Tractor Restoration by Former FRCC Night Shift Students to Be Displayed at Red Power Roundup
Dan Brinkmann, Automotive Technology instructor at Four Rivers Career Center, has run a “Night Shift” program at Four Rivers Career Center since 2008.
The Night Shift program deals with anything to do with motors, particularly transportation – cars, trucks, tractors, motorcycles, boats, golf carts or whatever the case may be.
Students who want to be involved, mostly Brinkmann’s automotive technology students, meet every Tuesday and Thursday during the school year at the Four Rivers Career Center from 3-7 p.m. Every session is different, and if it has a motor, the students are working on it as one of their projects.
“We have around 10 students who regularly attend Night Shift this year,” Brinkmann said. “And most of them are freshmen.”
The 2019 Night Shift class received news their tractor restoration has been invited to be displayed at the Red Power Roundup in Grand Island, Nebraska, on June 15-17.
The Red Power Roundup features exhibitors from across North America displaying mostly red international harvester tractors.
“It’s a show that takes place once a year and travels around the country, mostly in the Midwest. Last year, it was in Ohio,” Brinkmann said. “It’s a massive event. There are tractors everywhere. You look one way and there’s a half mile of tractors. You look the other way and there’s another half mile of tractors. It’s mostly tractors, but there’s also trucks, farm equipment, and anything manufactured by the International Harvester Company. To give you an idea of how big it is, this year’s venue has 50 acres of parking.
Not only was the Night Shift’s tractor invited to the show, but it will be displayed inside the main hall.
“To be in the main hall, that’s the big dance. That’s the place to be,” Brinkmann said. “It’s a great honor. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”
The Four Rivers Tractor Club will help with the transportation of the tractor to Nebraska. Brinkmann has invited the students from the 2019 class to the event, and also his current students.
“Some of my current students, and a lot of my former students, want to go. Hopefully we’ll have a good number attending,” Brinkmann said. “This is about our students. The students, past and present, will speak at the display about the tractors they’ve worked on and share their experiences with people attending the show.”
Brinkmann also was asked to present at the show about his Night Shift program and how he gets his students involved.
“I’m not sure about the particulars of my presentation. It could be to three people in a broom closet. I don’t know,” Brinkmann said. “They want me to speak about what I do with Night Shift. It’s important to get kids involved. These are awesome machines we’re talking about and it’s amazing what we can do with them. But we have to get kids involved. Otherwise, this is all going to go away.”
Tractor to Be Displayed at Red Power Roundup
The 2019 Night Shift class received news their tractor restoration has been invited to be displayed at the Red Power Roundup in Grand Island, Nebraska, on June 15-17.
(Photo Courtesy of Curt Dennison Photography)