December 2011

Dear Gravity Racer,

So much has happened to us this year with new spin off projects getting under way.
2012 is ten years since my first attempt to build a gravity racer. I really could not have imagined then where the ‘hobby’ would take me. I am sure that the same is true of those of you that are building and racing, we strongly recommend it.
Apart from the adrenaline and the challenges, it is mainly the chance to meet such amazing people and travel to amazing places. We are looking for ideas to celebrate our 10th year. Ideas are coming in fast.

Joining us and sales
We are still sending our kits out to schools / colleges and helping them with their projects. So if anyone out there wants one please contact me. We are now awarding schools or individuals £50 for a successful sales introduction. All details of our sales and services are on our web site. Our affordable engineering project is even more applicable to school and college curriculums now that the Government are concentrating on engineering skills. You could always phone us for a chat.

Belchford Event
Belchford Soapbox Derby was the usual highlight. A few days before the event I received a phone call from Richard Noble of World Land Speed fame. ‘Hi David, I am working with a school. How do you make a gravity racer go fast?’ What a question! Well we did our best and left the rest to Richard and his team. Watch the link and decide for your self. Personally I think that Richard gave some youngsters an experience of a lifetime. www.yarborough.lincs.sch#1F6348
Formula Gravity took the Gadget Show’s Lotus Eater Mk11. We had a great time with fantastic speeds recorded. But due to a chicane being in the wrong place, and collecting some bollards, we came fifth. Still a great result and a great day. I am sorry that this was the last Belchford event. Thank you Belchford for ten great years of events.

Richards Castle
Richards Castle Soapbox Derby was another highlight. Great to see so many friends again. Formula Gravity came 5th for the fastest time BUT first for the fastest three runs. Perhaps a canopy would speed us up? The active suspension we put on to corner fast in the Lotus Eater Mk11 allows a hairpin at 50mph and gives a great ride. For straight runs we now need streamlining (I think!). Book your place for Richards Castle now for 2012.

‘Racing Green’ the play
After many years of helping schools / colleges build our kits, life has become routine. We feel we know exactly what we are doing. SO we needed a new venture with youngsters. The play RACING GREEN was born. Written at Loughborough College under the guidance of award winning writing expert Keith Large, Racing Green has had its premier.
The story based around Samuel Ward Academy’s gravity racing project. From shed build, to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, to a World Speed Record and perhaps beyond to the 2016 Olympics. A play for students to adapt and produce.
Our twenty-minute premier was performed by Loughborough staff and past students from drama colleges, in front of 150 primary school pupils and teachers. The students were then given a twenty-minute lesson on racing car design and then put into teams to design. The result was so good that we had problems awarding a winner.
Quote from Brian Fury, Motor vehicle student and actor, Loughborough College:
‘’The gravity racer play is based on a true story with a comic spin and is very inspirational to the younger generation. Not too dissimilar to a rags to riches kind of story. Except this one is from Hartest Hill to Goodwood Festival of Speed and beyond! A great show, definitely a must see!’’
Quote from John Pearce, Motor Vehicle Lecturer, Loughborough College:
’Inspirational to both Staff and Students!’’
If you would like to put on the play we have a script and a CD of the play. Once again youngsters can gain qualifications and the audience is introduced to the world of engineering. Invite your local schools and business contacts.
www.loucoll.ac.uk/.webloc

Gadget Show
Once again Formula Gravity has got involved with the Gadget Show. We were asked to sort out their failed attempt at a World Land Speed Record for Jet Luges, which almost ended in disaster. Although we had the original luge we decided to start from scratch. The team could not have been more qualified or committed. Six weeks of redesign, aerodynamics (or the lack of), weight distribution, structural modifications, materials development, twin-engine development and high speed trials. Even so for the final run we still needed luck. A tiny pebble on the runway, or a slight crosswind at those speeds could be very nasty.
Jason was remarkable, he drove it perfectly achieving 119.8mph and into the Guinness Book of Records. Click here:
We have had many colleges and students involved in Gadget Show builds. We hope this will continue. A great experience for all.
We will again be at the Gadget Show Live at the NEC 10th – 15th April 2012. So if anyone would like to visit us for a chat about our projects for schools and colleges, please contact me for entry soon as tickets are going fast.

News from around the UK
Our wheels are still the bargain of a lifetime with different organisations and schools ordering each week! Yes together with our suspension system they are a winning combination for DOG SLEIGHS as well. We wish Max of the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain a great 2012. Already Max is achieving great results with his dog teams.

