Daniel DiGiovannantonio (left), graduates Kara Bishop (left-middle) Timothy Melcher (right of car), and current officers Travis Kurth and Blake Hodges gather around their Baja Racer before the race in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on May 12, 2024. (Courtesy of Andrew Mansfield, BAJA SAE Club Faculty Advisor)
Kara Bishop sits behind the wheel of the Baja Racer as it undergoes its last check before it begins competition. (Courtesy of Andrew Mansfield, BAJA SAE Club Faculty Advisor)
Editor's Note: The Eastern Echo staff is meeting regularly with interesting people both on and off campus. To share those conversations with our audience, we'll be presenting a weekly Q&A. This week, the president of the campus Baja SAE Club shares some insights on the race and the car.
Walking into Sill Hall at Eastern Michigan on a Friday afternoon, it's easy to get lost in the long corridors of one of the most technologically advanced buildings on campus. A class, or a visit with a professor might be the draw. Or, like some, the lure is the sight of a car with the engine exposed sitting downstairs near the roundabout entrance. A little farther down the hall and to the right, is the home of the Eastern Michigan Baja SAE Racing Club and its president, New Jersey native Daniel DiGiovannantonio. The team is working on its Baja off-road racer in a garage that doesn’t quite feel like it should be only two or three doors down from the 3D printing room.
Organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the International Baja SAE challenges college engineering students to build small, off-road cars that can withstand harsh elements and rough terrain. The vehicles produced often resemble dune buggies.
On a recent Friday afternoon, DiGiovannantonio offered a tour of the garage, and some thoughts about the project.
Q: So, what does the Baja Club do? And, on what races does the team focus?
DiGiovannantonio: The Baja Club is designing and building a car this year for the race in Mechanicsville, Maryland, on June 12. Baja SAE usually has about three races: one spring, one summer, one fall. The fall race was actually just held up in Mount Holly, (Michigan), but we decided to choose the summer race that was next closest to us. We usually only do about one a year.
Q: What does preparation for a race require?
DiGiovannantonio: Baja racing is ultimately about going as fast as you can for as long as you can. We have to sort of work around some things and find the material that is the lightest, cheapest, and the best fit to make our car.
Q: Do you drive it?
DiGiovannantonio: [Laughs] We don’t technically have anyone able to drive it right now. Our car was designed for a previous driver who was 5-foot-5 and the seat belt needs to be adjusted for proper safety on taller drivers.
Q: So what brought you to the Baja Club here at Eastern?
DiGiovannantonio: I joined the club because I had an interest in automotive engineering. I went out of my way to apply to schools that only had a Baja team with the intention of joining, and it’s been extremely rewarding.
Q: How long have you been here at Eastern, and in the club?
DiGiovannantonio: I transferred here (to Eastern) last year, and I joined in September. I worked on various projects, mostly with the controls. I was elected president for this year, and I chose to accept and make my project and research about the drivetrain.
Q: What kind of project?
DiGiovannantonio: The mechanical engineering seniors from my class all came together and joined the club in some officer roles and we are using the drivetrain as our senior capstone project. We’re going to be working on looking at how various friction elements effect power loss and conversion.
Q: What’s your favorite memory of the club, something that you’ve done?
DiGiovannantonio: That would be completing my first machining process for the gas pedal. It was the first time I’d really ever metal worked and it was very fulfilling to see it through to completion.
Q: Do you need to be in the mechanical engineering major to join?
DiGiovannantonio: No, we actually have a few officer positions for non-majors, you need to be shop trained by our faculty advisor though. Usually that happens one or two times a semester so make sure to check out our Discord for information on that. The flyer is located throughout Sill Hall or in front of our room, Sill Hall 111.
The BAJA SAE Club is one of many on-campus clubs sponsored by GameAbove, which provides grants for the team’s equipment and travel costs. Students in the club have the opportunity in June to travel to Mechanicsville, Maryland, where the hard work they’ve put in throughout the year building the racer will give them networking opportunities with such companies as Polaris and Williamsport
That leaves around eight months for the team to redesign and refit the driver’s compartment and seat, and work out the kinks -- such as the rear suspension wrapping around itself when the car isn’t under load. For all the fun they have, it is still an endurance race, and safety is paramount.
