Racing season is off to a fast start, and several Berks Career & Technology Center (BCTC) students—and even staff—are already making waves on the track, balancing high-speed thrills with technical skills. Whether in go-karts, slingshots, dirt modifieds, or dragsters, the passion for racing runs deep.
RJ (Robert) Mitchell, a Masonry student from Boyertown, was hooked on racing at age six after watching Disney’s Cars. “Since then, I’ve always wanted to race,” he said. After trying a dozen different sports, none of them clicked until he and his dad found a go-kart online. Since then, Sundays have meant one thing: race day. RJ now races weekly on various tracks up and down the East Coast.
“There’s no suspension on the car, so I feel everything on the track,” RJ shared. “There are always nudges and bumps going on while racing. I’ve had a few close calls, but I’ve always been able to control the car.”
His favorite course? New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP), where the go-kart track sits inside a larger race car circuit. “Sometimes I get to watch the big races after I finish mine—it’s awesome.”
Madalyn Krause, a Heavy Equipment Technology student from Exeter, began her racing journey at age five with motorcycle racing at the Reading Motorcycle Club, following in the footsteps of her sister and father. By age 12, she was helping with dirt modified cars and later raced slingshots for an entire season. “The highest I placed was second, and I have one of the fastest lap times,” she shared.
Madalyn has raced on several local tracks and is currently working with her dad to build a sportsman car, aiming to get back on the track by the end of the year. “I love the family and friends I’ve made while racing. One time my clutch caught on fire, and the people next to us gave me a replacement so I could still race.” This season she’ll race for fun, and next year, she plans to restore a 1978 Chevy Square Body Truck.
Talan Carter, a Precision & Computerized Machining Technology (PCMT) student from Fleetwood, is a fourth-generation race car driver. “My great-grandfather started racing in Florida in 1947 and ran in NASCAR during the 60s,” he said. He’s well known in this area.” Talan’s grandfather and father also raced, and Talan picked up the family legacy with passion and skill.
He started with quarter midgets and junior slingshots—winning 10 races and a championship—then moved to all-star slingshots, collecting 6 wins and another championship. Eventually, Talan moved up to sportsman modified until he stepped away from racing at the end of last year. “I wanted to take some time for myself in my senior year. It’s a very stressful sport, and it takes up every day. I still go to races—it's less stressful, but I miss the driving.”
Inspired by fellow racer Dakota Kohler, Talan applied to the PCMT program. “There are a lot of race car drivers in this program—I guess because we like creating things.” He’s currently working part-time as a machinist at Mersen and plans to go full-time after graduating in June 2025. “Maybe one day I’ll get back into racing, but for now, I’ll just enjoy being around it.”
Logan Watt, another PCMT student from Boyertown, also comes from a proud racing lineage. “My dad’s side of the family raced—he started at 16—and my mom’s dad raced a little. My great-grandfather bought me my first car when I was five, and I started with quarter midgets,” he said. Now, Logan competes in the modified division, racing every weekend from March through November at Grandview Speedway and Big Diamond Speedway.
“It’s a blast,” Logan said. “I get to be with my family, a bunch of crew guys, and race with my friends.” He maintains his own car, which he transitioned from crate racing to the more competitive modified division this year. He recently placed second at Big Diamond in a close race against fellow PCMT alum Louden Reimert. “I was leading halfway through, but Louden pulled ahead. We were really close.”
Logan operates a small machine shop for his race team and credits his passion for machining to both his dad, a machinist at Globus Medical, and his experience at BCTC. “I worked on the lathe a little at home but learned a lot more at BCTC,” he said. As for the future? “You’ve got to have a little of both. You still need health insurance and a 401K. Racing is a hobby, but having a steady job in the machining industry is key. If an opportunity to go big in racing comes up, we’ll go from there.”
Colton Gerber, another PCMT student from Boyertown, has been racing since he was five years old and currently runs a 600 micro. “I think I could drive a car before I could write my name correctly,” he joked. His family introduced him to racing, and he quickly fell in love with both the sport and the mechanics behind it. “I like working on cars and the race itself. If there’s a problem, I can fix it—which is fun too.”
Originally, Colton applied to the Electrical Occupations program, but it was full—so he gave PCMT a shot. “It’s pretty cool. I was a little confused at first but remained persistent and confident and kept working on it.” His dream is to become a professional race car driver, but he appreciates having PCMT as a strong backup. His first race this season was in February on an indoor rink in New Jersey. “I’ve raced a few times since, but many of the races were rained out.” Colton considers racing a part-time job, investing in his racing business but saving some for himself. “I love meeting people, going fast, and traveling around the country.”
