Victory Drive

Out of 244 teams selected for the Virtual BAJA 2012 in Bengaluru,Team Pegasus from PES Modern College of Engineering,Pune,was among the first to qualify for the top 100 slot. This was followed by many months of toil which paid off at the finals of BAJA SAE 2012 which were held at Pitampura grounds,Indore,last week. The 14-member team of PES Modern CoE stood second for their all-terrain vehicle project.

Their design was based on the 100-page rule book which was provided to all the participating colleges by the organisers. The focus on a compact,light-weight vehicle was their USP. “We had built our vehicle on a low weight chassis,optimised the weight distribution throughout the vehicle and also made sure that it weighed less than 300 kgs. It is always easier to work on a light vehicle,” explains Rohan Shinde,the team leader and a final year engineering student of the city-based college.

The car was tested several times on a track at Nigdi-Pradhikaran which was similar to the one in Pitampura,where the competition was held from February 16 to 19. The vehicle had to be manufactured in the college itself. “We started the process in December 2011,” adds Shinde.

Tanmay Ugale,a second year electrical engineering student,sat at the wheel through the test drives and the final run. “As it was a four-hour drive in the endurance race,I had to stay focussed through the journey. It was a test of patience and mental strength as well,” says Tanmay. He followed a strict diet and fitness regime which comprised a three- km run and regular exercises at the gymnasium. “Our duty was to design the vehicle. A lot depends on the driver of the vehicle as he controls the entire dynamics of it,” says Shinde. Ugale was chosen to drive the vehicle as he was best at “closely cornering,taking turns and handling the vehicle.”