About the BAJA SAE Team

Shop Location

The Baja shop is called the Engineering Student Projects Laboratory (ESPL). Follow this link for a map. We have weekly meetings here Wednesday at 7pm and Saturday around noon (varies).

How do I get involved?

Be sure to get on the team email list to get the latest updates of our build progress, exact times we'll be in the shop, and to get involved with team events. Send an email to offroadillini@gmail.com to start your Baja experience!

Background and Introduction

The SAE Baja Competition originated at the University of South Carolina under the supervision of Dr. J.F. Stevens. SAE International sponsors three Baja competitions, held throughout the country, each year. The object of the competition is to simulate real-world engineering design projects.

Each team competes for the acceptance of their design by a fictitious manufacturing firm. Students must work together to design, build, test, promote, and race a vehicle within the limits of the rules. The teams are responsible for raising funds to pay for the raw materials, component parts, tools, and any other expenses of production and competition.

Details

This program offers the opportunity for students to put classroom training into action by designing, building, and testing the performance of a prototype vehicle in a highly competitive environment. The prototype is developed around the concept of a four-wheel, single seat, off-road recreational vehicle that is intended for sale to the non-professional weekend off-road enthusiast. The vehicle must be safe, easily maintained and transported, and fun to drive. It must endure rough terrain and maintain a long life of components.

Each team must use a ten horsepower engine that is donated by Briggs and Stratton. These engines cannot be modified in any way, which puts emphasis on drive line, suspension, and chassis design

Competition

All competitions include formal presentations, engineering design evaluations and cost analysis reviews done by mobility industry experts. The following is an outline of the typical Mini Baja competition:

Day 1: Static Events Day 2: Dynamics and Performance Day 3: Endurance Race