By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
GSU engineering students in off-road competition
Placeholder Image

Georgia Southern University mechanical engineering students will compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers Mini Baja competition in Madison, Wis., starting today.
During the competition, which goes through Sunday and includes students from colleges and universities around the world, Georgia Southern students will race the Baja-style off-road vehicle they have spent a year designing, manufacturing and testing.
 “This competition is much more than a race,” Georgia Southern professor and faculty adviser Brian Vlcek said. “Students must defend the engineering principles that went into the design of their vehicle to a panel of judges and pass a grueling safety inspection before they are allowed to even start their engine. The team then participates in a day of events that include acceleration, maneuverability, hitch-pull, mud-bogging and a four-hour endurance test. Typically, less than 25 percent of vehicles that begin the competition make it to the end of the events.”
Last year, Georgia Southern’s Eagle Motorsports team placed 12th in the competition. To keep track of the team’s progress, visit http://cost.georgiasouthern.edu/racing.

Sign up for the Herald's free e-newsletter