History

In 2011, member's of the Formula SAE Team at UC Davis branched out to form the Baja SAE Team at UC Davis. In 2012 the Baja SAE Team at UC Davis attended its first competition, Baja SAE Oregon, and received a Participation Award. Since 2012 the Baja SAE Team has also competed in Baja SAE Washington (2013), Baja SAE UTEP (2014), Baja SAE Oregon (2015), and Baja SAE California (2016). The 2017 competition will be held in Gorman, CA.

About the Competition

Following Formula SAE's concept of a student-designed race car, Baja SAE Team members build a single-rider off-road vehicle designed for maneuverability, power, and an overall durability against rugged terrain. While Formula cars see higher speeds, Baja cars see more obstacles.

The Baja SAE competitions (sanctioned by the Society of Automotive Engineers) are held three times a year in the spring at three different locations (generally Eastern, Western, and Central United States). One Hundred teams attend these competitions from both inside and outside of the United States. Teams must produce the best vehicle design around a motor provided to each team by Briggs and Stratton. This motor cannot be modified with anything other than its own stock parts. This means that, as far as power transmitted from the engine is concerned, every team starts on an even playing field.

The student designed vehicle is judged in a number of different events. The first is a design event in which teams present their overall design goals, notes and processes to a panel of design judges. This panel scores the team based on their vehicle's chassis, suspension, drive-train, braking, and steering designs as well as the car's driver ergonomics and how each specification compliments the vehicle as a whole. Bonus points are awarded for any innovative features on the vehicle.

The vehicles are then judged in a number of individual events testing their suspension, maneuverability, acceleration, and total power output. These events vary in difficulty and task based on the year and location of the competition (ie, some locations offer a sled pull while others offer a hill climb).

The main event of this competition (as its worth the most points) is the 4-hour endurance race. This race combines all the individual events into one track designed as the ultimate endurance test for the vehicles.

As of 2015, a sales component has been added to events. Students are scored on how well they articulate a plan to manufacture and sell 4000 units per year of their design. 

Who We Are

The Baja SAE Team at UC Davis composed of UC Davis students from a variety of majors that are involved in many facets of the continuation of the program. We love cars and aim to make the program successful as possible.

How To Help

We welcome interested students from all majors to join our program. No experience is necessary, although it is recommended that students complete UC Davis' EME 50 class (Manufacturing Processes) or equivalent as students are required to use some machines in the Engineering Fabrication Laboratory.

If you are interested in joining the Baja SAE Team at UC Davis, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and visit our website for more information.

If you are interested in sponsoring our team, check out the Contacts page our our website!

2011-12-12 11:43:40   Hey John and Spencer just wanted to let you know just in case you haven't seen them, google "baja5b" and check out this 1/5th scale RC race buggie, the engineering in technology is incredible, although they're a little pricey, $1,100 new, when they spin out or crash they almost always land upright, again it's like aircraft technology. I hope every little bit helps. —Theangrydiner

2015-02-08 23:53:15   What's a SAE? And ditto EME SO? Please define your acronyms, thanks! Also, what's a "Baja-based vehicle"? —JudithTruman