Students Win Ford/AAA National Auto Repair Title
15 June 1998
Oregon, Virginia, Massachusetts Students Win Ford/AAA National Auto Repair TitleWASHINGTON, June 15 -- A two-student team from Vale High School, Vale, Ore., won the national high school auto repair championship at the Ford/AAA STUDENT AUTO SKILLS competition here today. Brian Belnap, 18, and Kevin Roner, 18, outpaced a field of nearly 6,000 competitors from every state to earn more than $64,000 in scholarships and prizes. Their instructor is Merle Saunders. "Brian and Kevin represent the best of a new generation of automotive technicians who will be fixing tomorrow's cars," said James Dunst, national STUDENT AUTO SKILLS contest manager. "Maintaining systems such as electronic fuel injection, air bag deployment mechanisms and anti-lock brakes all require technicians to have comprehensive knowledge in electronics and computer technology in addition to basic engineering skills." The contest, held on The Mall, involved teams from all 50 states. Participants sprinted to identically "bugged" 1998 Ford Mustangs, popped the hoods and began diagnosing and repairing the problems. The hands-on portion of the competition counted for 60 percent of the overall score. A written exam taken on Sunday counted for 40 percent. The contest calls attention to the need for automobile technicians to develop the high-tech skills required to service increasingly advanced automobiles. Currently, more than 80 percent of the functions on a new vehicle are computer-controlled and cars are becoming more complex to service with each passing year. More than 5,800 students entered this year's AUTO SKILLS contest nationwide to compete for nearly $8 million in scholarships and prizes. The STUDENT AUTO SKILLS contest is held to encourage students to pursue careers in automotive service and is jointly sponsored by Ford Motor Company and AAA. Teams placing second through tenth received scholarship awards scaled from $21,600 to $1,400 per student. Second place went to Gregory Welch, 19, and Jason Kmak, 17, of the Monroe Technical Center in Leesburg, Va. John Welch, 19, and Steve Gianunzio, 17, of the South Shore Vo Tech in Hanover, Mass., took third place. FORD/AAA STUDENT AUTO SKILLS National Quality Care Challenge Final Rank State 1 Oregon 2 Virginia 3 Massachusetts 4 New Hampshire 5 Georgia 6 Maine 7 Hawaii 8 Tennessee 9 Kentucky 10 Nevada 11 Iowa 12 Ohio 13 South Carolina 14 Oklahoma 15 Idaho 16 West Virginia 17 Utah 18 Alabama 19 North Dakota 20 Texas 21 California 22 Connecticut 23 Wyoming 24 Minnesota 25 Wisconsin 26 Mississippi 27 Arizona 28 Louisiana 29 Montana 30 Michigan 31 Illinois 32 Colorado 33 Maryland 34 Florida 35 Rhode Island 36 Vermont 37 Kansas 38 Pennsylvania 39 New Mexico 40 North Carolina 41 Washington 42 New Jersey 43 Nebraska 44 Delaware 45 South Dakota 46 Indiana 47 New York 48 Missouri 49 Arkansas 50 Alaska AAA news releases can be downloaded from http://www.aaa.com