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University of Akron Wins SAE Mini-Baja(R) Midwest

9 June 1999

University of Akron Wins SAE Mini-Baja(R) Midwest

    WARRENDALE, Pa., June 7 -- Battling 90-degree heat and a
rugged course, the University of Akron drove to victory in the Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Mini Baja(R) Midwest in Troy, Ohio
yesterday.
    Akron scored 631 total points to 622 points for the runnerup Centro
Federal de Educacao Tecnologica de Minas, a Brazilian team.  A Canadian team,
Ecole de Technologie Superieure, from Quebec, finished third with 606 points.
    SAE Mini-Baja(R) Midwest provides engineering students from throughout the
world with the opportunity to design, fabricate and test an off-road vehicle
that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain.  An 8-horsepower
Briggs & Stratton engine powers each vehicle.
    By competing against other teams, students learn real-world lessons in
project management, teamwork, communication, design and manufacturing.  Points
are given in nine competitive categories which include cost analysis,
mechanical design, safety, acceleration, top speed, braking, skid pull, hill
climb, maneuverability and endurance.  The team accumulating the highest total
points over the three days of competition is recognized as winner of the
competition at the Sunday evening banquet.
    The four-hour endurance race, which was run on Sunday, tests the vehicle
and driver's ability to complete the greatest number of laps with the least
amount of time lost due to breakdowns and pit stops.
    The Mini Baja Midwest is one of eight annual student design competitions
sponsored by SAE as part of the Collegiate Design series.  For more
information about SAE's Collegiate Design Series, visit the website at
http://www.sae.org/students/student.htm.

    MINI BAJA(R) MIDWEST TOP TEN (including ties)

   1.   University of Akron, Akron, Ohio                                631
   2.   Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica de Minas, Belo           622
         Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
   3.   Ecole de Technologie Superieure, Montreal, Quebec, Canada       606
   4.   West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia             592
   5.   University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin                     584
   6.   University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois            575
   7.   University of Portland, Portland, Oregon                        574
   8.   Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama                              568
        Indiana Institute of Technology, Fort Wayne, Indiana            568
   9.   Mississippi State University,  Mississippi State, Mississippi   561
   10.  Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio                   556