History of Baja

History of History of Mini Baja® East Mini Baja® East 1976 cont’d Mechanical design, as classically taught in engineering has centered around the The 1976 competition required each team to application of stress analysis theory. While this theory is important, actual industrial use the same Briggs & Stratton 8 hp, 4- design is generally dependent upon manufactureability, time constraints, and cost cycle horizontal shaft air cooled engine constraints as well as stress analysis. With this in mind, the SAE Mini Baja® (Model No. 190432-0535). Twenty-five competition was originated at the University of South Carolina in 1976, under the years later, Briggs & Stratton still remains supervision of Dr. John F. Stephens. Since that time, the competition has grown to committed to this worthwhile engineering become a premier engineering design series. Three Mini Baja® competitions are education competition. The engine had to held annually under the sponsorship of SAE. remain completely stock, and the vehicle must be produced with approximately A precursor to the SAE Mini Baja® was the Recreational-Ecological-Vehicle (REV) 300 man-hours. Rules from the first contest conceived by Dr. William R. Shapton in 1973. The object of this competition competition required that the vehicles was to design and fabricate a two-man amphibious all-terrain vehicle (ATV) capable be capable of carrying a 6’3” adult of negotiating 25 miles of virgin Michigan forest and several hundred yards of deep weighing 250 pounds. The vehicle water. The six entries in 1973 primarily altered and rebuilt existing commercially must be capable of operation in loose available ATVs. During REV 1974, the eight vehicles entered included several built sand, mud, rough terrain, and occasional from “scratch.” The range of cost of the ATVs in the REV series ranged from $1600 water up to 12” deep. Top speed for the to approximately $5000. They were indeed one-of-a-kind race vehicles and not vehicle is approximately 40 mph and the indicative of a project that would simulate the design of a mass-produced product. vehicle must be capable of climbing a 30 The REV series was quite important in that it established the value of such degree incline. Vehicles are to weigh less competitions and demonstrated the interest in vehicle oriented themes (SAE than 400 pounds and the total vehicle must Technical Paper 780241). have a manufactured cost of $450 or less. Held at the University of South Carolina and Fort 1976 Jackson, the first Mini Baja® competition in 1976 included 10 participating universities from: Based upon the learning experiences of the REV Worcester Polytechnic Institute series, Dr. Stephens initiated the concept of ® University of Cincinnati (multiple vehicles) Mini Baja . In 1976, there were several University of Southwestern Louisiana companies producing a one-man all terrain Queen’s University vehicle retailing for approximately $800. Each Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology of these vehicles was reportedly capable of North Carolina State University (multiple vehicles) negotiating very rough terrain with a great deal West Virginia Institute of Technology of reliability and speed. The object of the Mini ® Southern University Baja competition was to design and fabricate a University of South Carolina (multiple vehicles) one-man all terrain vehicle having more than two Arizona State University wheels that will be completely competitive with the manufactured versions from the standpoint of Judges for the first competition included Vernon A. safety, appearance, design, performance, and cost. Johnson of Eaton Corporation, H. A. Weaver of In simplest terms, “design the most competitive Western Electric Company, Inc., Dale E. Johnson of vehicle for the least cost.” 1 2 History of Mini Baja® East History of Mini Baja® East 1976 cont’d 1977 cont’d General Motors Corporation, R. Barry Erickson of Allis-Chalmers, Fred Stratton, Jr. of The importance of the judges to the success of the competition cannot be Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Nathaniel C. Wyeth of E.I. DuPont de Nemours & overemphasized. The judges actually run the event and set the tone of the Company, John Stewart of Tamper, William C. Poland of Union Carbide Corporation, competition. Judges for the 1977 competition included Fred P. Stratton of Briggs & Paul J. Parnell of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and Vincent Foote of North Stratton Corporation, Robert K. Catterson of Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Thomas Carolina State University. K. Rose of Onan Corporation, Glen Evans of REAMCO, Inc., Dr. G. D. Angus of Structural Dynamics Research Corporation, Donald J. Eves of Goodyear Tire & 1977 Rubber Company, J. Howard Kutzelman of Western Electric Company, Dr. George Thompson of Texas A&M