About Us
Eagle Racing Baja is an off road racing team, at Marquette University, that participates in the SAE International Baja Collegiate Design Series. In addition to the SAE International Competition in the Spring/Summer, Eagle Racing competes with their cars at 3 other "un-sanctioned" events each school each. For the past several seasons, Eagle Racing has attended Midnight Mayhem in Louisville KY, Backwoods Baja in Arkansaw WI, and Blizzard Baja in Houghton MI. The team is proud to say that they have placed in the top 5 several times at these competitions.
The team has high hopes for the upcoming international competition to return this year. Eagle Racing plans on racing Eagle 4, a not yet completed vehicle that Eagle Racing has spent the better part of a year designing. To follow along with all the builds, repairs, races, and madness that is Baja, please follow the blogs under "News" on this site and make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. |
The Eagle Cars
Eagle 1
Eagle 1 was the first car designed and built by Eagle Racing back in 2012, by its founding members. When the team was first started in 2011, they began work on designs for a baja car, with the intention of competing in the SAE Baja Collegiate Design Series. Knowing that many "first year" teams do not pass technical inspection at SAE International competitions, the team decided to focus on "crossing their I's and dotting their T's" so they can pass the inspection and focus on optimization later. Unfortunately, after a rear frame failure at their first competition in Washington, the team was forced to redesign the rear of the car, this time with stronger chromoly tubing.
After the rear frame of Eagle 1 was redesigned, cut apart, and re-welded, the team brought the car to Illinois for their second SAE International competition. Like any new team, issues still plagued the team, but this time, it was with the CVT and the steering. Once the competition was over, the team went back to the drawing board and had Eagle 1 operational for their first "un-sanctioned" competition, Backwoods Baja in the fall of 2014.
Backwoods Baja would be the last time the soft steel frame of Eagle 1 would haunt the team. Two hours into the spirited endurance race, one of Eagle Racing's drivers, rolled the car on a fast off camber turn. (1:00) The front of the car was crumpled and the car was not allowed back out onto the track. Luckily the driver was not harmed and team drove knowing a re-design was in the works. So, for the last time on the frame, the team went back to the drawing board, and that is more or less the car you see above. Besides changes in suspension, steering, and driver controls, Eagle 1 has remained mostly the same.
Eagle 1 spent a number of great years with the team, helping them learn and overcome tremendous obstacles. Everything great must come to an end though as Eagle 1 was retired in 2018 and is on display in Engineering Hall, on Marquette University's Campus. The car itself may be done racing, but the lessons learned with it have been passed on from team to team as we continue to race and innovate for the future.
After the rear frame of Eagle 1 was redesigned, cut apart, and re-welded, the team brought the car to Illinois for their second SAE International competition. Like any new team, issues still plagued the team, but this time, it was with the CVT and the steering. Once the competition was over, the team went back to the drawing board and had Eagle 1 operational for their first "un-sanctioned" competition, Backwoods Baja in the fall of 2014.
Backwoods Baja would be the last time the soft steel frame of Eagle 1 would haunt the team. Two hours into the spirited endurance race, one of Eagle Racing's drivers, rolled the car on a fast off camber turn. (1:00) The front of the car was crumpled and the car was not allowed back out onto the track. Luckily the driver was not harmed and team drove knowing a re-design was in the works. So, for the last time on the frame, the team went back to the drawing board, and that is more or less the car you see above. Besides changes in suspension, steering, and driver controls, Eagle 1 has remained mostly the same.
Eagle 1 spent a number of great years with the team, helping them learn and overcome tremendous obstacles. Everything great must come to an end though as Eagle 1 was retired in 2018 and is on display in Engineering Hall, on Marquette University's Campus. The car itself may be done racing, but the lessons learned with it have been passed on from team to team as we continue to race and innovate for the future.
Eagle 2
Eagle 2 was the second car designed, built, and raced by Eagle Racing. Unlike Eagle 1, this car was designed to be made out of all chromoly tubing, at various diameters and wall thicknesses. Eagle 2 underwent design in the fall of 2014 and underwent build in the spring of 2015. After 6 months of constant fabrication and welding, the car was completed from SAE International Competition in Portland, OR.
