Each year, students take the vehicle and complete in the annual Baja SAE competition, which involves evaluations such as technical inspection, cost, design, sales, acceleration, hill climb, specialty (rock crawl, suspension) and a 4-hour endurance race.

2021 

Project Baja

The primary goals for this first-year team were to pass inspection and to compete in and finish all events at the Baja SAE 2021 competition.

• Student Team Members: Sean Budowski, Jeffrey Davis, Sam Deleel, John Murray, Alexander Petrarca and Zachary Polak

• Adviser: Professor Jose Riofrio

• Client: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

2022

Baja Design/Build

The primary goals for this second-year team are to pass inspection and to compete in and finish all events at the SAE Baja 2022 competition.

• Student Team Members: Sam Deleel, John Murray and Zak Polak

• Adviser: Professor Jose Riofrio

Baja Front Suspension Redesign

Design a front suspension geometry that improves upon the current Baja performance. The new suspension must eliminate existing bump-steer, maximize overall travel, maximize contact patch between tires and ground and optimize the location of the roll center. The design must be adaptable to the existing Baja frame and manufacturable with current School of Computing and Engineering resources.

• Student Team Members: Jake Fitzpatrick and Brandon Held

• Adviser: Professor Jose Riofrio

Baja Data Acquisition System

Design and implement a measurement system for the QU Baja car, which must accurately collect data for engine speed, car speed and fuel level. The team must design an instrument cluster with gauges to display these values to the driver in real-time. In addition, the system must have a data-acquisition (DAQ) device that can log these and other data for testing and diagnostic purposes. The system must be low-power and be able to work off of the car’s on-board 12V battery. The whole system (sensors, displays, DAQ, wires, etc.) must be cleanly integrated into the car and have adequate protection from the harsh elements of the racetrack (mud, rain, etc.).

• Student Team Members: Ryan Johnson, Will Nocar and Joe Peck

• Adviser: Professor Jose Riofrio

2023

Baja Front End Redesign

The QU Baja Team had a successful first competition in Rochester, New York, this past summer. However, the off-road vehicle suffered significant front-end damage resulting from unwanted bump steer. For this project, a group of seniors was tasked to redesign and rebuild the front suspension and steering geometry to greatly reduce bump steer. The design must be durable and optimize steering and suspension performance. The work must be done in collaboration with the junior mechanical engineering students who form the current QU Baja Team.

• Student Team Members: Andre DelaCruz, Luca Mirra, Nick Buonaiuto and Jedd Gravel

• Adviser: Professor Jose Riofrio