Diesel Truck, Heavy Equipment & Power Generation Articles

Racing against the “fastest trucks in the East,” Pennsylvania College of Technology’s 1959 B-61 Model Mack drag truck claimed first place in the Diesel Big Rig Bracket 1 division and finished second in the “King of the Hill” grand finale at the Keystone Truckin’ Nationals, held Sept. 21 at Maple Grove Raceway in Berks County. This is the first No. 1 finish in a sanctioned competition for the college’s Diesel Performance Club and its truck, aptly named “Accelerated Learning.”

"We won! We won!" enthused Mark E. Sones, a faculty adviser for the Diesel Performance Club of Pennsylvania College of Technology. The club's 1959 B-61 Model Mack drag truck, appropriately named "Accelerated Learning," captured first place in the B1-Big Truck fast class division on Saturday at the Keystone Truckin' Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading. Watch Penn College News for more coverage of this celebrated accomplishment!

“Accelerated Learning," the 1959 B-61 Model Mack drag truck operated by the Diesel Performance Club of Pennsylvania College of Technology is competing Saturday in the Keystone Truckin’ Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, 15 miles southeast of Reading. "This is a huge event, with over 1,000 trucks and 10,000 spectators anticipated to attend," said Mark E. Sones, a club adviser and diesel equipment technology instructor. "This will be our greatest exposure!"

Among the learning opportunities for educators this summer at Pennsylvania College of Technology was the inaugural Diesel Career & Technical Education Teachers Externship, attracting 13 instructors from Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The two-day, immersive professional development opportunity was designed for CTE instructors to collaborate with their contemporaries, explore advancements in the field and remain on the cutting edge of instruction in the diesel discipline.

“Accelerated Learning,” the 1959 B-61 Model Mack drag truck operated by the Diesel Performance Club of Pennsylvania College of Technology, notched a second-place finish at the East Coast Truck Nationals, held recently at Numidia Dragway in Columbia County. It was an impressive showing for the truck’s first sanctioned, competitive event.

It may be summer, but Penn College’s Diesel Performance Club and its 1959 B-61 Model Mack drag truck (nicknamed “Accelerated Learning”) are not taking any time off. They’re geared up for the East Coast Truck Nationals, set for this Saturday, June 22, at Numidia Dragway in Columbia County.

Students enrolled in the Summer Operations Class taught by Seth J. Welshans were busy Tuesday applying finishing touches to Penn College’s Heavy Construction Equipment Operations Site for Baja SAE Williamsport, scheduled to begin tomorrow. The students moved tons of mulch and flattened the section dedicated to the acceleration event.

Follow the transformation of Penn College's 125-acre Heavy Construction Equipment Operations Site from a wide-open training space to the competition playground where 100 teams will battle it out for top bragging rights. The video shows how Penn College faculty, staff and students, as well as corporate partners, prepared the college’s site at Brady Township for the competition that will take single-seat, off-road vehicles through various challenges, including a four-hour endurance race.

With Baja SAE Williamsport fast approaching, a dedicated crew from Penn College General Services has spent several hours working at the event’s location: the Heavy Construction Equipment Operations Site in Brady Township. College horticulturists have cut down potentially dangerous limbs and dead trees to protect participants and spectators at the competition, scheduled for May 16-19.

Kenworth of Pennsylvania has donated a Paccar MX 13 engine to Pennsylvania College of Technology. The equipment is the first MX engine introduced into the college’s diesel technology labs, stirring enthusiasm from students and faculty. The donation will give students real-world experience in diagnosing and repairing Paccar engines.