Car Czars Race for Scholarships
By Elyse Andrews, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON - The air was filled with tension Monday as 100 students competing in the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition waited impatiently on the bleachers for the start gun to sound. Several teams planned strategies while others sat nervously biting their nails. The 50 teams of two high school students each — all boys except for two girls, one from Louisiana and one from Mississippi — had traveled from around the country to represent their states in the competition.

Facing them on the National Mall: 50 disabled 2005 Ford Focuses. Each team's goal: to get the team's car running and fix the problems the technicians had planted in it, all within 90 minutes. The prize: scholarships to technical and trade schools.

The annual competition, which includes both written and practical sections, is designed to promote automotive career paths and create a much-needed new pool of auto technicians and mechanics. "Most definitely there is a shortage," said Michael Jordan, an instructor from Ramona High School in California, who was there with his fifth team to make it to the national contest.

The shortage is expected to get worse as older, experienced mechanics retire and greater numbers of Americans own several cars. The Department of Labor estimates a 20% increase in the need for automotive service technicians and mechanics by 2012. Entry-level mechanics can make $30,000 to $35,000 a year; master technicians in some areas have salaries of $70,000 to $100,000 a year.

Many of the students at the competition already were involved in automotive work through classes and jobs at dealerships and repair shops. "I've worked on (cars) since I was knee-high to a grasshopper," said Justin Parks, a recent graduate of Winfield City High School in Alabama. He first heard about the contest when he enrolled in an auto mechanics class in 10th grade.

Barbara Coleman, whose son, Elton, was on the Vermont team and whose husband owns a repair shop, said Elton has been "in the shop in overalls since he was 4."

The teams already had competed against 6,000 other students in the state competitions to get to the national level.

"These kids really represent the best of the best," said John Nielsen, the national director of the Approved Auto Repair network for AAA. "I'm excited for them, and I'm just impressed with the caliber of kids and instructors."

With quick, controlled movements, the students set about their task. Each car was disabled and bugged in exactly the same way to ensure a fair contest. The team from Alabama experienced a problem with its scan tool, but the students quickly realized this and replaced it.

"Things like that happen," said Michael Henderson, the Alabama instructor. He had no doubt his team was ready for the competition: "I've had them for three years, since 10th grade. I saw something special in them."

Finally, the scores of the written and practical portions were combined and demerits subtracted to determine the winners. Ultimately, it was the team from Vale High School in Oregon that won: Matthew Whitaker and Oliver Dalman and their instructor, Merle Saunders. The students raised the trophy over their heads and beamed during the awards ceremony.

Said Whitaker: "It didn't even sink in till I was standing right here."

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