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California State University at Los Angeles has had
excellent results in previous Baja competitions. The team has four
overall first place finishes and numerous top ten results. The CSULA
Baja cars are built to survive the demanding tests of the competition.
Listed below is a chronological summary of previous results.
1983 1st place winner
1995 6th place overall
In 1995, after an extended hiatus, CSULA resumed its participation in
the Baja competition with the help of Dan Roberto and Dr. Richard
Roberto. The 95 team built a vehicle that was narrow in width, but
which incorporated many of the design fundamentals of the 80's era
vehicles. Although the 95 vehicle did not win, the team placed 6th
overall. More importantly, the efforts of the 95 team were successful
in reigniting student interest in the Baja competition at CSULA.
1996 1st place winner
With a renewed interest in Baja within the mechanical engineering
department, the 95 car was dismantled and some of its parts were reused
in a redesigned Baja vehicle. Although the 96 vehicle did not perform
well in several events on the first day, the team dominated the
Endurance event and garnered enough points to secure the overall
victory.
1997 37th place overall
The 97 vehicle design was intended to be sleeker, lighter, faster and
more maneuverable. Throughout the year, however, the team struggled with
participation and finances. Due to SAE competition rules, the 97 team
was not able to use the prior teams car parts. At the competition, the
team encountered repeated problems with its braking system and earned a
disappointing 37th place.
1998 1st place winner
The 98 team addressed issues of organization and structure which
plagued the '97 team early to avoid money and time constraint issues. At
the competition in El Paso, Texas, the 98 vehicle placed within the top
4 in all four events including 1st in the Endurance race, 2nd in
Acceleration, 2nd in the Hill Climb, and 4th in Maneuverability. The '98
team won the 1st place trophy for CSULA once again.
1999 1st place winner
With a shortened time schedule due to the impending facilities
renovation, the decision was made to rebuild the 97 car. The team
redesigned the front section of the frame, the front and rear
suspension, and the braking system to correct the problems the 97
vehicle had experienced at competition. With final assembly being
completed at the competition site, the experience of returning members
was enough to secure a victory.
2000-2002 - CSULA did not enter the Baja competition due to
facilities renovation
2003 28th place overall
With an entirely new team, the 2003 team had a difficult start to the
project. The vehicle design was finished much later than expected.
Subsequently, there was much less time for the team to build and verify
their design. The teams lack of experience and preparation was evident
in their 28th place finish.
2004 - 7th place overall
Learning from the mistakes of the 2003 team, the Baja team was
well prepared for its competition. The car was lighter and stronger, and
performed well in all categories of the competition. With outstanding
runs in the Maneuverability and Endurance events, the team placed 7th
overall in the nation.
Cal State L.A. Office of Public Affairs New Release: (May 2004)
Cal
State L.A. is Californias First-Place Winner at Baja West
2005 - 31st place overall
The 2005 team had several setbacks at the competition in Tucson,
Arizona. Following the first day mishap in the maneuverability
competition, the team had to repair several parts of the car. The
Endurance event was initially promising but a series of accidents
ultimately led to the team's disappointing retirement.
Previous results for all competitors can be seen at SAE's
website
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