Team Update: Lima Gets Ready for Race Week

We’ve got another update from the Lima Senior High Spartans!

Lima Senior High School, Lima Ohio
No. of teams in 2011: 2
2010 rank: Finished 14th (Team 1) and 17th (Team 2)
Best score to date: 4th place, 2008, finishing in 7 minutes 23 seconds (Team 2)

The Lima Senior Moonbuggy Team has received a letter from the Lima Senior Spartan:

As the Spartan himself prepares for the trip, the moonbuggy teams are working hard, and it shows. Since our last update, both teams have been meeting for hours each day to work on the buggies. After a minor setback regarding a drill press, the teams are back on track and their determination is stronger than ever!


Lima Senior team member Nick Tarbet tackles some late framework.
(Bryson Tarbet, Lima Senior High School)

“The buggies need to be completed, tested and packed into the trailer by March 29,” said Sarah Koza. “Between now and then, we really need to buckle down and get these buggies done.” “We are on the final stretch,” added Nick Tarbet. “We have less than a week to finish, so time is of the essence. If it weren’t for the determination of all of the team members, these buggies would not get done.”


One of the goals of the NASA Great Moonbuggy Race is to inspire teams to share
their experiences and spread enthusiasm for math, science and engineering
in their community. Here, Lima Senior racers, from left, Aaron Snider, Kayla Lowry,
Sarah Koza and Aubrie Nuckles talk to students at Heritage Elementary School in
Lima about their GMBR adventures. (Bryson Tarbet)

“In the past few weeks, we have seen more determination than we have before from all of the team members,” added Kayla Lowry. “The team members have been working constantly to get the finishing touches on the buggies and finalize the details of the trip.”

The trip to Huntsville from Lima is about 8-1/2 hours long by charter bus. The team will meet at the school at about 4 a.m. on March 31. We will get on the charter bus and arrive in Alabama around mid-afternoon. Needless to say, iPods and DVD players will be a common sight on the bus!

After we arrive in Huntsville, we will check into the hotel rooms and get situated. Later that afternoon, we will meet as a team and walk the course. After we get a look at this year’s course, and the various meetings, we will all meet at the hotel to have some fun.

“Last year, we had a pretty epic game of Marco Polo,” said Bryson Tarbet. “It’s nice to be able to relax after a day of being in a bus. Not only is it fun, but we get to reinforce the bonds between the members of the team. It is always nice to be reminded that even though we have two buggies and two designs, we are all part of the Lima Senior High Moonbuggy program.”

The teams are excited to see the different designs and ideas brought by other competitors this year. It is hard to believe that after April 2, the race will be over. But that doesn’t mean we are done. As soon as we get back, we start working toward next year.

Go Spartans! Bring home the gold!