Montana Technological University Baja Team Places Top Ten in Premier SAE Competition

Montana Technological University students placed 8th in endurance, and 9th overall at the Baja SAE Validation Event held April 29 through May 2 in Tucson, Arizona. Baja SAE is one of several Collegiate Design Series competitions organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International.

Baja SAE, the most rugged of all SAE competitions, requires students to design, build, and race a single-seat off-road vehicle in a highly modified motocross course.

Montana Tech mechanical engineering students designed and built the vehicle as their capstone senior design project. The seniors used their accumulated engineering knowledge to design critical components of the vehicle: frame, suspension, and for the first time, a four-wheel-drive system. Although a four-wheel-drive was not required, the team was awarded bonus points for the four-wheel-drive system.

The Baja SAE Validation Event included acceleration, sled pull, maneuverability, and suspension. The event culminated with a four-hour-long endurance race, testing the vehicle’s ability to withstand and negotiate rough terrain and obstacles designed to damage the vehicle, including trenches, logs, hills, rocks, loose sand, and a tire pit. Montana Tech’s vehicle proved to be highly durable as it never required repairs during the endurance event.

baja team places top ten in SAE competition
Montana Tech's SAE Baja drivers Kaine Leong and Jessika Harman after a successful 84 laps in four hours at this year's competition in Arizona.
Montana Tech's SAE Baja drivers Kaine Leong and Jessika Harman after a successful 84 laps in four hours at this year's competition in Arizona.
"Nucor provided the steel that was used to fabricate the buggy. Nucor engineers and technicians provided feedback and questions during the design reviews, which required the students to defend and justify their design. By having industry involvement, the interaction between students and industry encourages the students to take their design to the next level because they view it as presenting to a future employer. Their attitude changed from contributing in a senior design project to building an engineering portfolio that will be used to market themselves upon graduation," Dr. Peter Lucon, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Montana Tech’s SAE Baja competing team members. Back, left Dr. Nathan Huft, Austin Walsh, Laci Lien, Declan Gaub; Front, left Jessika Harman, Samuel Kraha, Kaine Leong, and Dr. Peter Lucon.