Pitsco and CO racing – how it all got started

Please note: This article originally appeared in the Pitsco Education 40 years, 1971-2011 book.
CO2 Dragsters
Pitsco and CO2 racing – how it all got started
By Dan Eckelberry
Land Speed Record Assault Vehicles (LSRAVs). Soon,
“dragsters” became the description used by teachers.
Through a contact with the World of Manufacturing
textbook publisher, Harvey realized that teachers loved
the dragster activity, but they had difficulty obtaining
the needed materials – particularly, the wheels.
Timeless Engineering Fun
The kids weren’t the only ones having fun at CO2 dragster
competitions. Above, Harvey conducts races at a national event.
The history of CO2 dragster activity is so entwined with
the history of Pitsco that it’s impossible to discuss one
without the other. This is the story of how Pitsco became
involved in and promoted CO2 racing as a relevant
educational experience. But it’s also a story about how
the activity helped make Pitsco what it is today.
In the early 1970s, a seventh-grade curriculum titled
World of Manufacturing was introduced and became
popular around the country. This curriculum was
developed at Ohio State University and featured an
exciting activity in which students designed, built,
and raced small-scale dragsters jet-powered by an
onboard CO2 cartridge. The cars were originally called
The February 1947 issue of Popular Science
featured a story on Douglas Aircraft plant
engineers building and racing CO2 cars on their
lunch break. These may have been the earliest
CO2 dragster races. Check it out on books
.google.com.
Launch, Anyone?
Yet another important piece of the puzzle remained
unsolved. To make the dragster activity practical in
most classrooms, a reliable launching mechanism
was needed. The original launching system provided
by the textbook company performed inconsistently
and frustrated students. Pitsco had experimented
with other launching devices with very limited
success. Some start gates used record player needles
Pitsco start-finish race
systems have evolved
through the years.
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CO2 Dragsters (continued)
to puncture the car-mounted CO2 cartridges. These
needles were too fragile and dulled quickly.
Early model Wind Tunnel
Fortunately, Dr. Alvin Willems, a college instructor and
friend of Harvey’s from McPherson, Kansas, solved
the riddle when he created his own reliable launching
mechanism. With his permission, Pitsco borrowed his
design concept to create the Manual Start Raceway,
a convenient and dependable system for launching
two dragsters at a time.
Many improvements came over the ensuing decades
to improve the experience for students and teachers,
including better CO2 cartridges, wind tunnels for drag
testing, electronic timing and starting systems, and
many additional materials and accessory options for
students to use on their dragsters.
Over the years, many critical pieces fell into place
to establish Pitsco as the leader of the CO2 dragster
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revolution. The right people had the right ideas and
conversations at the optimum time to make it all
possible. Harvey credits divine intervention: “God
gives each of us a purpose (or purposes) throughout our
lives. I am convinced that one of my purposes has been
and continues to be to help teachers provide handson experiences for their students. Dragsters and the
many products we’ve developed to support the activity
continues to fulfill one of my/Pitsco’s purposes to exist.”
Pitsco at the Races
The CO2 dragster activity culminates in an exciting
classroom race to determine which student did the best
job of translating their knowledge of aerodynamics
and force and motion into a racetrack performer.
Due to the growing popularity of the activity, it now
seemed inevitable that CO2 racing would go beyond
the classroom and reach the national stage.
This happened in 1979 at the inaugural national
conference of AIASA (American Industrial Arts Student
Association). (We know it as TSA today.) Harvey was there
at a Holiday Inn in Memphis, Tennessee, to support the
event with an arsenal of Pitsco equipment: a Manual
Start Raceway and an elevated track comprised of
six-foot plastic panels. While the panels unfortunately
sagged in the middle, the eight competitors didn’t
seem to mind!
Pitsco President Lisa Paterni, left, is joined by area students at a CO2
dragster photo shoot in the St. Mary’s-Colgan Activity Center.
From these humble beginnings, this event has grown
into a huge affair with multiple CO2-based events: one for
middle school, one for high school, and a Transportation
Modeling competition. The state and national TSA
events typically have 200 or more competitors. Pitsco
continues to support the TSA by providing personnel
and equipment (much improved now!) to conduct the
national events and some state events.
TSA Road Warrior
Steve Snider has driven the truck loaded with Pitsco
gear to every TSA National Conference since 1992.
He’s had many adventures crisscrossing the country
in rental trucks. (This includes a few unfortunate
breakdowns, but he always delivers.) Over the years,
he’s logged an impressive 31,264 miles!
Pitsco employees have conducted CO2 dragster races at the national
TSA conference for more than 30 years. Below, from left, are Luecrita
Haraughty, Seth Stewart, and Dan Eckelberry.
Wheel Deal
Pitsco and CO2 Dragsters – Perfect Synergy
PItsco played a crucial role in the establishment of
the CO2-dragster activity in hundreds of classrooms
around the U.S. The dragster activity is just as
important to Pitsco. The activity’s popularity accounts
for a significant portion of Pitsco’s revenue, and it has
inspired the creation of many proprietary products still
available in the Pitsco Education Big Book.
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CO2 Dragsters (continued)
The activity remains popular today, partially because
innovative teachers have incorporated modern
engineering tools and techniques. CAD software, CNC
milling, and computational fluid dynamics give students
real-world, industry-relevant experiences. In one way,
however, the activity hasn’t changed – students are still
challenged, motivated, rewarded, and maybe even a little
surprised at their own capabilities.
Heading into the fifth decade of CO2 drag racing in
schools, Pitsco continues to empower middle and
high school students to develop STEM skills with this
timeless activity!
Faster than Grandpa?
A young Jered Dean, center left, prepares to race against
a booth visitor.
CO2 drag racing is beginning
its fifth decade as a school
activity. Middle school students
may soon be comparing their
car designs to those of their
grandparents!
Suites high school studen
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ts work on their dragsters
and talk strategy.
Car sponsorships through the
years haven’t been limited to
just dragsters. Below is a solarpowered vehicle sponsored in
part by Pitsco.
Pitsco Manufacturing employees prepared and raced a go-cart in
a fund-raiser for the local hospital in the late 1990s.
For many years, Pitsco sponsored
a dragster owned and operated
by a couple of teachers, Sam
Parton and Jerry Porter, above
and right. In the photo at right,
Harvey holds his son Jered.
In the 1990s, Pitsco sponsored the vehicle driven
by Rhonda Hartman. Below are Hartman and her
dragster at Mo-Kan Dragway near Asbury, Missouri.
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