Need for Speed
Fueled by Ethanol
Why this life-long innovator made the switch
AN aptitude for mechanics and a knack for problem-solving — two signature characteristics that have spelled success for Don Onken and the Onken family , both in business and in the highly competitive arena of powerboat racing .
Onken grew up on a farm near Easton , Illinois . Always handy , after graduating from high school , he went to work as a mechanic and welder . He served in the Army from 1963 to 1965 , and , after returning home , went to work for National Byproducts , ultimately becoming the fleet manager . It was there that inspiration first struck .
“ They picked up restaurant grease , and it had reached the point where they could not afford to run the routes with barrels anymore ,” Onken recalled . “ So , I designed and built a truck and container system that allowed one truck to do the work of five . We saw the need , built it , and sold it .”
That was the start of Onken Incorporated , which grew into the leading manufacturer of grease recycling containers and trailers . Onken would later see a similar opportunity in oil filter recycling , once again becoming the leader in that market while reclaiming steel and keeping 15,000 gallons of recyclable oil out of landfills each week .
Speed Gene
Onken ’ s mechanical aptitude has always had a speed component . “ Before we got the business started , we ’ d spend all day working and all night in the shop building race cars ,” Onken said . “ That gave me basically two lifetimes of experience in one . That ’ s where I learned how things worked … and how they didn ’ t . I could usually figure out a better way to do things .”
His racing lineage went from dirt tracks to drag racing to powerboats . He raced throughout the Great Lakes region until 1997 , when a bad accident almost claimed his life . “ My wife said I could only go in straight lines after that ,” Onken said . “ So , we started running the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout .”
Once again recognizing an opportunity to take a good thing and make it better , Onken began fueling his powerboat with E85 in 2013 . “ It cools the engine , which allows you to put more boost into it , which translates to more power ,” he explained . “ For every 10 degrees of heat you can take out , you get another 100 horsepower . It ’ s a very safe fuel ,
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AMERICAN ETHANOL THE MAGAZINE