Classic / Ultimate Drive Teams

[Ben Piecuch]

The 2001 Bobcat Team (177) of Eric O'Brien and Tom Schindler. They drove that robot as though it was a perfect extension of their own arms. Handling the Big ball, dragging goals around and balancing them on the bridge, as well as limbo'ing, were all made to look so easy... They turned an average, "do all" robot (one that didn't specialize in any one task, like most winning robots in 2001) into a Championship caliper Robot.

I guess that goes to show how much of a difference stick time on the robot means.

BEN

P.S. Andy, your alliance toasted our 175/126/230 alliance with your auto-balance. So, I can't give all the credit to your drivers that year...

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Ben Piecuch

The 2001 Bobcat Team (177) of Eric O'Brien and Tom Schindler.

Yeah, they were very good. They toasted our alliance in the finals of our division in Epcot. Didn't these two goofballs wear "Sugar Daddy" (the candy) shirts or something like that? Crazy.

Andy B.

[65_Xero_Huskie]

The "best" driver combo from our team would have to be the 2003 drivers. They were -from what Ken said- in sync with each other. And not to mention our driveteam is on the FIRST brochure I love pointing that out to kid in our school.

[Chris Marra]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

Yeah, they were very good. They toasted our alliance in the finals of our division in Epcot. Didn't these two goofballs wear "Sugar Daddy" (the candy) shirts or something like that? Crazy.

Andy B.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/12562

I think we found one of those shirts lying around the shop earlier this year near one of the 1997 Ring Wrangler cowboy hats

[Lil' Lavery]

The Beachbots (330) 2005-2007 drivers strike me as frighteningly talented. They took two great bots and took them up a notch into elite competitors.
Pretty much anyone behind the sticks for Buzz (175) is spectacular (unless their drivers end up sidelined...like Chesapeake 2007). Every year their drivers elevate their machines to compete with bots that should totally outclass them (not that 175's bots are bad).
222's 2004-2006 (2003 too?) driver was amazing as well. Even when the Tigertrons weren't particularly overwhelming in 2005 and 2006, he managed to get them into positions where they could win every match, and they often did. Pity 222 still hasn't been able to capture a regional title.
1038's 2006 driver managed to captivate me a few times with some ridiculous driving on Galileo. The Thunderhawks pulled off some moves that robots shouldn't be able to do (especially without an omni-drive), it was downright amazing.
And, of course, a shout out to 116's 2006-2007 drivers, Baxter and Justin. There's no way our machines should be putting up the scores they were when they were driving (including the 2006 & 2007 VCU high scores, and the 2007 Galileo high score). In 2006, we were one of the best offensive and defensive bots at both of our regionals, not because of our bot itself, but because of how well they could handle the machine. In 2007 the bot was good enough that we became the primary offensive option in every one of our matches, and they got a new job, beating the opposing defense, which they had mastered by the end of VCU (8 matches against the best defender we faced all year, 122, helped), and put on display at Championship, where we were routinely scoring through defense, even often double-teams.

[Nica F.]

254's drive team always are such smooth drivers/operators.
330 i have to say has had an amazing drive team since `05.
When it comes to my own team, I have to give props to our driver Rafi Ahmed because even if we get stuck with a boxbot or a drive base he is still able to play some amazing defense.

[Kevin Kolodziej]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

Kevin Kolodziej and Sarah Michna on team 71 were great in 01 and 02. Their skills led to 71's dominance. Add these two to the winningest coach in FIRST, Brian Beatty, and you have an unbeatable drive team.

Andy B.

We can't take much credit for the 2002 season....anyone could drive that robot! Thank goodness there was no autonomous that year...I'd have been out of a job!!

71's drivers before my time would put me to shame though.

I'm also adding Tony Morales and Allen Hoem from Wildstang (Tony was driver from 98-01 and Allen from 01-03...I think!). These guys could control those maneuverable Wildstang bots like nothing. I had some great friendly rivalries with them in my days.

[JackN]

Drive Teams that I remember as amazing

179 '05-Tytus and Amanda were just a perfectly coordinated team. That robot was pretty good, but they elevated it to another level. Two regional victories and making the Archimedes division finals with the six seeded alliance is a pretty impressive run.

330 '05 and '07-Great machines need great drivers and the Beachbots fielded some of the best drivers ever. They were able to dominate matches in two years where in which your success was entirely dependent on those teams you were partnered with.

25 '06-Corey and Bharat were the two best drivers I have ever seen. I think 25's robot was good, but they made it legendary. I still am amazed by their streak of consecutive matches won and the dominance they displayed. This was what made their team great.

The best drive team that 494 ever had was our 2004 drive team. They were very good at working together and could play with the best of them.

[Guy Chriqui]

I really think that 968 had an amazing drive team this year. They were putting up more tubes then 254 was.

As for the all time best drive team I have to give it to Jeff Kane & Co. from 1138. They take what is a mediocre robot every year and make it amazing. They constantly impress me.
-guy

[B. Flaherty]

Hands down my favorite drive team has been Corey and Bharat from 25. 25 had a decent bot in 05, but it was still threatening with their driving skills, especially as a rookie driver that year. Of course, they were deadly in 2006. It was simply inspiring to see them win so much. Corey also spent a lot of time talking different driving strategies with me from 06-07, and I have to admit, I owe some of my team's success to those talks for this year. Thanks Cor Cor.

[Cory]

Team 254's best was probably Matt Yu and John Kiely in 2005.

[Aren_Hill]

i'm gonna chuck one up here for whoever swamp things base driver this year was. i think they made it from one side of the field to the other in 3 seconds and flew up 71's ramp.

[Grant Cox]

Originally Posted by Gear

i'm gonna chuck one up here for whoever swamp things base driver this year was. i think they made it from one side of the field to the other in 3 seconds and flew up 71's ramp.

Oh man, I totally forgot about that. MAJOR props to whoever that was; I was watching the field, and I saw them start to come back with literally 4 seconds left. I'm thinking "there is noo wayy they are going to make it in one try at that speed, with that much pressure [from time]." Incredible job there.

[nuggetsyl]

I see our 03 and 06 bot coming up. I whill have to say the 03 driver (steve) was hands down the best. Our 06 guys were great (cory and bharat) but no one and i really mean no one could stop a robot like steve could on that plastic stuff. Also i asked steve how he knew where the robot was on the feild, because the bot was so small you could not see it over the ramp. Steve said i just watch were the boxes were flying.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

I want to mention the 121 driver, Jon. I remember seeing that robot drive backwards across the field while avoiding other robots. He can make those robots dance around the field.