Supermileage team competes in challenge

The Glencoe-Silver Lake (GSL) Supermileage Team competed in the 29th annual MTEEA Supermileage Challenge at Brainerd International Raceway May 15-16. The students competed in three classes with four vehicles. Students have been working all year on building two new vehicles, adding fuel injection to a previously entered vehicle and modifying the ethanol vehicle.
In an effort to increase support and promote technology education, public awareness in the area of fuel economy and student involvement, a fuel economy competition is held every spring. Competing students and clubs are challenged to build a one-person, fuel-efficient vehicle powered by a single-cylinder four-stroke cycle engine. The 29th annual competition featured vehicles to compete in Stock, Modified, E-85, Experimental and Plug-in Electric classes.
Students from GSL built a new car, Purple Rain, to compete in the Electric class. Piloted by veterans Eric Villnow, Jacob Jochum and Adam Thalmann, the vehicle successfully completed 14 runs without a single breakdown. The highest mileage run was equivalent to 2,153 mpg. A second new vehicle, Little Red Corvette, was built for the modified class. Unfortunately, the vehicle had mechanical issues both days that students were unable to sort out and never successfully completed a run. The Blue vehicle returned again, but this year running a new fuel injection system. The vehicle also suffered from mechanical problems but finished two runs achieving a high mileage of 135 mpg. The fourth entry, The Pink Cadillac, was entered into the E-85 class where it completed six runs with a new school record of 228 mpg, driven by sophomore Isaac Swift
This year’s team included: Carl Hormann, Jacob Jochum,  Michaela Neyer, Blake Ortloff,  Kole Polzin, Isaac Swift, Roxanna Sanchez, Adam Thalmann, and Eric Villnow.