Marlatt named National FFA Award winner

Episode 412

October 31, 2022

Levi Marlatt wins

You have met Levi Marlatt in previous episodes of UpNorth Motorsports. Marlatt lives on his family farm in Rushville, Indiana. His father Paul, in addition to being a farmer, is the owner of Marlatt’s Engine and Dyno. They specialize in high performance diesel engines preparation and test the finished product on their dyno.

Paul Marlatt in the dyno room at Marlatt Engines & Dyno, Rushville, Indiana January 2017. Paul has built pulling tractor engines or components for tractors in almost every state in the union. (HTF Motorsports) 

Marlatt’s dyno in action before the Louisville National Pulls. Turn it up loud

https://www.facebook.com/marlattengines/videos/1519668848302848

This Haas CNC machine was purchased in 2016 and installed to allow young Levi Marlatt the opportunity to build parts for the family burgeoning engine building business. Levi’s skills on the CNC machine helped him to win the prestigious National FFA Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication proficiency award at the 95th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana last week. (Marlatt Engine & Dyno photo)

One of Levi’s projects was this high flow manifold for a p-pump on a John Deere pulling tractor (Amelia Marlatt photo)

Levi Marlatt, center with mother Amelia on left and father Paul on right. Levi received his American FFA Degree, the highest honor an individual FFA member can earn. The day before he was named the winner of the National FFA Ag Mechanics Design and Fabrication proficiency award at the 95th National FFA Convention, Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo was taken at Lucas Oil Stadium where 60,707 FFA members and guests gathered. The organization has 850,823 members and 8,995 local chapters. From that group Marlatt was selected! (Ashley Wampler photo)

This video shows the awards ceremony where Levi was selected. Levi mentioned, “I was 14 when I learned how to run the CNC. I am going to Ivy Tech Community College in Richmond Indiana currently, studying Agriculture. I am going to get an Associates and get a Technical Certificate in Welding.”

The 20-year-old has already been offered an adjunct welding position at the school upon graduation. Congratulations from UpNorth Motorsports!

https://www.facebook.com/100009398227856/videos/pcb.3407367509586490/850711799430240

Another teenage-at-work story

Dagny Van Aken and the founder of Riley’s Rebuilds, Riley Schlick, rebuilding Edelbrock carburetors for clients. Schlick and crew specialize in Edelbrock products. (Riley’s Rebuilds photo)

After teaching agriculture for 38 years and watching thousands of students stream through the halls of Caribou Tech Center, I have never heard of high school girls taking a job rebuilding carburetors. That is correct, carburetors!

Bradenton, Florida high school student Riley Schlick in her own words explains the journey she and her family have made. “When I was 13, I wanted to get my first car, so my dad and I could work on it. He asked me how I was going to pay for it?”

“I was too young for a job, so he taught me how to rebuild carburetors. I started a small business buying them on Craigslist and Marketplace, rebuilding them and then selling them on eBay.”

“I made $5,000 in 6 months and was able to buy a 1995 Jeep YJ for $2,500. I used the other $2,500 purchasing a 2.5” lift, new top and other parts. Ultimately building a Jurassic Park Motor Pool certified Jeep.”

Riley with Dagny at the BloodDrag Car Show, West Palm Beach, Florida in August 2022. Her 1995 YJ features the Jurassic Park theme. She and her father Dane added a 2 1/2-inch Rubicon Xpress lift kit.  (Riley’s Rebuilds photo)

The before shot of the Jeep prior to its remake. (Riley’s Rebuilds photo)

“I kept the business going with an eBay rebuilding ad that brought in 3 or 4 a month. Then I posted a request for parts or broken carbs because I was running out of parts, and it went viral. 3.5 million hits in 5 days. From that I have been able to spin up a legitimate business and have hired three of my closest girlfriends, all 17 also.”

https://www.facebook.com/RileysRebuilds/videos/5943598995651411

“I was with two of my friends on a camping trip in Michigan when it went viral, I had 100 carburetors show up at the front door within a week.”

“I told my friends they could make more money in the garage in a few hours than they could working at Subway all week. They did it part-time for a couple of weeks and then realized I wasn’t kidding and all three of them quit their jobs to work in the garage.”

