[8/20/2010]--After competing in three international Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) events this year, UMBC finished in second place for the 2010 season. The UMBC Baja team is the number one team in the U.S. (first place went to Ecole de Technologie Superieure (ETS) of Montreal.).

In April the UMBC Baja team traveled to Greenville, South Carolina, to compete in the first SAE Baja race of the year. Along with 100 international teams, they competed in five dynamic events: acceleration, towing, suspension and traction and maneuverability. There were also static events such as design and cost. Impressively, UMBC placed 15th in the design category, and took the number one place for most cost-effective vehicle. In the end, UMBC placed sixth in the overall competition, the highest ranking in the history of the program.

In June the team traveled to Rochester, New York for the last SAE event. For the first time, the UMBC Baja team competed in a race that required water maneuverability. The system the team put together was built only days before the race, and finished 31st in that event. Once again, UMBC took first place for cost effectiveness.

“We were told we were doing things that no other team had ever done,” said Caroline Scheck, who is the only female member and project manager of the UMBC Baja team. She is entering her second semester as a master’s student this year.

“The program really pushes the envelope in terms of hands-on experience you can't get in class. Many of our team members get offers from top companies,” said Storck. One of the companies is their sponsor, Lockheed Martin, which supports the team financially along with the mechanical engineering department. One member, Sam Markkula, is currently an employee there.

Scheck, who has redesigned the gear box that will be used in the upcoming racing season, said the Baja team has provided her with an in-depth, hands-on engineering experience that would have been tough to get inside a classroom.

As team members graduate or get tied up by other obligations, the team worries who will keep UMBC Baja speeding along. Not only is it difficult to keep new undergraduates who show up to meetings interested in the program, but it’s also tricky generating attention for the team.

Team members Caroline Scheck, Steve Storck, Chuck Herbert, Sal Nimer, Dave Outen, Rich Glendening, Eric Meyer, Justin Jones, Pete Mech, James Clerkin and Sam Markkula are enjoying their title and look forward to events for 2011, and redesigning and improving the car.

(8/20/10)

Original Story: http://www.umbc.edu/window/minibaja10.html