Jefferson County, Wisconsin, Site for SAE 2004 Midwest Mini Baja Competition, June 3-6

Jefferson WI, (May 24, 2004) - Over 1,000 students and advisors representing 136 collegiate teams are set to converge on Jefferson County, Wisconsin, for the SAE 2004 Midwest Mini Baja Competition. The event, sponsored by the SAE Milwaukee Section, will be held June 3rd-5th at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds and conclude on June 6th at the Aztalan Motocross Track in Lake Mills, WI. Part of the 2004 SAE Collegiate Design Series, it is the final of three Mini Baja events held this year in North America.

The event is the culmination of a hands-on curriculum which challenges student teams to transition engineering theories to real-world application by building and operating an off-road (dune-buggy style) vehicle. Each team is provided a 20-cubic inch OHV Intek engine (10 hp), courtesy of Briggs and Stratton Co. The rest of the vehicle must be designed and fabricated to meet safety standards, production cost limits, and the functional requirements of the competition.

Each team has its own approach to solving design problems and, as a result, each vehicle is distinctly unique in its form and function. The event is an exciting conclusion to the work of these student teams and has distinct motor sports flair, with vehicles, pit-area activity, and spectators. The event is free to attend but has but has limited amenities for spectators. The general schedule of events is as follows:

Thursday, June 3rd: Static Displays/Judging - Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Jefferson, WI
During the day, each of the vehicles will undergo a strict safety/design inspection. Teams will also present oral sales presentations to contest judges, which are not open to the public, as scheduled.

Friday, June 4th: Static displays/ Practice - Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Jefferson, WI
Day #2 will conclude the safety inspections and will also give the teams and their pit crews a chance to practice with their vehicle and work out any mechanical problems.

Saturday, June 5th: Dynamic Testing - Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Jefferson, WI
On Saturday teams will "start their engines" for a series of dynamic tests to determine how well their vehicles perform. Maneuverability, handling, acceleration, braking, and pulling capacity are all evaluated as each vehicle runs 'solo' through the tests.

Sunday, June 6th: Endurance Event - Aztalan Motocross Track, Lake Mills, WI
The competition will roar to an exciting climax with a rigorous, non-stop endurance event. The goal is to finish the most laps, over land and water, in the allotted time. The race weighs heavily on the overall point scale and truly tests the limits of both the vehicles and teams.

For additional information, please visit the event website at http://www.geocities.com/saemilwaukee/. Media inquires or questions regarding the SAE Collegiate Design Series may be forwarded to Mark Burd, SAE Corporate Public Relations, at 1-800-441-2919 or mburd@sae.org.

Editors Note: Journalists and photographers are encouraged to attend this event. All days will provide the opportunity to interview organizers, participants and sponsors. The dynamic events on June 5-6 are the most exciting for capturing images and witnessing the true competitive nature of the event. SAE Corporate Public relations will be on-site to assist media with scheduling interviews and capturing images. For safety, all media persons will be provided a "spotter" while working in the active vehicle zone.