Project 44 was dreamed up after leaving the Iowa Race Weekend in May of 2019. Our team spent that drive home planning how we would build our first Lithium powered car to begin competing with that class of car. That summer we continued to meet and make plans - which eventually lead to us knowing our timeline would be a 2 year build before we would race this car. Year 1 was going to be research and development, year 2 was going to be build and race. Though the pandemic hit within the year, it did not effect our timeline.

We decided to go with 16 Milwaukee Batteries to power the car (M18 XC6.0) and a GrinTech AllAxle Hub Motor. Though we knew other teams working with hub motors were struggling to get their rear wheel big enough to get the speeds they needed, we decided from the beginning we were going to "Mid-Drive the Hub Motor", meaning not install it inside the wheels, rather run it like any other motor and chain drive it. Though this was an engineering challenge to mount, it gave us the edge we needed to be able to set up our gearing in the end.

We were fortunate to have many connections to assist us on the design of the car to make it more rubust than any other car we built to date. We worked with MoboEvo, a bike shop in Oconomowoc, who specializes in Recumbent Bikes, and we were able to change out what wheels we have used over the years to a more robust wheel. We worked with Fisher Barton Engineers in town to better design a front axle that would be stronger, and they heat treated it for us after we machined and welded it together. We worked with Signicast Engineers in Hartford and Browndeer to design a new front brake foot pedal that would fit inside our car and give us better leverage for our brakes, and signicast eventually cast the parts from our 3d Printed Designs!!! There were many other partners along the way that assisted us with manpower and labor, as well as the many sponsors that financially supported us.

In the end, the car was able to compete in a few events during Spring and Fall of 2021 & 2022. We wished we could have gotten more events to attend, though the world was still opening back up post-pandemic. At Road America in April of 2021, we broke the track record 3 times and currently hold the record at 10 laps!!! The following Fall in Lacrosse (October 2021) we broke the state and mid-west record while walking away with 49.5 miles traveled in 1 hour!!!

Project 44 was our first Lithium powered car, but will NOT be our last. Project 44 is currently an inspiration to our Solar Car Team, which is planning to compete Cross Country from Texas to California in July of 2023 through the Solar Car Challenge... Watch our progress online and in social media! 

2021 - Watertown shatters the previous state and midwest records at the Fall Race in October, 2021 at the Lacrosse Speedway event. Project 44 (driven by Nick Olson) travels 49.5 miles in an hour!!!

2021 - Watertown sets the new track record for Road America in Spring of 2021. Project 44 (driven by both Trevor Olson and Miles Quandt) travels 10 laps on the course, previous record of 9 laps.

2019 - Lakeview Technology Academy sets the new Wisconsin State Record for Electrathon of 36.58 miles traveled in 1 hour during the early May ChallengeUSA event @ Fox Valley Technical College's Safety Training Course with their #896 Car. (Class 3 Car)

2017 - Watertown sets their new school record of 35 miles traveled in a 1 hour Electrathon Heat at Hawkeye Downs with their #40 Pink Shell Car. (Class 3 Car)

2007 - Iowa Central Community College's (ICCC) Electrathon Team makes the new Mid-west record of 43 miles traveled in 1 hour at the annual Memorial Day weekend Toyota Midwest Speed Trials at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!!!

2006 - Watertown High School starts their first Electrathon Car.