WINONA LAKE — Grace College’s ABET-accredited engineering program recently formed a team to compete in the Baja Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), an intercollegiate design competition where students design, build and race off-road vehicles.
The competition will be held May 1-4 in Marana, Ariz.
“I was really excited to participate in Baja SAE because it’s the culmination of the last three years of our education,” said Joshua Nakasone, a mechanical engineering senior at Grace. “We spent three years in the classroom learning about theory, but now we can apply that theory and really put it to the test.”
The project simulates real-world engineering, requiring students to meet deadlines, manage a budget and complete testing. For first-year teams like Grace, it’s often considered a success just to pass the inspections, as teams must familiarize themselves with a 132-page document of standard requirements, according to a news release from Grace.
“This is a massive project for our group size,” said Kelden Coccia, a senior engineering student at Grace. “Other colleges have teams of 30-plus students, so dividing that work among our six teammates gives each of us a large workload, but we know we have what it takes to tackle it.”
The Baja project requires a rigid timeline to ensure the kart is ready to race against nearly 80 other schools in May. The competition includes tests in maneuverability, hill climbing, sled pulling, shock testing, acceleration and endurance to determine which team built the best kart.
Nate Rulli, a senior mechanical engineering student, will serve as the kart’s driver and the team lead in the competition. “I’m excited to get this group together that has different skills and to harness those skills to do this project well and glorify God,” he said.
According to David Ray, the team’s faculty advisor and an assistant professor of engineering at Grace, the team is uniquely positioned for this type of small group work, as the program has fostered a strong camaraderie among classmates.
“Dr. Fred Wentorf, the chair of the Department of Engineering at Grace, has instilled a sense of community among the engineers so that by the time they get to their senior year, they’re like family,” said Ray.
Baja team member Graydon Brath noted the team's history of working together on similar projects, such as designing a buoy for Lake Wawasee in partnership with the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams.
“While we have experience working together in a smaller group setting and following through on projects, this competition will be a new challenge for us,” said Brath.
For the pilot season, the team is working on the Baja build as their senior project, but going forward, it will be offered as an extracurricular club. According to Ray, the engineering program hopes to build its Baja team each year and eventually expand the workshop to have a dedicated space for the club.
“This is an opportunity to show we can compete with the big schools,” said Ray. “I believe that we have something special here. This program not only builds solid technical engineers but also people who can share Christ in the workplace. That’s why I am here; I want to teach the next generation. It’s an exciting time for Grace Engineering.”
To meet the team and follow their progress on the journey to Arizona, watch the Baja docuseries on Grace’s YouTube channel.
The inaugural year of Baja SAE at Grace was made possible by a donor. To get involved with the group or to donate parts or services for the build, contact Professor David Ray at [email protected].