The Riley’s rebuilds team that will be headed to the SEMA Show in Las Vegas Tuesday. Left to right Riley, Katie, Amelia, and Dagny. Follow up story will be told upon their return. (Riley’s Rebuilds photo)

“We build carbs three nights a week and it is our high school job. We are riding this wave of support, Edelbrock has given us a distributorship number, so we can sell all of their products and we are starting a 1967 Ford Fairlane build with AMD.”

“We were invited to SEMA, and they changed their by-laws to allow 16–18-year-olds for us to be able to go. It starts on Tuesday. we have some meetings already set up and who knows what cool stuff will come from that.”

When asked if she still played soccer in her spare time, Schlick replied, “I am committed to Connecticut College to play goalkeeper. And the coach is going to let me set up my equipment in the engineering department.”

Stories like Riley’s Rebuilds give me something to cheer about when others say things about her generation that may not be complimentary. Lead on ladies!

STEM Time at Caribou Tech Center Welding

When Caribou Tech Welding instructor, Keith Dumond called saying he needed a substitute for October 28th, we put our heads together to see which Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) project could be used for the two welding classes that day.

It was decided to use the Crumple Zone project. I built a weighted sled which rolls down a ramp with student built protective device glued to the front. Inside the device is an egg which must not break upon impact with a cement wall.

Students were given, toothpicks, hot glue guns, and cheap white glue along with an “L” shaped bumper which attaches to the front of the test sled.

Discussion about how race cars have come a long way in their development as far as safety issues are considered. SAFER barriers, head and neck restraints, roll cage padding, chassis design, and track improvements were briefly looked at.

The science behind Force = Mass * Acceleration was looked at in regard to designing safe race cars and how that formula might be used to help design their safety cradle to protect their precious cargo, the egg.

Students were given a little over 1 1/2 hour to build their unique capsules. They were then set aside for testing at a later date thus allowing the assortment of toothpicks and glue to solidify. Report on the results will follow.

The morning welding class left to right Keenan Masse, Breanna Ketch, Nathan Morrow, Bryan Searles, STEM Instructor Tom Hale (yes, I have a helmet on), Brandon Donovan, Landon Smith, Micah Smith, Elijah Churchill and Jacob Cole.  Friday was Grassroots Motorsports Magazine’s annual “Wear Your Helmet to Work Day” and I entered to win a new carbon fiber helmet from HMS Motorsports. I did not win. (HTF Motorsports photo by Rene Gorneault)

The afternoon welding class from left to right; Jadon Ellis, Tal McCoy, Brody Anderson, Andrew Thompson, Patrick Roy, Jaden Picard, Tait Margeson. In front is STEM instructor Tom Hale. Why the helmet? Read the above caption. My left hand is on the ramp on which the special designed “crash cars” will roll before smashing into a concrete wall. Students are displaying the capsules they built for the test. (HTF Motorsports photo by Chris Demerchant)

Safety capsule designed by Jaden Picard and Tait Margeson. Note the egg must fully slip into the capsule and then L-shaped board will be bolted to the front of the crash cart. (HTF Motorsports photo)

What about that finish by Ross Chastain

I am still stunned by the move by Ross Chastain on the final lap of the NASCAR race in Martinsville today. If you have not seen it by now look it up on You Tube. I do not have permission from anyone to use their footage, however, you will see it since it is one of the most viewed videos of the day.

I had to call track owner Troy Haney from Spud Speedway who was as stunned as I that such a bansai move worked. He said Chastain must have really wanted that fourth and final spot in the championship.

After getting off the call with track owner Haney, I immediately put in a call to Hall of Fame member Bob Alexander who echoed Haney’s comments. Alexander said he thought he remembered seeing a similar move in a snowmobile race at Bass Park, Bangor in the 1960’s. He thinks it was George Cochran from the County doing the same type of move to beat the factory sleds.

No matter what, this move by Chastain is sure to show up in highlight reels for decades! Onward to Championship Sunday in Phoenix next Sunday.

Let’s go racing

Tom Hale

Soli Deo Gloria (Matthew 5:16)