Unfortunately, due to issues with the brakes, the car was unable to pass SAE international Technical Inspection and the team could not race the car. After Oregon, the car competed at UW-Stout's backwoods baja, placing 11th out of 14 team. Then in February 2015, the car took a 5th place finish at Michigan Tech's Blizzard Baja. This was the first time Eagle Racing placed within the top 10 at any event. To finish off the school year, the car competed at SAE international 2016 in Rochester, NY. The car placed 34th our of 95 international teams. This was also Eagle Racing's best finish at an international competition. After the brakes were figured out, and the car went through constant weekend bench-marking and testing at Wisconsin Off-Road Adventures, it was clear Eagle Racing had designed a successful car.
After spending the summer working on new designs for Eagle 3, the team looked towards Midnight Mayhem in Louisville, KY, for Eagle 2 to make a podium move. This was the first time the team has ever competed at Midnight Mayhem, and thanks to all the hard work the team put in at the beginning of the school year, the team laid down very fast laps. The laps were so fast and so consistent, that it put the team within 2 seconds of second place, out of 90 cars. This podium finish would be the the best finish Eagle Racing has had until Backwoods Baja 2 weeks later.
Recently in early February of 2017, Eagle Racing competed with Eagle 2 at Blizzard Baja 2017. Instead of the fifth place finish they got last year, Eagle 2 got out in first earlier, and stayed out in first until the end of the 4 hour endurance race. This was the first win for the team and the first win ever for Eagle 2, not bad for a teams 5th year in the series.
Currently Eagle 2 is still operational to this day. It is scheduled to retire in 2021 following the completion of Eagle 4. The car can be seen in the Discovery Learning Center in Engineering Hall, on Marquette University's campus.
Unfortunately, due to issues with the brakes, the car was unable to pass SAE international Technical Inspection and the team could not race the car. After Oregon, the car competed at UW-Stout's backwoods baja, placing 11th out of 14 team. Then in February 2015, the car took a 5th place finish at Michigan Tech's Blizzard Baja. This was the first time Eagle Racing placed within the top 10 at any event. To finish off the school year, the car competed at SAE international 2016 in Rochester, NY. The car placed 34th our of 95 international teams. This was also Eagle Racing's best finish at an international competition. After the brakes were figured out, and the car went through constant weekend bench-marking and testing at Wisconsin Off-Road Adventures, it was clear Eagle Racing had designed a successful car.
After spending the summer working on new designs for Eagle 3, the team looked towards Midnight Mayhem in Louisville, KY, for Eagle 2 to make a podium move. This was the first time the team has ever competed at Midnight Mayhem, and thanks to all the hard work the team put in at the beginning of the school year, the team laid down very fast laps. The laps were so fast and so consistent, that it put the team within 2 seconds of second place, out of 90 cars. This podium finish would be the the best finish Eagle Racing has had until Backwoods Baja 2 weeks later.
Recently in early February of 2017, Eagle Racing competed with Eagle 2 at Blizzard Baja 2017. Instead of the fifth place finish they got last year, Eagle 2 got out in first earlier, and stayed out in first until the end of the 4 hour endurance race. This was the first win for the team and the first win ever for Eagle 2, not bad for a teams 5th year in the series.
Currently Eagle 2 is still operational to this day. It is scheduled to retire in 2021 following the completion of Eagle 4. The car can be seen in the Discovery Learning Center in Engineering Hall, on Marquette University's campus.
Eagle 3
Eagle 3 was completed in 2017 in time to compete in the SAE International 2017 in June at Peoria, Illinois. This car was based off the very successful and competitive chassis of Eagle 2. Overall, the car was designed to be shorter, wider, lighter, faster, stronger, and have a greater suspension capabilities than Eagle 2. The design leads for Eagle 3 were Gerald Zucca on the frame, Thomas Arlotta on the suspension, Zach Bernaden on the drivetrain, Jacob Krakauer on the driver controls and Alex Zucca on the steering.