Will Stevenson is looking into the possibility of a permanent track and centre for gravity sports. If anyone wants to help or send messages of support please get in touch with him. streetluger@hotmail.co.uk We think this is needed and will give a focus for the UK sport.
Thanks for ten years of gravity.
Over the ten years we have been racing there have been too many people to name all who have helped, from manufacturers to schools and colleges. Thank you. But I would like to name a few of those who have helped the central project, each of these has been a link in a chain that has not broken :-

Howard Lay, Headmaster Samuel Ward Academy
Gerry Taylor, Taylors Foundry Motorsport
Helen Scott – Davis, Suffolk EBP
Stuart Harris, Vauxhall VXR Racing
Denis Chick, General Motors UK
Julius Thurgood, Goodwood Road Racing Club
Peter Frewer, Anvil Designs
David Wall, EEDA
Allan Winn, Brookland’s Museum
Dr. Martin Passmore, Loughborough University
John Ackroyd, Action Designs
Nick Baldwin, DTEP
Mark Harmsworth DTEP
Andy Cowley, AS Airborne Systems
Cal Edwards, Mansel Lacy Event
Geoff Burton, Cadwell Park event
Peter Thompson, Belchford event
Humphrey Salwey, Richards Castle event
Mike Hamilton, Hillside Computers
Steven Heape, Ginger Sheep racing
Francis Evans, Learning Grid
Rob Austin, Engineering Your Future
Keith Large, Loughborough College
Martin Killeen, Loughborough College
Jim Mutton, Principal Loughborough College
Brian Fury, Actor
John Lamb, Team Lotus
Tim Roebuck, Team Lotus
Russ Annerson, Lola Cars
Jason Bradbury, Gadget Show
Ortis Deley, Gadget Show
Matt Hodgins, Upper Street Events
Mark Griffiths, NESTA
Norman Kinnish, Eastbourne Council
Tom Worsley, UKGSA
Ian Round, UKGSA
Helen Spencer, SETPOINT Big Bang
Cameron McLay, McLay Industries Australia
Dr Kenji Takeda, Southampton University
Steven Hall, Scottish Carties
Richard Noble, Project Thrust
Jasmina Jambresic, Daily Telegraph
Dillon Battistini, Formula 3 & Indy car driver
Jonny Ackroyd, Test pilot, driver and much more.

July 2011

Dear Gravity Racer,

Our organisation offers a project that is :- Green – Provides kit racers – or parts for racers – Teaching notes and curriculum – We can visit schools or colleges – the project is cross curriculum – team work opportunities - drama opportunities – a good unit for qualifications - great publicity – good for building local & national links – inexpensive – once you have the kit you can build on it year on year. Lastly it is fun. The pupils love it. Oh and you get qualifications.

We are now selling Sweat shirts, Hoodies and T shirts which you can design and order on our web site. We have tried them and they really are good. We loved the hoodies that has built in head phones as the ties for the hood. They work so well. We can also do team overalls. Contact us for details. And check out the site.

We now have Launched Formula Gravity Australia. So any Australians or New Zealanders can buy our designed products made in Australia for the Southern hemisphere. We shipped a sample complete kit of our racer to our new friends:-

So any of you out there south of the Equator who want a rolling kit that already has two World Land Speed records please contact Cameron he is looking to take orders.
McLay junior has already been on the podium in Brisbane with our designed racer. We look forward to the Brisbane adult event in August!!!
p.s. Our Shipping company www.ccfreight.com have got to be the best. They also freight around the UK. Best prices - Best service.

Our Saarburg run for the Gadget Show against a Lotus Elise was fantastic fun. We learnt so much.
Our suspension really does work on corners if it is made active with dampers.
Our specially made wheels withstood the hairpin corners at 50mph.
We lost by 8 seconds over the Elise. We were very pleased with that result considering the challenge.
Special thanks to Team Lotus and especially Tim Roebuck their expert driver who made it a race to remember.

We have a few second hand spaceframes and parts that we can do special prices for. Please contact me for details and to try to bargain me down. (We need the space)
Our wheels are still the bargain of the time with different organisations and schools ordering each week! We are now trying then on dog sleighs with our suspension. More news on this venture later.

We are now taking orders for the September term. Please get your orders in soon as we need to build the kits and get everything ready for you.

EVENTS

We are entered at the Richards Castle event 10 July www.richardscastlesoapbox.co.uk
We will have the Lotus Eater Mk 11. Hope to see you there.

We will be at the Big Bang Show at Duxford 13th July.
We are looking forward to seeing the schools and colleges that are going.
http://www.setpointherts.org.uk/

GREEN RUNNING
Our play that tells the story of our quest for gravity speed will open at Loughborough College on Monday 5th September. This will really open up the curriculum so that you do not just have to have engineering interests to be a vital part of our team. After our opening night we will be offering it to schools / colleges so that young people can gain qualifications in this activity as well. More in my next newsletter.
http://www.carrotnapper.com/global.php

September 8th at Loughborough College is the talk by the UK World Land Speed Record Motorcycle Team.
http://www.angelicbulldog.org.uk/2010/11/16/the-land-speed-record-rules/

September 9th. Nick Baldwin from the DTEP will be attempting to get a World Speed Record with a school project at Loughborough College. ( It flies!) More on this soon.
www.dtep.org.uk We will be there as well.

September 11th is the Belchford soapbox derby. We are booked in with a racer. I hope to see lots of you there. A great event.
www.belchford.org.uk

Bloodhound the UK attempt to go 1000mph is worth following. Primary Engineer is part of their educational delivery. Do look at their Leaders Award for primary.
www.leadersaward.com/

http://www.hstem.co.uk is sited near Norwich and runs courses for schools and young people. During Summer hols as well.

