Michigan Baja Racing develops the engineering skills of its members by challenging them to design, build, and test an off-road vehicle to compete in all three North American Baja SAE competitions each year. Students work through iterative design cycles, using industry-standard computer-aided engineering software to model and analyze the car’s twelve subsystems—each led by student leaders responsible for meeting project deadlines and collaborating with peers. Members gain hands-on experience machining, welding, and assembling components, operate manual and CNC equipment, and learn to optimize for manufacturability and serviceability. Rigorous data acquisition and validation compare finite element models with real-world testing, preparing the vehicle for dynamic competitions, including a demanding, 4-hour endurance race against teams from around the world. This process fosters leadership, teamwork, and advanced technical skills, preparing members for success in internships, engineering careers, and as future industry leaders.
About our Organization
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 custom off road race vehicle from the ground up. This effort takes a variety of skilled and ambitious team members. Students design all system components in CAD and integrate them together, working towards the common goal of building the fastest car on the track. These systems includes the frame, drivetrain and transmission, steering, suspension, brakes, and panels. Student team members are responsible for raising in-kind and monetary sponsorships and working with material and manufacturing sponsors in the area. Additionally, student team members manufacture the majority of the parts on the car, working in the Wilson Student Project Center to machine parts, fabricate molds and assemble the new car. After the car is assembled and unveiled, full testing of every component on the car at our on-campus test track ensures success at our three competitions around the U.S.
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