texas Motor Speedway (01:03:02). Todd Thuma suggested meeting at tracks like the Florida Department of Transportation’s 2.25-mile banked SunTracks facility in early June or Barber Sports, with funding from sponsors such as Florida Power and Light, Tiko, or Duke Energy (01:04:04). Michelle Hickey stated that while the ultimate vision is a national competition targeting 2027 or 2028, regional competitions will be developed first, and Michelle Hickey added Todd Thuma to the national competition committee (01:05:13).
Rule Change Process and Rules Committee: Cliff expressed concern regarding the removal of open member voting on rule changes. Michelle Hickey explained that a rules committee composed of seasoned members was formed to streamline and expedite minor updates while reorganizing Electrathon (01:07:14). Mike Merchant added that rule feedback can also be submitted through a website form or a Discourse forum channel, emphasizing that rules will not be changed in ways that disqualify existing cars unless for major safety issues, and future plans include exploring open classes and connected telemetry classes (01:09:59). Steve Archer recommended Cliff for the rules committee, and Michelle Hickey encouraged members to contact them via email or phone to join the rules or financial committees (01:10:59).
Lithium Battery Rules and Georgia TSA Discrepancies: Brandon Mitchell raised a question regarding lithium class capacity rules after bringing a 1-pound battery to state leadership that was around 1 kilowatt-hour, which conflicted with standard Electrathon America rules (01:12:09). Steve Archer and Michelle Hickey explained that Georgia TSA operates independently and outside of Electrathon America’s purview (01:13:04). Michelle Hickey noted that they are currently in conversations with Georgia TSA to align rules and have assigned someone to research the advanced battery class to determine fair weight and 1-kilowatt-hour limitations (01:14:14).
Seat Belt Mounting Angle Diagram and Handbook Updates: Brandon Mitchell asked about the point of reference for zero degrees regarding seat belt mounting angles in handbook section L (01:15:18). David Moye explained that the rule was updated to mirror SCCA racing rules, requiring shoulder belts to be positioned at 90 degrees to the seat back rather than under the shoulder blades (01:16:16). Steve Archer and Todd Thuma noted that the AI-generated diagram in the handbook was unclear and that mounting angles vary significantly depending on driver weight, such as an 80-pound driver versus a 180-pound driver (01:17:30). Todd Thuma volunteered to work with Jim Robinson and Michelle Hickey to revise the graphic for future handbook versions, with rule changes taking effect the following season (01:19:45) (01:27:02).
Battery Building and Safety Standards: Todd Thuma and Charles Harrison raised strong concerns about high school teams building their own lithium batteries due to severe safety risks, fire hazards, and liability issues (01:20:41) (01:22:56). Charles Harrison and Todd Thuma emphasized that roll bars, seat belts, and batteries must adhere strictly to handbook standards across all events, though colleges and advanced teams (such as the shark team / ATR) are permitted to build their own battery packs under strict specifications to mentor high schools (01:22:56) (01:24:55).
Handbook Layout and Digital Platform: Mike Merchant discussed the transition of the handbook from a PDF format to searchable, browsable documentation on the website equipped with a chatbot. In response to feedback from Charles Harrison and Mike Merchant confirming that participants like to print materials for race-day reference, Michelle Hickey agreed to provide a downloadable PDF version of the handbook (01:28:48).
School Registration, Purchase Orders, and W-9 Procedures: Russell Alvarez inquired about school registration processes and purchase orders for the new account (01:29:58). Mike Merchant and Michelle Hickey clarified that schools can register and select purchase orders or checks as checkout options on the website (01:30:57). Michelle Hickey stated that they send W-9 forms via email upon request and update backend access once payments are received (01:31:53).
Participant Waivers and Notarization Requirements: Charles Harrison asked about updates to student and parent waivers for races. Michelle Hickey explained that they provide a packet of four waivers from K&K Insurance, which includes a new notarized waiver requirement (needed once per student) along with instructional letters created by Michelle Hickey (01:31:53) (01:35:01). Charles Harrison requested that Michelle Hickey send the waiver packet to David Kocher for review at the next board meeting (01:32:53), while robert wechsler noted that their existing K&K packets did not previously require notarization (01:33:52).
Registration Year and Member Status Timing: Steve Archer asked about their registration status after the registration year changed from the calendar year to the school year in August (01:35:01). Michelle Hickey confirmed that anyone registering after August falls under the July 1 to June 30 school year schedule and offered to assist Steve Archer offline with registration difficulties (01:36:05).
National Leaderboard, Track Distance Measurement, and Data Tracking: Mike Merchant introduced a new provisional national leaderboard that tracks lap counts, positions, and efficiency based on an assumed 1-kilowatt-hour energy budget, thanking teammates for building the sports press and team pages (01:37:00) (01:41:42). Michelle Hickey and Mike Merchant requested that teams submit lap distances along with race results from recent events, such as Kansas and Georgia’s October 30th race, to populate the leaderboard (01:38:03). Todd Thuma and Charles Harrison agreed to measure lap distances at upcoming events like Mulberry High School, while Cliff, Steve Archer, and Mike Merchant discussed future improvements such as incorporating track-type handicaps and track maps (01:39:12).