For Immediate Release, 5/31/07
Delta College Engineering and Mechanical Technology Team Places 2nd in Baja Competition Event
Delta College “Baja West” Team
(Stockton, CA) San Joaquin Delta College’s engineering and mechanical technology students finished 2nd in one event, and 29th overall in the annual "Baja West" Society of Automotive Engineers competition.
Delta’s team traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota for the three day competition (May 24-26). This year’s Baja West competition included 91 university teams from the U.S., Mexico, Canada, South Korea, South Africa and France. The highlight of the competition includes a grueling 4-hour endurance race through the badlands of South Dakota. Delta’s new off-road vehicle was designed, fabricated, tested, documented and raced by Delta College students.
The Baja West competition consists of eight events: sales presentation, manufacturing cost analysis, design evaluation, hill climb event, acceleration event, maneuverability event, rock crawl and 4-hour
off-road endurance race.
Delta’s 2nd place finish came in the sales/design presentation to a panel of industry professionals. Sarah Radulovich and Christopher Wren gave the presentation, with assistance from David Jennings, Lorenzo Yanez, Kenny Wallace and Marshall Jones. In the design competition, Delta scored 84% of the highest possible score; Delta’s best ever result.
The off-road race venue took place on a ranch twenty miles east of Rapid City. The demanding course includes jumps, whoops, giant drops, sharp rocks, off-camber edges, gullies and steep hills.
Delta College machine technology instructor and team advisor Charles Robinson says the rock crawl is usually Delta’s best racing event. “Unfortunately, when it was our time to climb the rock pile, a severe thunder and lightning storm blew in and the event was canceled. This was disappointing, but beyond our control.”
Delta’s off-road vehicle ran strong through the harsh ranch course. The only mechanical problem came when Delta’s vehicle was forced into a tree, breaking the rear suspension. Driver Lorenzo Yanez made a quick repair with wire and zip-ties. He raced back to the pit. Delta’s crew quickly welded the suspension back together, resulting in minimal lap loss.
San Joaquin Delta College placed 29th overall out of 91 teams in the competition. “This strong finish is due to good design and a high level of craftsmanship,” says Ken Pekarek, Delta’s Diesel Technology instructor and team advisor. “Hard work by the pit crew, drivers and an overall commitment by team-members to a shared goal: to build and race a truly competitive Mini Baja vehicle is what led to our success.”
This was Delta College’s 7th year in the Baja competition. They hope to return next year to show the 4-year universities what a community college can do.
The overall winners were: 1st place-Auburn University, 2nd place-Oregon State, 3rd place-State University of New York, Stony Brook.
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