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For over a decade, Ohio Northern University's participation in the SAE Baja competition was limited to a Mechanical Engineering senior design (capstone) team. The teams' experience was often one of frustration, generally ending in a car that placed low in the final competition standings, and some years could not even pass technical inspection. Six years ago underclassmen successfully petitioned to switch Baja to an all-volunteer team. The resulting transformation was dramatic. Though the new team received no class credit for their work, the number of hours spent on the project rose sharply. Continuity in personnel from year to year ensured that painful lessons were not repeated, and experience gained from competition and relationships with other schools' teams was put to good use. Planning for next year began the minute that the current year's competition was over, rather than the team putting it all behind them and moving on to their career.