About Us

Keith Eickert, the pioneer of the marine aftermarket performance industry, whose high-tech bolt-on accessory parts designs date back to 1986, has relaunched his original "Lightning Performance" line as part of the Don Onken group of companies, headquartered in Easton, Illinois.

Don used to race the famous "Mr. Goodwrench" offshore boat, and he built a very successful oil filter recycling business in Illinois. To facilitate the expansion of the business into the high performance marine aftermarket sector, Don purchased the old Illini Central Middle School building, where Lightning Performance has been resurrected under the watchful eye of Keith Eickert, whose expertise was the driving force behind the concept of of bolt-on performance products.

It is a long way from the original Lightning Performance roots in Flagler Beach, Florida, to the chilly environs of central Illinois, but the eyes of the industry are certainly on the team at The Onken Group, as they introduce a new range of marine performance products for the 2009 season.

The latest innovations will be on display at the Miami International Boat Show, and the exhibit will no doubt be the highlight of your trip if you have a passion for high performance engines.

Keith and Don have created what Keith describes as "an almost bulletproof 1500 hp motor that delivers speed and durability without the need for superchargers and all that extra stuff"...it's a brand new V16 engine package, all aluminum, consisting of two big block 540 cubic inch engines linked end to end, putting out a reliable 750 hp each, and totaling 1600 ft.-lbs of torque. Two of these 540 blocks weigh less than one of the big supercharged engines that are popular in today's offshore performance boats.

This new engine is just the beginning for Lightning Performance, which is planning a complete line of state-of-the-art marine performance engines and accessories - with Don and Keith at the helm, this new line will definitely be one to watch in the months and years to come!