Baja SAE

All vehicles competing in the race must pass through Tech Inspection. The vehicles are checked by inspectors to make sure that teams adhere to the rules and safety standards set by SAE. New for the 2015 season is a required frame pre-check. All teams must submit frame documentation and frame drawings to be approved by SAE prior to the races.[3] Other parts of the car that are checked include the fuel cell, firewall, seat, and harness mounting. Due to COVID-19, the original 4WD rule change for the 2021 season was pushed back to the 2022 season. All cars starting in 2022 must utilize a 4WD drive train system.

Teams submit a cost report before races. The cost report may consist of a maximum of three sections: Overview (optional), Costing Sheets, and Cost Documentation. The optional overview "is intended to give each team the opportunity to point out, and briefly comment on, any design features or fabrication processes that are innovative or are expected to result in significant cost savings. Teams may also use the overview to explain items or processes that might appear to be discrepancies within the report."[3] "The core of the report is the series of costing sheets. This section must contain the one-page summary sheet broken up into the individual subsystems." [3] The Cost Documentation "includes copies of receipts, invoices, price tags, catalog pages, online prices, or other documentation, to substantiate the costs of the parts and materials of any item costing more than $30. Cost documentation must be at full retail US prices. The use of foreign receipts, purchases from discount sites such as Craigslist, EBay or junk yards are not allowed. Starting in 2016, transponders are no longer part of the cost report and therefore no documentation for them is needed either.[4] The report is expected to be comprehensive, well documented, truthful and accurate."[3] At the race, the ten teams with lowest cost in their cost report are then audited by an official. The official will go in depth to review the cost documents and compare them to the actual vehicle. Missing items or math errors will be added to the cost document and a penalty may be issued.

Design Judging is when teams have the opportunity to defend/explain the reasoning used behind designing their vehicle. Prior to the race weekend, a Design Report is submitted. This report is reviewed by the judges who will be judging the vehicle during the event. Taken from the SAE rules, "Students will be judged on the creation of design specifications and the ability to meet those specifications, computer aided drafting, analysis, testing and development, manufacturability, serviceability, system integration and how the vehicle works together as a whole...The vehicle that illustrates the best use of engineering to meet the design goals and the best understanding of the design by the team members will win the design event."[3]

Since the 2014 season, the sales presentation has been a standard static event at every race. The entire premise behind the Baja SAE competition is to compete for a fictitious contract to manufacture 4000 units a year. The sales presentation is pitching to a panel of "executives" of a hypothetical manufacturing company to try and convince them to purchase the team's vehicle design and can be able to give a boost to your overall performance. The presentation is limited to 10 minutes, with a 5-minute question period. "The presentation event will be scored based on such categories as

1. The content of the presentation

2. The organization of the presentation

3. The effectiveness of the visual aids

4. The speaker’s delivery, and

5. The team’s responses to the judge’s questions. The team’s score will be the average of the individual judge’s scores." [3] M,NBH3

The acceleration event is a measure of a vehicle's acceleration. The event is a 30.48 m (100 ft) or 45.72 m (150 ft) straight run from a standing start. The faster the time the more points the team will score. Every team can make two attempts with the best time counting for score. Vehicles with acceleration times that are more than 1.5 times that of the fastest vehicle will not receive a score for this event.

This event tests the vehicle's ability to climb an incline from a standing start or pull a designated object. Every team can make two attempts with the best time or distance counting for score.

Maneuverability is designed to assess each vehicle's handling ability over typical Baja terrain. The course may consist of a variety of challenges at the organizer's option, possibly including tight turns, pylon maneuvers, ruts and bumps, drop-offs, sand, rocks, gullies, logs, and inclines. Each vehicle may make two (2) runs with the best time, including penalties, counting for score. Only vehicles that complete the maneuverability course within a time not exceeding 2.5 times that of the fastest vehicle will receive a score.

There are minor and major penalties that can be given during the maneuverability event. A minor penalty is given when an obstacle/pylon is moved. A major penalty is given when a gate is missed. Missing a gate is classified as two or more wheels are outside of the gate. Every minor penalty adds 2 seconds to a vehicle's time, and every major penalty adds 10 seconds.

Univ. of Oklahoma vehicle after an extremely muddy endurance race at Kansas 2018.

Specialty Events are designed to test the vehicle under unique off-road conditions that might be available at some Baja SAE competition sites. Examples of specialty events are: Rock Crawl; Mud Bog; and Suspension. Specialty events will be announced at the time of opening of registration for a competition.

The endurance event assesses each vehicle's ability to operate continuously and at speed over rough terrain containing obstacles in any weather conditions. Endurance may be run for either time or distance. Endurance events for time usually run for 4 hours. Endurance events for distance continue until at least one car has gone the specified distance. The starting grid for endurance will be based on each team's performance in a previous dynamic event, or set of dynamic events, to be determined by the organizer. Endurance mainly checks the working capacity of the vehicle. Cars that break down during the race are removed from the track, and teams are able to make repairs to the car during the race.

SAE is planning on hosting an in person component to the yearly competition in 2021. All static events have been moved online, and the deadlines were pushed up to spread out the work to be done. The competition format during COVID-19 is set up to accommodate the national situation in 2021: there are only 2 competitions, teams are allowed to compete in only one competition, only 30 teams can attend a competition, and only 8 people from each team are allowed to participate. Two separate registration days were held: one for static events (which are called the knowledge events this year) and one for dynamic events (which are called the validation events this year).