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| Racing team readies baja car for November race |
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Posted: Friday, October 23, 2009 2:13 pm
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What does a University of Tennessee at Martin engineering professor, several engineering alums and the Tennessee Technology Center at McKenzie have in common? Each contributes to a 12-member team that has built a racecar to compete in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, Nov. 19, in Ensenada, Mexico. The Class 1 desert racecar will be shown to the public at 11:30 a.m., Monday, Oct. 26, in the north patio area of UT Martin’s Boling University Center.
Dr. Bob LeMaster leads the team with assistance from UT Martin engineering grads Brian Boggs, Ashley Owens and Jonathon Kolwyck. Jimmy Kee, who teaches welding at the Tennessee Technology Center, and his former students Matt Jackson, Jason Young, Shay Barksdale and Kyle McConnell, have also played a major role in the car’s construction. The car was recently certified by SCORE International, the race organizer, and the car will wear number 107 during the race.
The Baja 1000 is the longest and most difficult off-road race in the Western Hemisphere and is rivaled on the world stage only by the Dakar Rally in western Africa, LeMaster said. The race attracts cars from across the United States and will feature cars from 20 countries. This year’s race will be 672 miles long and will start and end in Ensenada. Several television specials about the race will be broadcast in early December, he added.
LeMaster became interested in building the car through the university’s participation in the Baja SAE competition. He annually advises UT Martin engineering students who construct a small Baja racecar that competes against teams from other universities. Welding students from the Tennessee Technology Center at McKenzie have frequently assisted with the fabrication of these cars. His work with students sparked LaMaster’s interest in building the current Class 1 desert racecar.
The car is about 18 feet long, weighs 3,800 pounds, has a 650 horsepower custom-built engine, and 35-inch tires with 24 inches of suspension travel. The car was designed to reach speeds of 150 mph.
“The shock technology used in this form of racing is more advanced than that used in other forms of motorsports,” LeMaster said.
“Although the terrain is very rough, the ride inside the car is amazingly smooth.” During the technical inspection, SCORE Race officials told LeMaster that “you guys have a serious entry,” and that they “could not recall another unlimited-class desert racecar being entered from the state of Tennessee.”
LeMaster said that there are typically 30 cars in the class, but because of the extreme nature of the course, only half the cars in the class are likely to finish.
The car is being entered by West Tennessee Baja LLC and driven by LeMaster and Matt Jackson. Brian Boggs will navigate and serve as a back-up driver.
The car is equipped with a satellite tracking system that will allow race officials to monitor the location of the car along with its speed and orientation. Race officials positioned hundreds of miles away will know instantly if the car has been involved in an accident or is not moving.
The navigator is responsible for radio communications, monitoring the engine operating parameters and keeping the car on track using a GPS system.
The car is also equipped with an on-board fire suppression system that will automatically activate in the event of a fire. The logistics of competing in an off-road endurance race are demanding, with pit stops located approximately 150 miles apart, LeMaster said.
Fuel, tires and spare parts needed at each pit stop must be determined in advance and positioned at appropriate points one to two days before the race begins. A chase vehicle, equipped with extra fuel, spare tires and parts will follow the racecar as closely as possible.
In the event of a breakdown or accident, the chase team must locate and provide assistance as quickly as possible. Participation in the race is expensive, and sponsorship is important, LeMaster said. BF Goodrich is providing access to tires with Kevlar reinforced sidewalls and pit support.
West Tennessee sponsors include Legens Hot Rod Shop, Fuqua Family Farms, Stewart Perkins Trucking, Pablo’s Pickles and Southern Custom Metalworks.
“The team believes that they will be representing West Tennessee at the race and would like to make it a true West Tennessee effort by having most of the sponsorship coming from West Tennessee companies,” LeMaster said, adding that more sponsors are needed and that there is still time for sponsors to become involved.
Some 300,000 are expected to attend the November race, but LeMaster and the race team aren’t intimidated. “I’ve always thought that if the only reason for not doing something is fear of failure, that that’s not a good enough reason not to do it,” LeMaster said.
The team will face many challenges during the race but will have overcome the biggest one simply by making it to the starting line.
The public is invited Oct. 26 to see the car and meet the race team.
More about the November race can be found on the Web at http://www.score-international.com/. |
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