Mini Baja vehicle under construction

"AND IT GETS GREAT GAS MILEAGE, TOO! . . ." Several New Mexico Tech engineering students are working hard to put the finishing touches on their "Mini Baja" racer. The team engineering design project is ahead of schedule, allowing the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to go through extensive road testing before it competes in the 2002 Mini Baja West, which will be held this year on the last weekend of April in Provo, Utah. During the annual three-day collegiate competition, teams from universities throughout the western United States subject their hand-built ATVs to a series of grueling off-road events, such as hill climb, maneuverability, acceleration, and endurance, as well as "real-world" manufacturing competitions in design, cost, safety, and sales presentation. Pictured admiring New Mexico Tech's latest entry in Mini Baja West are (on left) Peter Gerity, vice president for academic affairs at Tech, and (on right) Tech engineering student and Mini Baja team member Jason Kemp.