Trent Weiss
The Indy Autonomous Challenge is really a battle of algorithms more than it is a battle of vehicles. You don't really know where the limit is until you exceed it. On a racetrack that has rather dramatic consequences, if you can push these systems to their absolute limit and they still function, then you can be pretty sure they're going to work on the highway.

Amar Kulkarni
The entire purpose of autonomous racing is to search for these edge cases. We want to encounter events that are not ideal.

Madhur Behl
No American team has won this race yet, and we hope that Cavalier Racing Team is the first one to do that.

Aron Harder
There's a lot of work that has to go in until we can be ready for an actual race.

Trent Weiss
The real contest happens in the six-week lead-up. We're focused purely on making the best software algorithms that can push the car as fast as possible.

(Music playing)

Madhur Behl
Every team is here to win the race, but we never lose sight of this higher, research-driven goal.

Trent Weiss
We're taking autonomous systems and autonomous driving and pushing it to
its absolute limit and proving that this technology works.

Madhur Behl
We want to push the limits of what is possible.

(Music playing)

Trent Weiss
Being on pit lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it almost feels surreal. How many legends of racing were standing right here at some point?

Aron Harder
The competition is nine university-led teams. They come from all around the world.

Trent Weiss
Even though we're something of a smaller team up against some behemoths, we can absolutely win this race. Race day, we just push the code and see what happens, which is definitely a bit nerve-wracking,

Amar Kulkarni
At some point, you have to just let go and trust it.

(Engine noise as cars travel around the track)

Track announcer
Cavalier Autonomous Racing are showing some serious bravado here. We're in the window now. 171.011. Cavalier Autonomous Racing from University of Virginia, the winner of the time trial. There they are. Look at the jubilation down there, as you would expect. Look at that. Here’s a celebration going on. It's always special when a team that is considered maybe a little bit of an underdog pulls it out with a lap like that. That was stunning.

Trent Weiss
Finally getting to stand up on the podium and hoist that first-place trophy felt especially good. An American team finally won the time trial challenge. It proved that we can do this. It kind of feels like American muscle is back.
(Music playing)