Iowa State’s Mini Baja Club is looking for students in all majors to join their competition to design a one-person, four-wheel, all-terrain vehicle.

Students can check out last year’s car, the model for improvement this year, at a National Arena Cross event at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines this weekend.

“This is an opportunity to show the public what we do,” said Cody Johnson, team captain.

A sled-pull and a four-hour endurance race on an outdoor motor cross track will put the car’s endurance to the test, said team member Joel Smeby.

Johnson said the team needs marketing, finance, publicity and computer assistance.

“We don’t care if you have never seen a tool before,” said Johnson, sophomore in mechanical engineering. “It is just like running a business — to mass-produce our product we need people with all sorts of skills.”

Smeby, junior in mechanical engineering, said the Mini Baja Club fits well with his major.

“When I noticed the club and found that I could get real-world experience, I couldn’t miss the opportunity,” he said.

After a list of necessary changes to last year’s car is made, half the team designs the car with a computer-aided drafting program, while other team members work out problems with the previous design.

Once the car’s design is complete, it is run through a program for a stress test. This “finite element analysis” shows how the car will handle in various scenarios — from hitting rough ground to landing on a roll bar, Smeby said.

“The program tells us how long the steel tubes should be and where to place them,” he said.

After the materials are notched and welded together, the car goes through more testing. The team simultaneously conducts a cost analysis report and looks for publicity and sponsorship.

Smeby, four-year member of the Mini Baja club, said the organization is “one of the most active clubs on campus outside of the classroom.”

Student involvement in the club ranges from attending only the weekly meetings to working up to 15 hours on the car.

“You can spend as much or as little time with the club as you want,” said Smeby.

Commitment increases for members as competition nears. Some students spend 30 to 35 hours on the car during the last month, he said.

Johnson said faculty involvement and ample resources give the club an added advantage.

“We have a fairly decent amount of tools and a good space to work in,” Johnson said.

ISU students attending the arena cross event will get $5 off on Friday night starting at 7:30 p.m., Johnson said.

The Mini Baja club meets Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in 1026 Black Engineering.