SAE Mini Baja
Project Description
The SAE mini Baja Competition at the University of Texas, El Paso, is a combination of five events. These dynamic events consist of; acceleration, hill climb or traction, land maneuverability, specialty and endurance.
Beginning with the acceleration test, this event will test the vehicles ability to complete a flat course varying from pavement to loose dirt in as short period of time as possible. The next competition can be administered in the form of a hill climb or, if the landscape doesn't support it, a traction event. This would include an excess load instead of the vertical climb of a hill. The staff will be determining the winner of this competition by either the lowest time for completion or the largest distance traveled if no one is able to complete the full length of the course.
Following the hill climb, there will be an examination of the maneuverability of the vehicle. This will consist of a variety of objects being placed in a set course and the analysis of the procedure to overcome these objects or lack thereof. These objects are typically a combination of tight turns, pylon maneuvers, ruts and bumps, drop-offs, sand, rocks, gullies, logs, and inclines.
Then, the specialty event is near one hundred percent unique to UTEP's competition. This event is seen in a rock crawl event or maybe a mug bog, but is almost always a test of the suspension in some form or fashion. Finally, the endurance event which is worth more than all other tasks. This is administered through either a four hour long race or until at least one car has traveled a predetermined distance. These endurance events are obviously over an undetermined rough terrain that will test the vehicle's true limits and ruggedness