Liaison with universities (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter flapjack
- Start date
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Joe Amato was behind a 2 year program at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, PA, up in his neck of the woods. He actually suggested to me that I go there, which I did right out of high school. I don't think the program is still there unfortunately.
It was a great program even though it was still in it's early stages, and it had some really good guys teaching. Al Brown was an NHRA Division 1 tech guy and racer, and is in the Hall of Fame actually. Bob and Sheldon Strunk were a father and son that taught, absolutely fantastic family. They both taught engine blueprinting/building, rear ends, that kind of stuff. Sheldon owns Bill Walsh's last Top Alcohol dragster, so I would go to the track with them and hang out at the shop. Sheldon had also worked for Joe Amato and Chuck Etchells. Craig Waldner ran the fab shop, he was another awesome guy that had been an engineer/fabricator for Roger Penske. He was always a glass half full kind of guy, and found the positive in everything you did, even if it wasn't perfect. It was a great time spent up there, and the people is what really made it.
Danny DeGennaro that was with Cruz and Force went there, I had at least one class with Chris Spall, who is currently at Schumacher, and worked with Tony Pedregon during his championship times. My buddy Chet went to work for Petty right away, and is still with Petty working for his Driving Experience program. A couple others did some work in ARCA and the Truck series. I'm sure there are more, that's just what I know from the time I was there.
It was a great program even though it was still in it's early stages, and it had some really good guys teaching. Al Brown was an NHRA Division 1 tech guy and racer, and is in the Hall of Fame actually. Bob and Sheldon Strunk were a father and son that taught, absolutely fantastic family. They both taught engine blueprinting/building, rear ends, that kind of stuff. Sheldon owns Bill Walsh's last Top Alcohol dragster, so I would go to the track with them and hang out at the shop. Sheldon had also worked for Joe Amato and Chuck Etchells. Craig Waldner ran the fab shop, he was another awesome guy that had been an engineer/fabricator for Roger Penske. He was always a glass half full kind of guy, and found the positive in everything you did, even if it wasn't perfect. It was a great time spent up there, and the people is what really made it.
Danny DeGennaro that was with Cruz and Force went there, I had at least one class with Chris Spall, who is currently at Schumacher, and worked with Tony Pedregon during his championship times. My buddy Chet went to work for Petty right away, and is still with Petty working for his Driving Experience program. A couple others did some work in ARCA and the Truck series. I'm sure there are more, that's just what I know from the time I was there.
Sounds like a "perfect is the enemy of the good" kind of guy.
Similar threads
