Goals

The primary team goal is to design and build a prototype single person four (4) wheel off road vehicle capable of several various terrain types. First and foremost in the design of a suitable vehicle is driver safety. The driver is protected by a full chrome-moly steel tubing roll cage, a five-point safety harness system, captive arm restraints, and a crash helmet. This will ensure that the driver is protected in the event of a roll over, or as competition history has shown, a vehicle rolling down a twenty five foot cliff. However, our efforts to design and build a car would be in vain if not for the effort spent developing a business case and marketing the concept to potential sponsors. It is the generous support of our sponsors, who are just as much a part of the team as each member, which makes the project possible.

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2006 Goals

The University of Louisville Mini Baja Team was extremely successful in 2005 at the Baja 100 Competition held at the Caterpillar Tinaja Hills Proving Grounds in Green Valley, Arizona. Our two entries finished 9th and 22 nd overall, placing amongst the top engineering schools at the premier international event. This was the most significant finish of record in the modern Mini Baja era since the University of Louisville rejoined the competition in 2003. However, there was plenty of room left for improvement in order for the team to remain among the top teams in the world in the Mini Baja series.

The team hopes to improve upon its past experiences and success for the West and Midwest competitions in 2006.

• Improve suspension performance by increasing the inclination of the front geometry. This will provide a better resistance to the observed diving of the nose of the car over jumps and will better protect the frame from damage.
• Maintain/Improve the overall steering response and capabilities of the car.
• Reduce the overall weight of the vehicle through careful planning and design.
• Improve the acceleration of the car through tuning of the CVT and the fixed gear reduction unit. This may involve a minor change to the gear ratio of the fixed gear reduction unit.
• Improve overall driver ergonomics by increasing the width of the driver compartment and by changing the incline of the rear roll hoop to permit a more reclined driving position. Also to be included are adjustment in the vehicle controls to permit a range of driver sizes.
• Finish the fabrication of the car by January 2005 to permit ample testing of the vehicle. This will provide the best opportunity at driver training and concept evaluation.
• Place in the Top 10 in both the West and Midwest Competitions. This will continue our performance from the previous year in the West and provide the best finish of record in the Midwest Competition for our team.

Meeting these goals will provide the best chances of continued success for the 2006 University of Louisville Mini Baja Team.