The Penn College Baja SAE team hopes to end its 2025 season on a high note this week at Baja SAE Carolina (Oct. 2-5). Penn College will compete against about 70 other colleges and universities throughout the United States, as well as a few international entries.
Baja SAE requires schools to design, manufacture and build a single-seat, all-terrain vehicle to survive various tests that challenge the students’ ingenuity and the car’s quality. The premier event is a four-hour endurance race over twisty terrain, consisting of numerous obstacles.
At their last competition – June’s Baja SAE Maryland – Penn College finished ninth out of 84 cars in the endurance race. It was the team’s 16th top-10 showing in the event since 2011.
John G. Upcraft, instructor of manufacturing and machining and faculty adviser to Penn College’s Baja SAE club, believes the team will once again excel in the endurance challenge.
“I’m probably more confident than I usually am just because of the amount of time we’ve had for testing and tuning," he said. "For the last race, we had new shocks, and we didn’t have much time to test and tune. We got the data we needed from that race to make necessary adjustments. Right now, it comes down to how diligent we are with our final assembly, making sure we don’t miss anything because it’s always the little parts that get you. I do think we have a top-10 car all-day long.”
In addition to the endurance race, the Penn College team will participate in a series of dynamic events, including maneuverability, suspension and traction, acceleration, and hill climb.
Baja SAE Carolina is scheduled for a motocross track in Gray Court, South Carolina.
“We competed years ago in South Carolina, but it wasn’t at this location,” Upcraft said. “I went on Google Earth to look at the area, and it doesn’t look too hilly. That’s good to know for our final tuning so we’re ready for the terrain.”
The 15-member Penn College team will depart late Tuesday night for the competition. Their performance in South Carolina can be monitored via the Baja SAE app, available for free on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Brian P. Rogers, of Kunkletown, drives the Pennsylvania College of Technology car in the endurance race last June at Baja SAE Maryland. The Penn College team will be competing later this week at Baja SAE Carolina in Gray Court, South Carolina.