Georgia Southern University Mechanical Engineering Students to Race in International 2012 Mini Baja Competition

June 6, 2012

Georgia Southern University mechanical engineering students will compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Mini Baja competition from June 7-10 in Madison, WI.

During the competition, which includes students from colleges and universities from around the world, Georgia Southern students will race the Baja-style off-road vehicle that they have spent a year designing, manufacturing and testing.

“This competition is much more than a race,” said Georgia Southern professor and faculty advisor Brian Vlcek, Ph.D. “Students must defend the engineering principles that went into the design of their vehicle to a panel of judges and pass a grueling safety inspection before they are allowed to even start their engine. The team then participates in a day of events that include acceleration, maneuverability, hitch-pull, mud-bogging and a four-hour endurance test. Typically, less than 25 percent of vehicles that begin the competition make it to the end of the events.”

Last year, Georgia Southern’s Eagle Motorsports team placed 12^th in the competition and the team hopes to improve on that finish this week in Madison. To keep track of the team’s progress, please visit http://cost.georgiasouthern.edu/racing/.