LASTLY We are now branching out designing and making wonderful machines or electrical gadgets for the media and other projects. If you would like to become involved in any way please contact me.
David Ackroyd

March 2011 Newsletter

Lots of things are happening in our world with gravity. The first news is that the UKGSA is now up and running again with lots of new ideas and initiatives. Keep up to date by checking their web site.

Formula Gravity has again with help from our friends, built Lotus Eater Mk 11 for the Gadget Show. The event will be on the program on the 21st March ( next Monday).
NOT the 28th, due to rescheduling. This should be a great bit of film. Ortis drove our racer so well. We took on a Lotus Elise with Lotus’s Executive Engineer Tim driving. Put this all together with a German Mountain in Saarburg, it was great! 7 hairpins, and after practice Ortis did not use the brakes! Our own wheels that we designed for this run performed so well. So many people to thank, but very special thanks to Russ Annison from Lola Cars for his support and technical help. West Suffolk College also gained a lot from the fun. They have a lot of fun to still come!

We have a stand at the Gadget Show Live at the NEC Birmingham 12-17th April. Lots of our builds will be there. If any teacher / lecturer is thinking of joining our project and would like to see some of our racers and talk to us and also students involved please contact me as I can obtain a limited number of VIP tickets for the 12th April. Sorry no students that day.

We are sending out Kit Racers to schools over the UK which is great. We now have requests from Australia, but I think this might not happen as the cost is £650 to get them there. Any ideas?

Rafe Herring has joined Formula Gravity and is in charge of telesales. He is proving to be a star!

Loughborough College is putting on a World Land Speed event in September, with many machines to see. At the same time we will launch our own play Racing Green
With guest stars. This play will then be available to schools and colleges to adapt.
Our National Story Writing Competition about Gravity Racing was won by Jake Vincent from Derby. We send him our congratulations.

It is with some regret that we must now increase our prices to keep in line with rising prices of parts and labour. Over the years we have never put our prices up, but now we must to stay in the same place. Our kit racers will now be £2100. This is still fantastic value. To offset this we are offering £50 for every contact that results in another racer kit sold. So talk to schools and colleges near to you and claim your £50.

Explore the Scottish Carties web site. Lots of information.

David Ackroyd

January 2011 Newsletter

Dear Gravity Racer,
 
Our organisation offers a project that is :- Green – Provides kit racers – provides parts for racers – Teaching notes and curriculum – We can visit schools or colleges – the project is cross curriculum – team work opportunities -  drama opportunities – a good unit for qualifications - great publicity – good for building local & national links – inexpensive – once you have the kit you can build on it year on year. Lastly it is fun. The pupils love it.
 
Our sport is steadily growing across the UK. There will be a meeting of the UKGSA to look ways forward for all gravity sports. If there are any good ideas or views out there could you please contact either myself or Ian Round of the UKGSA.
 
It is with sadness I report that the Mansel Lacy event will not be happening this year.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the retiring organiser Cal Edwards for all that he has done for our sport. This event has been such fun for us all. I am keeping my fingers crossed that 2012 will see another event at Mansel Lacy.
 
Coming to a school or college near you in 2011.   RACING GREEN is the name of a new concept play about gravity racing. Keith Large of Loughborough College fame is pioneering a theatre in education idea. We hope to get many aspects of education covered with our sport. Young people can become involved in gravity racing through acting and performing arts leading to qualifications.
 
Although we produce full kit racers some schools and colleges have purchased only our spaceframes. If you want to join this year’s racing events and would be quicker for you to get the full kit, then we would be happy to send it all out to you. I shall include a list of the parts with this newsletter. Engineering education can still fulfil your qualifications criteria, and you can also be assured that you will be on the starting line at an event.
Our own designed wheels have been a hit. We have even exported some to Australia.
 
Our pricing policy is to just cover our costs with our project. We have kept prices constant for our project, but due to the rising costs of labour and parts we have to raise our prices around Easter time. So if you want to buy a kit now would be the best time.
 
Formula Gravity is again building a very special racer for the Gadget Show. We have had the motor vehicle department at West Suffolk College designing and enjoying part of the build. Now we are working with our friends at Graham Parish Engineering Ltd. for the final part of the build. The program goes out on the 28th March.  Oh boy! Those mountains! Those corners!! What a crazy challenge! Will our racer perform as we hope? Thanks to Russell at Lola Cars for all the technical and moral input.
Trials and training have taken place at Loton Park over the last few weeks. The first day we were snowed out but a week later things were better. The track at Loton Park is great. The last bend is tight and if you get it wrong you are in the sewage farm! I hear that one of our skateboard colleagues got it wrong and has been in the bath ever since! I hope to see a gravity event at Loton Park some time soon.
 
The dates and venues of this year’s events will go onto our web site very soon. Please contact me with any events near you.
 
David Ackroyd