All-terrain vehicle competition begins Friday, June 8

Most people would do anything they could to avoid driving their car through anything resembling a “mud bog.” But beginning Friday, more than 1,200 students will work hard to plow as far into the mud as they possibly can.

The 2012 Baja SAE Competition hits Burlington, Wis. June 8-10, bringing 115 teams from numerous countries to test off-road vehicles they’ve designed in a barrage of rough terrain and water-based driving challenges.

“The competition’s premise is to apply engineering principles to design and build an all-terrain vehicle, then challenge other students from around the world,” says competition organizer and University of Wisconsin–Madison vehicle team adviser Glenn Bower.

Now in its 36th year, the competition aims to evaluate both the cost and performance of each team’s vehicle.

Vehicle performance will be determined in a series of dynamic events, which include the aforementioned mud bog — a trough of mud two feet deep that teams will attempt to drive through for as long as possible — plus a sled pull, acceleration challenges and a four-hour endurance run where teams must keep their vehicle running as long as possible, repairing their vehicle mid-race if it breaks down.

The Baja SAE Competition is made possible with help from SAE Milwaukee and a staff of volunteers made up of UW vehicle team alumni, who will help organize and judge each event. The competition will take place at the MGA Research Corporation Proving Grounds at 5000 Warren Road, Burlington, Wis.

Schedules and more information can be found on the competition website here.