UTSA Baja Team – Roadrunner Racing
Woods Cycle Country is proud to announce that we are one of the sponsors of Roadrunner Racing, a team of students at UTSA who are constructing an off road vehicle to race in the annual SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) off road competition.
Roadrunner Racing is a student based engineering team at The University of Texas at San Antonio. With over thirty students of various academic levels, they design, manufacture, and compete their racecars in the annual SAE International collegiate competitions. This non-profit organization offers a unique opportunity for students to apply their course work to learn proper engineering and manufacturing skills. Contestants are given the challenge to build an off-road vehicle that can withstand the harsh terrain and obstacles presented to them at competitions. Through these exercises, the competitors learn teamwork, leadership, and project management skills. UTSA has a history in the Baja SAE competitions, but in the past decade or so has been absent. This year, the UTSA Baja Team is planning to make a full comeback!
The Baja SAE International competitions are the pinnacle of the year and the proving grounds for the vehicle that they constructed. Hosted by the Society of Automotive Engineers, competitions are held at three Universities across the US, as well as others around the world, every summer. Over 100 teams representing universities worldwide participate at each competition. These competitions last a full weekend and consist of point valued criteria to determine the best engineered vehicle.
- Day 1 – Static Events – The first day consists of technical inspections, cost and sales presentations, and the engineering design presentation. Cost and sales presentations are judged based on our ability to manufacture and produce a cost effective product. The design presentation is judged by industry engineering professionals on how practical our designs and applications are.
- Day 2 – Dynamic Events – The second day gives the team a chance to show off their vehicle over multiple timed courses like rock crawl, mud bog, hill climb, maneuverability, acceleration, and suspension traction. These courses will test the vehicles to their limits with one ridiculous obstacle after another. If the vehicle makes it through these courses they receive point values towards their final score.
- Day 3 – Endurance Race – The third and final day begins with a 4 hour endurance race against all 100 teams over a 1-3 mile course. These courses embrace the local terrain with added obstacles like rock beds, log pits, and mud bogs to name a few. This makes each track unpredictable and extremely competitive. The team with the most laps at the end of four hours receives the most points for the day.
Roadrunner Racing is currently in the design stage of their car. With the exception of the engine (which is provided by the SAE) wheels, and tires, the team must design and build the vehicle from the ground up. While the students provide all of the labor, there are many expenses for travel and material which are not covered by the contest organizers. If you would like to offer some support (either material or financial) then please click here to download a UTSA Baja SAE Sponsorship Packet.
Team Leader
Chase Jaffray
Contact email
RoadrunnerRacing@gmail.com
Phone
(239) 425-7787
Mailing Address
ATTN: Baja SAE
1 UTSA Circle
Engineering Machine Shop
San Antonio, TX 78249