University, Nathaniel C. Wyeth of E.I. DuPont de Nemours The 1977 Mini Baja competition was sponsored by the University of Southwestern & Company and Ronald Peters of SAE International. Louisiana and held in Lafayette, Louisiana in May, 1977. All student chapters of SAE and ASME received invitations to participate in Mini Baja on a “first-come” The competition progressed smoothly with a basis. The number of entrants was limited to sixteen so that the judging and minimum of difficulties. Two problem areas performance events could be comprehensive. Initially, the entries were slow in did exist that warranted some arriving due to marginal faculty interest, but when the students learned of the recommendations: (1) cost should be coupled competition, their interest was so significant that all the competition slots were full with the vehicle weight to average out any within two weeks. costing errors and (2) competition should be held regionally with a maximum of 16 Mini Baja 1977 participants included: participants in each region. University of Cincinnati Arizona State University Industrial simulation projects involving design Mississippi State University and fabrication do increase the “industrial awareness” of engineering students. The Tennessee Technological University competitive environment created by Mini Baja 1977 generated the student and Florida Technological University faculty interest necessary to insure complete, quality projects. While requiring more University of South Florida student and faculty time than normal, the benefits seemed to far outweigh the University of Southwestern Louisiana disadvantages. The concept of the 1977 Mini Baja was furthered greatly through Louisiana State University the generosity of the Briggs & Stratton Corporation. They provided engines at no Lamar University cost to the participating universities in addition to covering all expenses of the Rice University awards banquet (SAE Technical Paper 780241). Stevens Institute of Technology University of Houston The 1977 winning entry from Auburn University was designed by six senior Auburn University Mechanical Engineering students in their terminal design course. The use of a University of Alabama group term project as a learning vehicle in design courses were gaining popularity Southern University with engineering educators and students. The six man student design team tackled the project by selecting a “chief engineer” to coordinate their activities. Each The competition was a two-day event with the first day dedicated to judging the person was assigned various specialties, and the first three to four weeks were vehicles on appearance, safety, design, and cost. The second day included all the spent gathering information, surveying the availability of relevant components, and performance events such as hill climb, draw-bar pull, acceleration, maneuverability, generally becoming acquainted with the competition rules. In the end, Auburn and the 15-mile endurance run. amassed 893 out of 1000 points at the competition. This was no landslide win, since the second place vehicle trailed by 11 points (SAE Technical Paper 780242). 3 4 History of Mini Baja® East History of Mini Baja® East 1978 1978 cont’d In 1978 the Mini Baja competition was divided into three regional events, all similar, fashion by frictional contact with the rear yet distinctly different. The Southwest Baja at Arizona State University featured a wheels. In spite of the inherent simplicity cross country race, the Southeast Baja at Florida Technological University (FTU) of the scheme, FTU discarded it in 1979 in required an amphibious vehicle and the Midwest Baja, sponsored by the SAE favor of 4WD water propulsion (SAE Milwaukee Section had a stringent noise requirement. Technical Paper 800541). When FTU was invited to host the 1978 Mini Baja, they decided to keep the same basic format but to include a deep-water hazard into the endurance race to be traversed each lap. Having competed in 1977, FTU realized that there were several schools who had more 1979 experience than they at building this type of vehicle and they wanted to force a complete Three regional competitions were held essentially repeating the same format as the redesign of all entries. 1977 competitions, but held at different locations. Oregon State University sponsored the Southwest Baja, the University of South Florida sponsored the Nine schools participated in the Southeast Southeast Baja, and Milwaukee sponsored the Midwest Baja again. Mini Baja. A panel of judges from both industry and academia judges the vehicles in the One would have to have seen both the 1978 and 1979 Southeast Mini Baja following categories: consumer appeal, competitions to appreciate the progress that had been made. The 1978 FTU vehicle, safety, design,

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