101: Blizzard Baja

Team Background
Michigan Tech’s Blizzard Baja Enterprise builds a single-seat, off-road competition vehicle to compete in the SAE Collegiate Design Series-Baja SAE events held in various locations across the US. The team prepares and presents a written design report, cost analysis, and sales presentation for a panel of SAE judges. After passing a rigorous safety and technical inspection, we compete with other collegiate teams on acceleration, hill climb, maneuverability, suspension and endurance. The Blizzard Baja Enterprise also organizes and hosts the Winter Baja Invitational event, a long-standing university tradition dating back to 1981.

Project Overview
Our team custom fabricates an all-terrain single-seater vehicle that is intended to improve performance and driver experience in order to ultimately make an affordable alternative to the existing side-by-side industry. Blizzard Baja strives to do all that we can to make our vehicle faster, more responsive, and lighter each year. We directly work with our sponsors to gain helpful industry insights that help us to improve our design and product pitch. With the help of an engine dyno, wheel force transducer, and finite element analysis, we can acquire real-life loads and performance curves to tune and improve our current components. Through research, development, continuous testing and sponsor relations we have successfully cultivated a team who produces a vehicle that competes in wheel-to-wheel racing at the national level.

Team Leaders
Olivia Vargo, Mechanical Engineering and Kurt Booms, Mechanical Engineering Technology

Advisor
Kevin Johnson, Mechanical Engineering Technology

Sponsors
General Motors, Aramco Americas, Denso, SAE International, Magna, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Halla Mechatronics, Meritor, Oshkosh Corporation, Ford Motor Company, John Deere, Nexteer, IPETRONIK, FEV, Milwaukee Tool, Altair, Henkel, ArcelorMittal, Enterprise Manufacturing Initiative funded by General Motors, TeamTECH