Bendigo Senior Secondary College:

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From a school population of 1,800 Year 11 and 12’s, Bendigo Senior has a unique sub-culture lurking down in ‘the Comp Room’. They work together, train together and ultimately race together in vehicles constructed from carbon fibre and Kevlar. Here, we go behind the scenes with Tim White, the team manager for the 2006 HPV Open and HPV Class C category winners. EB Online (EB): Ok, this is a Senior school right? Not a Primary school… how did you decide on the team names - “Grug” (Open) and “The Big Red Apple” (HPVC)? Tim White (TW): For the majority of students entered in the Competition Vehicles class at BSSC it will be one of the last times they have the opportunity to ride at Maryborough. Throughout the year the students put in many hours design, constructing, testing and training. Most of this work is on top of their already busy VCE workload. The names are a little reminder that the event is all about having fun. We decided upon these names as the original names were too ridiculous! EB: Is your Breakthrough campaign part of class at school, as a club or as an extra curricular (out of hours) activity? TW: Bendigo Senior Secondary College has been involved in the RACV Energy Breakthrough since 1992. The vehicles produced here at BSSC have always been designed and constructed by the students, with new vehicles are produced every year all with cutting edge technologies and pushing the boundaries of design, production and innovation. Students spend their lives in “The Comp Room”. Free lessons, recesses, lunches, after school, Saturday build sessions and during dedicated class times there is always a “Comp Kid” there. Students build together, train together then ultimately race together. BSSC has always had a strict policy of “You build it! You race it!” EB: You’re trikes are always full of carbon fibre and Kevlar, how much is in your Energy Breakthrough budget? TW: Never enough! There are always rumors about the budgets of teams some are true and some are completely false. Without the dedication of students going out and finding sponsors and ultimately the sponsors themselves, building the vehicles we do here at BSSC would not be possible. EB: You guys (and girls) are certainly developing some amazing vehicles, what aspect of the Breakthrough have found most difficult so far? TW: When pushing the boundaries of design you always encounter difficulties - the rewards come when you successfully work through them. Time and budget are always the most difficult, you have to build it on time and to your budget.           BELOW: Bendigo Senior, with others, ready and waiting before the 2006 Australian International Pedal Prix. EB: What have you done differently as opposed to 2005? TW: Put simply, we have made a: - Lighter & stronger Frame, -  Stronger canopy, with a -  Higher level of engineering EB: What have been the rewards? TW: Throughout the year you are able to grow develop as a team. This is a key aspect of “Comp Vehicles” at BSSC. It is probably the main reason why we have so much fun at the race! EB: Was there an expectation this year to perform well? TW: There is always an expectation for BSSC to do well, and we have a certain obligation to our sponsors too. However we had our own goals and that was to have fun. After such a long and stressful year designing and constructing our vehicles and for some completing our VCE! EB: Tell us a little bit about the construction of ‘Grug’ and ‘The Big Red Apple’: TW: 95% of the vehicle is design and constructed by students here at BSSC. The other 5% are bike parts like wheels, cranks, shifters etc… however we were looking at producing some of these too! 2006 has seen a more aerodynamic top to our canopy and the use of vacuum bagging. We also trialed new 16 inch wheels in one of our vehicles.   "95% of the vehicle is design and constructed by students here at BSSC. The other 5% are bike parts like wheels, cranks, shifters etc…" Bendigo Senior are proudly supported by Bodyline Automotive, Warehouse Sales Bendigo, Budget Car and Truck Rentals, Moronis Bikes, Decked Out Coaching, Goodall Yacht Sails, House, Interturbine Advanced Composties, Hip Pocket and Clark Rubber. Bendigo Senior SC's Energy Breakthrough Co-ordinator, Tim White, can be contacted at BSSC on (03) 5443 1222 or via tim.white [at] bssc.vic.edu.au

Links:
- Teams in Profile