The Perry High School Industrial Technology Department’s Research and Design Class entered four cars in this year’s Southeast Polk Industrial Technology Exposition Ultimate Mileage Vehicle Race and swept the competition, taking first, second, third and eighth places in a field of 35 vehicles.
PHS cars have captured first place in 14 of the 15 years the race has been run. The contest asks students to build or redesign a car to get maximum mileage our of 16 ounces of regular gasoline.
This year Perry’s SCHU 42 car, named in honor of longtime PHS Industrial Arts Instructor Dale Schumacher, was driven by senior Zach Barr and achieved a fuel-efficiency rate of 272 miles per gallon.
Perry’s newest car, Number 43 EFI, took third at 234 miles per gallon. Driven by senior Ryley Anderson, Number 43 EFI has a 50-cubic centimeter fuel-injected Yamaha engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
Senior Sheldon Zinnel drove PHS’s third car, the B 73, which in 2011 was the first entry to run on diesel fuel. This year the B 73 was also entered in the experimental division with propane injection along with diesel and attained 278 miles per gallon, which would have taken first overall in spite of windy conditions on the track in the parking lot of Prairie Meadows in Altoona.
This was the first time PHS entered four vehicles in the competition. Car four was driven by senior Kaleb Ackerman and took eighth place with 148.586 miles per gallon.
“Our students compete against schools that have year-long classes to build these cars as opposed to less than one semester,” said Darin Steva, industrial technology instructor at PHS and team coach. “The students rallied together and worked many long hours this semester, often late in the night, to finish their goals for the cars.”
Steva gave thanks to the students’ parents, PHS Principal Dan Marburger, Superintendent Lynn Ubben and others who helped them win the race.
“Thank you for contributing to our success and for allowing us the time to make this happen,” he said. “Thank you to all the sponsors for their donations that allow this tradition to continue.”
Steva saluted the graduating PHS seniors and other class members and helpers: Kaleb Ackerman, Ryley Anderson, Zachary Barr, Noah Brandt, John Brosnahan, Chandler Carrick, Fernando Catalan, Dalton Defenbaugh, Gerardo Garcia, Emilio Gonzalez, Jacob Murillo, Emily Pace, Devin Patrick, Jacob Quijas, Rudy Ramirez, Sebastian Ramirez, Chris Rothfus, Brandon Ruiz, Alexander Stammer, Austin Stuhldryer, Timothy Twogood, Grant Whelchel and Sheldon Zinnel.
