Super Mileage Vehicle is one of many clubs at Black River Falls High School. Despite having a small amount of members, the club has one ultimate goal: to build a fully working vehicle, while using as little fuel as possible.

Adviser Jeron Cassidy currently runs the club. He has been running the club for around 10 years.

“I have students meet every Tuesday after school, all year long. Sometimes at night, and longer at night, and at the weekends,” Cassidy said.

The goal of the club is to build a fuel-efficient car, where it is then taken to a race against other cars with the same goal.

“They [students] have to attach an engine, clutch system, brakes, everything. They’ve got to come up with it. We’ve got to source the parts, buy them, and make this vehicle that’s safe and gets good fuel economy,” Cassidy said.

Although he wasn’t able to exactly remember, Cassidy said that the club has been around for approximately 10 years.

“I think every year that I have advised Super Mileage Vehicle, we have gone to a competition with one or two vehicles. Last year we did not have a vehicle ready to go, so we did not attend the competition.” he said.

However, the incomplete vehicle from the previous year has been put to use.

“This year, we’re continuing to work on the car from last year, and the frame was done basically. So now we’re just attaching the engine and the back wheel which is the driven wheel, figuring out and fabricating the steering system. I think we’re doing really well,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy also mentioned that the club goes on two trips during the school year.

“We typically try to do two trips a year. We try to do the UW Stout competition which is in April and then we do the Road America competition in Elkhart Lake every May, and that’s a long trip. That’s about a three and a half hour drive, and the we end up staying overnight at the hotel.”

Cassidy is quite happy with how the club is currently doing.

“I really enjoy having students come after school. It really proves that they’re interested in wanting to learn a little extra. It’s a challenge. It’s not easy. We’re not just given plans and how to do this. We’re just expected to design, and engineer, and build, and test, and figure out problems. We’re expected to do this all on our own,” said Cassidy.

Sophomore Alex Hentsch is one of the members in the club, and has been since this school year.

“Overall, I’ve really liked this club. It’s fun to work on the car and it’s a great group of guys to be around.” Hentsch said.

Hentsch strongly suggested that people join Super Mileage Vehicle.

“People should join SMV because it’s a good learning experience on how to design something and then build it. And not just build it, but make it work like you want to,” Hentsch said.