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OWNER, DESIGNER, DRIVER
Dennis, born on April 4, 1953, attended Prince Technical Institute before going on to complete his education in the United States Air Force, specializing in electronics. Though Dennis has enjoyed creating his record-holding dragster, his hobbies also include hiking and horseback riding. Dennis' commitment to excellence in everything he does has earned him multiple endurance titles. Dennis' drag racing comes from his early days, where he competed in several amateur drag racing events. Dennis' electric vehicle enthusiasm can be seen at home as well. One of Dennis' lawn mowers is now electric... and driven by the original motor from Current Eliminator! Today, Dennis finds himself nestled away in the serene country of Laveen, Arizona - certainly an unusual atmosphere for the person behind the world's quickest electric vehicle! Aside from racing, Dennis also runs his own welder repair service.

THE BIRTH OF CURRENT ELIMINATOR
For Dennis Berube, the concept of designing and building an electric-powered dragster came from dreams he had while racing electric slot cars as a kid. Dennis truly believed that there was more to the electric vehicle than simply being a golf cart. After three years of research, Dennis was convinced that his dreams were feasible.
In September of 1991, Dennis asked Fast Lane Products to design and build the chassis. As the chassis was constructed, Dennis ordered the electric motor and began design work on the vehicle's power and control systems. By December, the original Current Eliminator was complete and testing had already begun. After experimenting with the clutch for several weeks, a decision was made to switch to a 4-speed transmission. Following the transmission change, several weeks were then spent analyzing the electrical system and overall vehicle operation.

CURRENT ELIMINATOR I: ON-TRACK EXCITEMENT BEGINS
Approximately five months after the first wrench was turned, Current Eliminator was on the track for the first time. On February 6, 1992, Current Eliminator made its way to Phoenix Raceway Park in Phoenix, Arizona. Three passes completed, the fastest being 16.254 seconds at 74.744 miles per hour. Contactor problems prevented Current Eliminator from making any further runs. Inspection revealed that the existing contactors were simply seeing too much current. To help prevent the problem, a contactor with a higher current rating was designed. Shortly following this modification, Current Eliminator recorded a run at 14.976 seconds and 84.55 miles per hour. Five subsequent visits to the track resulted in a new top speed of 87.94 miles per hour, as well as a stretch of 12 consecutive runs without a single problem. While still in its early stages, Current Eliminator was equipped with an on-board computer. Estimates were that the vehicle would see 100 miles per hour very soon, with speeds over 140 miles per hour not out of the question down the road.

Continue the history behind Current Eliminator by viewing the specifications for each version of the dragster: Eliminators.


© 2010 Dennis "Kilowatt" Berube - Current Eliminator powered by Altairnano