Team History
What is SAE Baja?
SAE Baja is a student competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). A single seat off-road car is built from the ground up to compete against up to 200 collegiate engineering teams from around the world every year. Every team is limited to a stock 10hp engine so the mechanical engineering and design of the car is paramount. Competition season comes towards the end of winter semester and Michigan Baja Racing travels around the country to race in up to three competitions annually. Each team competes with their new cars in a variety of dynamic events including an endurance race, maneuverabilty course, sled pull, hill climbs, acceleration event, water events and more. Cars also compete in a variety of static events including design judging, sales presentation, cost report and others.
About Michigan Baja Racing
The Michigan Baja Race team is an entirely student-run competition team housed within the College of Engineering. Every year we design and manufacture an entirely new race vehicle from the ground up. This effort takes a variety of skilled and ambitious team members. The fall semester involves designing all of the systems components in CAD and integrating them together before the winter semester. These systems includes the frame, drivetrain and transmission, fuel system, suspension, brakes, panels and guards. Student team members are responsible for raising donations and working with material and manufacturing sponsors in the area. Winter semester marks the beginning of manufacturing. Team members work in the Wilson Student Project Center to machine parts, fabricate molds and assemble the new car. If all goes well the team uses the remainder of the semester to test and tune the car for the upcoming competitions.
Want to Join?
We accept any student enrolled at the University of Michigan who wants to become involved, studying engineering is not a prerequsite. We are always looking for enthusiastic individuals who like to work hard and aren't afraid to get dirty. So if you have any interest in cars, designing things, big machines, sparks, or fun, please swing by the Wilson Center and join us! Baja is an excellent way to meet new people, learn new things, and generally do a lot of fun stuff. You will have a chance to apply what you already know as well as learn things you won’t learn in class. You'll get to see the entire design process behind a race car from pad to CAD to a finished prototype. You will learn to use state of the art Computer Aided Design software, high precision machines and mechanical assembly. On top of skills learned, you will find that engineering professionals are familiar with and look favorably on competiton team members' hard work. Of course, the biggest reward is seeing an entire car come together over the course of two semesters and racing over the summer!
