Penn College Baja team registers another top-10 finish

Pennsylvania College of Technology added to its storied history in Baja SAE competitions with a ninth-place showing out of 84 schools in the recent endurance race at Mechanicsville, Maryland.

Baja SAE compels teams to design, manufacture and assemble a single-seat all-terrain vehicle to withstand various tests that challenge students’ engineering acumen and car performance. The premier event is the four-hour endurance race over rugged terrain, featuring changing elevations, obstacles and tight turns.

The clutch performance at Baja SAE Maryland represents the 16th time Penn College has recorded a top-10 finish in the endurance competition since 2011.

“The team was happy to come back to the Baja room on campus and change the number of top-10 finishes on our wall,” said John G. Upcraft, instructor of automated manufacturing and machining and faculty adviser for the Penn College Baja SAE club. “I’m proud of the team’s performance. We have a lot of freshmen who had never been to a Baja competition.”

Penn College began the endurance race in the 19th slot and climbed to 11th after two hours, despite two rollovers. The team reached as high as fifth but had to pit for an extra fuel stop late in the event, which resulted in the ninth-place finish. Twenty-eight cars failed to complete 20 laps. The Penn College No. 37 car was one of nine to record at least 54 laps.

Justin A. Moser, of Nesconset, New York, and Brian P. Rogers, of Kunkletown, both majoring in manufacturing engineering technology, split the driving duties for Penn College. “I’m really pleased with how both Justin and Brian drove, considering it was their first time in the endurance race,” Upcraft said.

The University of Michigan won the event, but Penn College’s ninth-place result bested the likes of Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Illinois.

Without contingency planning, the team wouldn’t have competed in the endurance race. Two days prior, a jump on the practice track claimed the car’s gearbox output shaft, which carries power from the transmission to the wheels. Fortunately, Penn College had a spare output shaft and swapped it with the broken one.

The next day offered a fresh challenge, courtesy of the Kohler single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled gasoline engine required of all Baja SAE teams. Penn College’s engine kept cutting out during the first three of four dynamic events: acceleration, hill climb and maneuverability.

“At first, we replaced the carburetor, and that didn’t fix it,” Upcraft said. “Then we decided to change the engine. We came to the race with three backup engines. It took the students three hours to change the engine, and we went out and completed the suspension and traction event.”

Penn College finished 23rd in suspension and traction, 19th in acceleration, 26th in maneuverability and 32nd in hill climb.

“Our main focus is always the endurance race, and I don’t think our placements in the dynamic events reflect the effort and the quality of the team that I have,” Upcraft said. “This team worked really well together. There was nobody sitting in a chair watching other people work. When we had a problem, everybody knew what they should be doing. Nobody lost their cool.”

“I was especially proud of how we handled challenges,” added Casey B. Campbell, of Kennerdell, who, after graduating last month with a bachelor’s degree in engineering design technology, participated in his last Baja SAE competition. “When our gearbox output shaft broke on Friday, the team came together and got the job done. When we needed to change the engine on Saturday, we got it done. And when we needed to show up early and stay late to get ready for the endurance race, there were no complaints.”

To prepare for SAE Maryland, the Penn College students spent months upgrading the car’s shocks to improve the absorption of bumps and tire contact with the ground. Upcraft said the new shocks performed well but require additional tuning. He’s confident that adjustment – combined with more practice time for the drivers – will result in a better showing at the next competition: Baja SAE Carolina, scheduled for Oct. 2-5 in Gray Court, South Carolina.

“I feel like at the next race, we’re going to kill it because I know these guys and how well they work together,” he said.

In addition to Campbell, Moser and Rogers, members of the Penn College team who competed at Baja SAE Maryland included manufacturing engineering technology students Jacob A. DeCray, Douglassville; Benjamin J. Hawkins, Aaronsburg; James T. Johnson, Manheim; Trevor J. Lindsay, Mechanicsburg; Jack J. Shea, Pittstown, New Jersey; and Landen Witmer, Dauphin. Other team members were Brock J. Dunkelberger, Catawissa, and Camren J. Ferrara, Lock Haven, both majoring in engineering design technology; Luke T. Rockey, Morrisdale (engineering CAD technology); Matthew J. Rotundo, Abingdon, Maryland (electric power generation technology: diesel emphasis); and Davis I. Rowell, Boalsburg (heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis and technician emphasis).

The Penn College Baja SAE club is generously supported each year by industry, alumni and friends of the college. The team commits countless hours outside of class during the academic year designing and manufacturing 90% of the 345-pound car’s parts.

Penn College is a national leader in applied technology education. Email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222 for more information.