SMT were delighted to recently sponsor the Chico State Racing Team for the Baja SAE Oregon competition.

The objective of this competition was to provide SAE student members from around the world, with a challenging project that involved design, planning and manufacturing tasks, in order to build an off-road vehicle that would survive the severe punishment of rough terrain.

Each team was supplied with the same unmodified Briggs and Stratton single-cylinder engine, meaning that the real test came with the creation and implementation of the gearbox.

By having access to SMT’s innovative and pioneering MASTA software, the team were able to streamline and refine their design, analysis and manufacturing processes, which resulted in them building a gearbox that they were confident would stand up to the tough challenges that the vehicle would face.

“Without the support of SMT, our team would not have been so successful this year!

Using MASTA 8, we were able to design and build an even greater gearbox.

With the analysis done, the team were able to achieve a 36% weight reduction from our first iteration while creating a more durable system.

At the Baja SAE Oregon competition, the car was able to thrive in the drivetrain events taking podium finishes for the first time ever.

The team were able to achieve a third-place finish in ‘hill climb’ and a second-place finish in ‘acceleration’!”

– Edgar, Chico State Racing Team

SMT would like to congratulate the team on winning their first podium titles.

We are very proud of their achievements and we look forward to seeing where their next competition takes them.

To find out more and to support the team in their next campaign, visit their website and Facebook page.