SAE BAJA — Captain,Suspension & Vehicle Dynamics (Gas Monkeys Racing)
Suspension design, vehicle dynamics leadership, and test-driven tuning across BAJA ATV and kart platforms
What I built
Gas Monkeys Racing competed in SAE BAJA 2021, MEGA-ATV, and karting events. I worked across multiple vehicle generations with primary ownership of suspension systems and vehicle dynamics decisions.
Problem
Design and tune suspension systems that balance handling, durability, and manufacturability under competition constraints.
Approach
- Defined suspension geometry and dynamics targets using Lotus Shark,MATLAB and Milliken vehicle dynamics principles
- Applied DFMEA-style risk analysis to identify and mitigate high-risk suspension failure modes
- Iterated designs based on field testing, driver feedback, and manufacturability constraints
- Used Asana to track issues, design decisions, and cross-functional progress
Results
- Delivered suspension systems validated through iterative field testing across multiple vehicle builds
- Contributed to 2 SAE BAJA vehicle builds and supported 1 kart platform
- Developed strong dynamics intuition transferable to robotics systems