Penn College Diesel Performance Club
Message from the Club
Aptly named "Accelerated Learning," Pennsylvania College of Technology’s 1959 B-61 Model Mack drag truck, has been a valuable extra-curricular experience - one that complements academic curriculum, providing real-world experience for tomorrow’s workforce. After 25 plus years of combined effort and support from alumni, industry partners and students, recent Diesel Performance Club members joined forces with a common goal of competing with the fasted trucks in the east. They poured an incredible amount of time, energy, and skill into this project. After two years of consistent competition, they met their goal of roaring down the strip at 100 mph!
This past academic year the club made visits to Beaver Springs, Numidia, Maple Grove, and Island Dragway. After extensive modification and tuning, we developed 869 rear wheel horsepower and 8018 ft/lbs of rear wheel torque. The 12,000 lb Mack and driver, TJ Buck, ran its fastest pass of 13.30 at 106 MPH! Our current efforts are focused on exhaust system efficiency, rear sustention modification, and a full-time electric real-time on-board data acquisition system.
We are grateful for the alumni, faculty, and industry partners who built a solid foundation for us to thrive. Our success is a testament to the collective support received from individuals and sponsors. Monetary donations and gifts of materials, tooling, and supplies help our team learn and grow while completing on the national stage. We invite you to help us continue “Accelerated Learning” at Penn College.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Our People
Marcayla Lutzkanin '22, Diesel Technology, Technician, Cleveland Brothers Equipment CAT
Alum
"Motorama, an annual motorsports extravaganza held at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, has been a great experience. I had the privilege of talking to alumni who come by our booth and high school students who are interested in the diesel programs.
With more than 5,000 participants and 50,000 motorsport spectators, there was plenty of networking to do."
Meet Marcayla
Mark Sones, Club adviser and diesel equipment technology instructor
Faculty
"Our industry is ever-changing. We have done an exceptional job staying parallel to these trends."
