Mini Baja Team Finishes in Top 10
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology’s Mini Baja team finished in seventh place during the 2006 Mini Baja West competition, held in Portland, Oregon. The contest pitted the School of Mines against teams from across the country and around the world and tested the team’s ability to design, fabricate, and race an off-road vehicle.
In addition to the overall placing, the School of Mines was awarded an honorable mention for the Sportsmanship Award for helping another team rebuild their frame after it failed to meet technical inspection. Some of the School of Mines team members stayed up most of the first night to help finish the task.
The Baja cars were judged on design, cost, and safety. Teams gave presentations about their cars, and showed off their performance during hill climb, maneuverability and acceleration events. The Baja cars and drivers were also put to the test during the four-hour endurance race over rugged terrain that tested the durability of each vehicle.
Mini Baja simulates real-world engineering design projects and their related challenges. Engineering students are tasked to design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain. The object of the competition is to provide students with a challenging project that involves the planning and manufacturing tasks found when introducing a new product to the consumer industrial market.
