RIT hosting international collegiate racing event June 3-5

Rochester, New York — Baja SAE Rochester 2022 marked its start on Friday.

In order to take a part in the off-road racing event, taking place June 3-5, national and international collegiate Baja racecars started arriving at RIT.

RIT’s Baja race team will be competing against over 100 collegiate teams from the United States, Canada, India, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela.

Teams must go through hours of technical and safety inspections to ensure their vehicles are qualified to compete for the first two days.

On Sunday, the battle begins – a four-hour endurance race at Palmyra Racing Association at Hogback Hill takes place to determine the winner – in a competition that is not for the faint of heart.

According to Marty Gordon, an organizer for the event, the winner will be determined on more than just their racing abilities.

“The teams are judged on their design, and they also have to give a sales presentation, sort of like Shark Tank – sell their business to a group of investors,” Gordon said. “It’s all to mimic what they might see in the industry, and prepare them to hit the ground running.”

This year is the eighth time RIT has hosted the event.