Gavyn Krupp, a Heavy Equipment Operations student from Boyertown, fell in love with racing at age four after his dad took him to a track. “I asked if I could race too,” he said. His first race was at Blue Mountain, and he’s been hooked ever since. Gavyn prefers dirt over asphalt and began racing a 602-crate last year at Grandview Speedway. “My second week in the car I won—and in the middle of the season, I won again!” After each Saturday night's race, Sunday is for washing the car, and weekdays are for maintenance and prep. Gavyn says working in heavy equipment is his dream job, but racing will always be part of his life. His father also works in the industry.
Lily Barrett, an Electrical Occupations student from Fleetwood, races slingshot micro stocks and both 500 and 600 micro sprints. Her stepdad used to race a 360-sprint car, which sparked her interest in motorsports. While he eventually stepped away from the track, Lily stepped in—starting with a micro stock, which she continues to race today. “I love going fast, but my favorite thing about racing is all the mechanical work,” she said. “I do all the work on the car with a little assistance—I'm still learning.” Lily believes that knowing the inner workings of the car is key to becoming a strong driver: “You’re not a good driver if you don’t know what the car is doing and how to fix it.” When her car isn’t performing well, she’s often able to identify the issue herself.
Now focused on moving into the larger, more competitive classes, Lily finds that her training at BCTC has been a huge asset. “With the micro sprint, there’s a lot of electrical work—gauges, fans, alternators—that needs to be maintained,” she explained. “Electrical Occupations will also help me get a good job with good money to continue in racing.”
Jesse Cohick, a Heavy Equipment Technology (HET) student from Brandywine Heights, got into racing by helping his grandfather. “When I started getting interested in it more, he bought me a Ford Pinto Enduro Classic car that we put together,” he shared. Jesse now races at Grandview and is hands-on with his car year-round. His crew consists of his dad, his grandfather, and friends—a true family affair. “The HET program taught me so much,” Jesse said, adding that his goal is to pursue a career in Heavy Equipment while continuing to race. His advice for aspiring racers: “Don’t give up, keep trying, and do your best.”
Celina Donmoyer, a BCTC Instructional Assistant, started drag racing in 1992 alongside her husband. “I built a 1978 Dodge Aspen with a 360 and a 727 and raced it at Maple Grove,” she said. Her success on the track stirred competition. “Other racers didn’t like that I was winning, so they’d rev their engines all the way to the staging lanes. By the time we got to the starting line, their engines were hot—and I would win.” She earned about 30 trophies during her racing days.
Her next car was a 1967 Dodge Charger—not fast, but very consistent. She raced until the summer of 1995 when she retired after learning she was expecting her first child. But two years ago, the racing spirit returned: she and her husband bought a 1964 Belvedere station wagon and decided to make it a race car. “There aren’t a lot of station wagons racing, but we’ve always had an affinity for them,” she said. “My husband loves driving it and looks and feels young again—and I enjoy being his crew.” The couple spent the last six months working on the car together. “It’s truly been a family affair. We didn’t meet at the track, but we started dating on the racetrack—and even took our honeymoon at the National Drag Racing Championship at Maple Grove.”
For students curious about racing, Celina encourages giving it a try: “Use your own car first. Most Friday nights at Maple Grove have grudge racing. You can take whatever car you have and see what it’s like. It’s a lot of fun but requires some brainwork—and it’s easy to get into.”
John Deatrich, BCTC’s Recreational & Power Equipment Technology (RPET) Instructor, is a second-generation driver whose racing journey began as a sophomore in high school. “My dad raced cars, and I raced too until 2004,” he recalled. After taking a break to focus on family, John returned to the sport three years ago by helping several friends with their racing car. When his friend’s daughter couldn’t race, he would jump in to drive the car himself. Currently competing in the 602-crate sportsman class, he laughs, “I'm like a crash test dummy to see if the new things we are trying are going to work.”
He and his team began working on the car in February, and as a rookie, the driver they were helping showed steady improvement each week. John’s first race back will be during the 4th of July weekend, and he anticipates racing 7 or 8 times this year. “I like driving more, but most drivers split their time between driving and maintenance. It’s incredible how many of the same tasks in the RPET program correlate with racing,” he explained. “Sometimes I bring race car parts into the classroom, and the students get super excited to learn and work on them. Back in high school, racing took up every day and kept me focused—it kept me out of trouble. I always tell my students: if you have a friend or know someone who races, they’re always looking for help flipping tires or cleaning the car, and you can learn so much in the garage.”
From precision machining and heavy equipment training to electrical and masonry, these students and staff at BCTC prove that the drive for success—both in the workshop and on the track—can ignite a lifelong passion. Whether you’re behind the wheel, under the hood, or mentoring the next generation, this racing community continues to inspire through hard work, family ties, and a relentless pursuit of speed.