Which teams have the best drivers?

[25robotix.Mo]

I've noticed a lot of teams who's robots arent the best, can do a lot when they have good drivers. Which teams would you guys say have good drivers?

[1708xMr.Roboto]

Being a driver myself for the past three years for 1708, I would have to say 1114 has a great robot and an even better set of drivers. They never have a match that isn't a great show.

[JLenhart]

Originally Posted by 1708xMr.Roboto

Being a driver myself for the past three years for 1708, I would have to say 1114 has a great robot and an even better set of drivers. They never have a match that isn't a great show.

I have to agree. Without good drivers, a great machine like Steve (Their Simbot this year) would be absolutely useless. They're great guys also.

[pandamonium]

The teams that have a sub-team devoted to strategy and drive that rigorously trains drivers year round. Going to multiple regionals and off-season events definitely helps build experience. Having a good robot is only a small part of it, especially this year which seems to be heavily reliant on driver skill.

[thefro526]

From what I've seen, 1503 probably has the best driver in FRC right now. He's FAST.

[Chris is me]

Nick Lawrence.

[Akash Rastogi]

1114, 1503, 111, and 16 for my shortlist.

[Josh Fritsch]

From what Ive seen over the years, experience is king. Those teams who have found someone that is a great driver their freshman year, and who can train them for four years will best most teams by the time they are a senior.

Like someone said, its not always the robot makes you perform exceptionally. Its the instinct and experience of knowing what to do in situations when your plan goes out the window. Playing smart is half the battle.

That said, Ive consistantly seen teams like 67 and 217 have some of the smartest driving year after year which Im sure has contributed to their success.

[Jeffy]

16, end of story.

[indubitably]

111 deserves a drive team award

[Dargel1625]

From what I've seen, ease of control scheme also plays a decent role in how well a driver performs. For instance, having presets for every peg level laid out in a user friendly way will make a great auxiliary driver even better.

That being said, 111's drivers are by far the best I've seen so far.

[Arefin Bari]

I would like to throw Swampthing's (Team 179) Driver in the list...

[Mike dennis]

Sorry to nominate myself but i think team 180 has pretty good drivers this year this first vid is my favorite because we scored that triangle using the jumbo tron when we couldn't see it.

http://spamrobotics.com/index.php?op...1 6&Itemid=34

This is a vid from finals with a better view of the whole field.

http://spamrobotics.com/index.php?op...1 5&Itemid=32

[smistthegreat]

Originally Posted by thefro526

From what I've seen, 1503 probably has the best driver in FRC right now. He's FAST.

Yeah, Nick's pretty much the man and would definitely be on my short list. Also, 1114 is always spectacular, as are the other perennial powerhouses such as 217 and 148.

Edit: I definitely also have to cast my vote for 177 (and 121), our partners that we won Newton with during Lunacy. Their driving was spectacular.

[Dancin103]

This is a great subject and it is discussed all the time. The drive is what makes the robot work efficiently and effectively. You could have the greatest machine on the field, but without the optimum driver to make it work in it's greatest capacity, that great robot won't be great.

There are many fantastic drivers in FRC and they all deserve a round of applause and a pat on the back. Being able to drive a robot is not an everyday task, it is difficult and takes a lot of skill and coordination. It takes a lot to be a driver, and it takes a lot of practice to make perfect precision.

We have always had reputable drivers. We had a driver that graduated in 2008, JB, the things that he could do with our robot in the time frame he did them are just crazy. I remember a match in Philly in 2008, there were maybe 7 seconds left on the clock, and we had to make it all the way around the field and shoot the track ball over. We launched the track ball up, it knocked the other alliances ball out of place and ours fell in the spot. He whipped the robot around to the other side of the field and crossed the line. The space he had to cross the line was about half a centimeter greater than our width. It was crazy!

Anyway, other reputable drivers, other than my own, would be 1114, 111, 16, 179, and 330. They all have displayed unbelievable ability on the field. Keep up the great work!

Cass