Baja SAE Oregon 2009 Preview
December 8, 2008
Fall term. By now the academic rust accumulated from the summer has been removed. Or did any rust even accumulate this summer? After all, the 2009 SAE Collegiate Design Series was less than a year away. If you spent your summer the way I did preceding Baja SAE, countless sketches of frame triangulation and suspension geometries filled the time between internship duties. Most of us automotive nuts have been sketching vehicles since childhood, and what better chance now than to sketch the wining vehicle, the one you design, build, test, and pilot at competition. It sounds almost too good to be true, school credit for designing an off-road vehicle, and resources to build and travel to compete- truly a unique opportunity!
Those of us on the 2009 Baja SAE Oregon Committee realize what an opportunity this is indeed. After all most of us are past competitors ourselves. And many of us were involved with hosting the 2004 Mini Baja West and 2006 Mini Baja West competitions. So what does that mean to you, the competitor? If our efforts pay off, you should expect another professional, well run event. Expect top notch facilities to spotlight your designs. Be ready for another difficult rock-crawl. And be prepared for an endurance event that will push the limits of your prototype vehicle.
We will again be utilizing the Expo Center for Day 1 activities. We feel this location is the ideal facility to present the fruit of your hard earned labor. With ample floor space, we will again spread out to allow the design judges to score on a predetermined time schedule. Since the West is the only Mini Baja event requiring detailed oral presentation, we will again provide professional conference rooms and seasoned professionals to judge your teams.
Day 2 & 3 will again be held at the Washougal MX Park in Washougal, Washington. For those who attended in 2006 and maybe 2004(for the real veterans), you know we held up our promise to provide a challenging endurance course that incorporated more than just the motocross track. There was a fast paced rough road past the pond, numerous off camber turns, plenty of whoop-dee-doos, a rocky short cut at the bottom of the meadow, and who would forget the logs? This time expect more of the same, with more obstacles to test your suspension and shake your kidneys. And this time we won’t count on Mother Nature to provide the wet stuff- a man-made mud section is already in the course plans.
Please bookmark and check our website [www.bajasaeoregon.com] frequently for updates. We have secured a group rate at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport [ web site or (503) 914-5250] where the banquet will be held. Please book your hotel rooms here using group name “Oregon SAE Baja” to support our planning efforts. Good luck completing your entries, and on behalf of the Baja SAE Oregon Committee, we look forward to another exciting event in the Northwest!