Since its completion Eagle 3 has proven to be a better and stronger design than Eagle 2, leaving behind may of the Eagle 2 issues. That is not to say that Eagle 3 hasn't had it's own issues. The biggest challenge with Eagle 3 is that it wasn't build high enough off the ground causing the yellow bars you can see in the image above connecting the tires and body to snap any time something hits them, pulling us out of the race until repairs are made. This became an issue during a number of races. Fortunately our drivers learned fast not to hit anything on the track.
Eagle 3 is still in operation today, with no foreseeable plans of retirement. The car can be seen in the Discovery Learning Center in Engineering Hall, on Marquette University's campus.
Since its completion Eagle 3 has proven to be a better and stronger design than Eagle 2, leaving behind may of the Eagle 2 issues. That is not to say that Eagle 3 hasn't had it's own issues. The biggest challenge with Eagle 3 is that it wasn't build high enough off the ground causing the yellow bars you can see in the image above connecting the tires and body to snap any time something hits them, pulling us out of the race until repairs are made. This became an issue during a number of races. Fortunately our drivers learned fast not to hit anything on the track.
Eagle 3 is still in operation today, with no foreseeable plans of retirement. The car can be seen in the Discovery Learning Center in Engineering Hall, on Marquette University's campus.
Eagle 4
Eagle 4 is currently under development having been projected to be completed spring of 2020. Main focuses of this design are to correct the issues Eagle 3 had and bring it up to the new SAE Standards. Due to the 2020 COVID Pandemic, manufacturing of the car has been stopped until further notice. Looking into the future, the team has high hopes about having the car running and being tested by the summer of 2021 and look forward to racing during the 2021-2022 school year.
The Team
History
Eagle Racing, was only started 9 years ago, and it has been 8 years since the team competed in their first competition. In 2011, Jace Birschbach, David Klug, Joe Wieshar, Bryan Adams, Joseph Voldrich, and Patrick McCarthy all came together with the same idea to start up a baja team. With Engineering Hall having just been completed, the team new they had the space and majority of the resources available to them, they then looked to see how the materials for the car and money to run the team could be sourced. Luckily, Marquette University and other companies like Tankcraft Corp saw the potential of a baja team at Marquette. Marquette University gave Eagle Racing a small budget to start the team, and Tankcraft Corp gave the team the material they needed to actually build the car.
Since the birth of Eagle 1, the team has continued to gain more support from Marquette University as well as private sponsors, like Tankcraft Corp, Milwaukee Tool, Robinson Metal, Wisconsin Off-Road Adventures, Husco International, County Line Sugar Bush, Hayes Brakes, and Market Hatch Company. Through these sponsors as well as the facilities that Marquette University gives the team access to, allows the baja team to be an outlet for students to express their creativity as well as give them valuable experience they will need to succeed in "the real world". The Eagle Racing brand is growing every year from 5 active member when it started in 2011 to the 20 active members the team holds in 2020. We hope to continue growing our team and the support we get from the community.
Since the birth of Eagle 1, the team has continued to gain more support from Marquette University as well as private sponsors, like Tankcraft Corp, Milwaukee Tool, Robinson Metal, Wisconsin Off-Road Adventures, Husco International, County Line Sugar Bush, Hayes Brakes, and Market Hatch Company. Through these sponsors as well as the facilities that Marquette University gives the team access to, allows the baja team to be an outlet for students to express their creativity as well as give them valuable experience they will need to succeed in "the real world". The Eagle Racing brand is growing every year from 5 active member when it started in 2011 to the 20 active members the team holds in 2020. We hope to continue growing our team and the support we get from the community.
Current Team
Eagle Racing Baja is a student run organization, and because all decisions are made by the students, and E-Board was elected to make team decisions and help the team operate as one collective and successful unit. With the help of Marquette University and Eagle Racing's private sponsors, the E-board is apply to successfully run a competitive Baja team.
E-Board:
E-Board:
- President - Colton Gay
- Vice President - Truman Russell
- Treasurer - Hira Malik
- Eagle Legacy Manager - Oliver Waldron
- Testing Coordinator - Jack Killian
- Shop Manager - Zach Jensen
- Marketing Manager - Allison Zulfer
Disclaimer
Eagle Racing is a subsidiary of Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Eagle Racing is part of the Society of Automotive Engineers Collegiate Baja Design Series. It is a student run non-profit organization that receives funding through school and private sponsorships.