University of Ottawa · Baja SAE
Built to take a beating.
Rough Rider Racing is uOttawa's Baja SAE team. Students design, machine, weld, wire and race a single-seat off-road car, then take it to competition against the best programs in North America.
Who we are
Student-built. Grit-tested.
Rough Rider Racing (RRR) is one of the Faculty of Engineering's competitive design teams. Every season we design, manufacture, test and race a single-seat all-terrain vehicle that has to survive jumps, rocks, mud and a four-hour endurance race.
All of the design, analysis, fabrication and testing is done by students from mechanical, electrical, software and computer engineering and other programs, with guidance from faculty and alumni.
Paddock · 2026
Every team runs the same engine, restricted to 10 hp. Same rules, same safety requirements. What separates the field is design, weight, reliability and execution.
Built in Ottawa.
Raced through the dust.
How we work
Five crews.
One car.
Four technical subteams own the vehicle's systems. An administration group keeps the program funded, organized and on the road.
Drag or scroll →
Chassis
Frame, roll cage, ergonomics and mounting points. Stiffness, safety, weight and serviceability.
Suspension
Geometry, springs and dampers, tuned for ride height, handling and durability over rough terrain.
Drivetrain
CVT tuning, gearbox design, gearing, shafts, hubs and bearings, built for efficiency and reliability.
Electrical
Wiring harness, kill switches, sensors and data acquisition for safe, reliable operation.
Administration
Sponsorship, purchasing, budgeting, marketing, events and competition logistics.
The machine
Take it apart.
Steel space frame. Double-wishbone front suspension and a semi-trailing arm rear. A tuned CVT, hydraulic discs and a full safety electrical system. Tap through every system on the car.
Next up · Oct 2–4, 2026
OktoBajaFest
Seven Springs, Colton, New York. It's the largest exhibition race for Baja vehicles in North America, with around 30 cars from 15 universities, and our first race-condition run of the season.
From the paddock
Mud included.
Dynamic events, endurance laps and late nights under the tent. See the full gallery.
Our partners
Powered by
Everything on the car is made possible by organizations that back hands-on engineering education.
