RAPID CITY - South Dakota School of Mines & Technology's underclass Mini Baja team finished in seventh place during the 2007 Mini Baja West competition May 23-26 in the Rapid City area.

The contest pitted Tech against nearly 100 teams from across the country and around the world and tested the team's ability to design, fabricate and race an off-road vehicle. Tech also raced a senior team vehicle, which finished in 11th place overall. The underclass vehicle also took eighth place in the sales portion of the competition. (For video of the event, click here.)

The Baja cars were judged on design, cost and safety. Teams gave presentations about their cars and showed off their performance during hill climb, maneuverability and acceleration events. The Baja cars and drivers were also put to the test during the four-hour endurance race over rugged terrain that tested the durability of each vehicle.

"The competition was a complete success," team member Kristerfer Olson said. "Teams thought we provided a true Baja course - one that challenged the vehicles and took them to their limits."

Mini Baja simulates real-world engineering design projects and their related challenges.

Engineering students design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the punishment of rough terrain. The object of the competition is to provide students with a challenging project that involves the planning and manufacturing tasks found when introducing a new product to the consumer industrial market.

For more information on competition rules or for a complete team listing, go to http://students.sae.org/competitions/bajasae/sdsm/.