Two Oregon students outlast 98 others to claim top prize in National Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition

A few weeks ago, students from across the country gathered in Dearborn to match wits and workmanship in a race against the clock – and one another – for the right to claim a national championship and be named the winners of the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Finals at Ford World Headquarters.

 “For today’s automotive technicians, being able to diagnose and repair a computer-related malfunction is just as critical as fixing mechanical failures,” said Margaret Pittelkow, AAA Vice President, Automotive. “As a generation that has grown up with digital technology, these students are uniquely qualified to lead the auto industry forward and you saw their brilliance on display today in a high-octane atmosphere matching the nation’s best talent from coast-to-coast.”

With over $12 million dollars in scholarship prizes in the balance, state winners competed to solve “real world” automotive challenges – both digital and mechanical – in a timed competition. A quick mind and steady hands were required as top automotive students worked with wrenches and computers alike.  With new and innovative technologies becoming a bigger part of the manufacturing process, contestants in the 2015 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition represent the next generation of auto technicians who will work on these vehicles.

When the dust settled, the duo of Morgan White and Jay Saunders from Vale High School in Vale, Ore., claimed the crown of America’s top auto technicians, registering the day’s top score under the tutelage of instructor Drew Barnes.

“My boys found diagnosed, fixed, repaired everything in less than 45 minutes, which gave them the opportunity to shadow Wood Brothers Racing” stated Barnes. “There are 11,500 students in the competition, which narrows down to the top 100 nationally, competing as a two person team.”

The 2015 winning team from Oregon represents a long-running family tradition of participation in the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition.   Jay Saunders, is one of five Saunders’ sons to participate in the program, including two of his brothers who were also crowned national champions in 1992 and 2011. 

“I really enjoyed the national competition, meeting all the people there, and also being down here with the Wood Brothers. They made us feel like family,” said Saunders.  

Morgan White’s father, Randy Belnap, was the second member of the 1992 national championship team.  The instructor from Vale High School, Drew Barnes, is creating a legacy of his own capturing his second national title in just his 3rd appearance. 

“My favorite part; this trip is really awesome, but my favorite part was in Dearborn Michigan when we won, and to fulfill that goal was a huge relief. The experiences we’ve had have been great, ” added White. “I’m going into an automotive career field, so it will be my main source of income. The vehicles will continue to progress, and everyone will need someone to work on their cars.”

Beginning with a shotgun start, the student competitors (all paired in two-person teams) raced to their identical 2015 Ford Mustang Fastbacks to review a work order that challenged them to diagnose and repair a number of purposefully placed “bugs” ranging from digital to mechanical and electrical. Once the repairs were completed, it was a race to shut the hood, fire up the engine and steer the vehicle across the finish line – where a scrutinizing judging team awaited.

To earn the National Title, White and Saunders earned a “perfect car” score by flawlessly repairing all the “bugs” without any demerits. Students are graded on quality repair workmanship and safety. Combined with the results of a written examination taken on June 8, their score allowed them to hoist the trophy as national champions. 

The top-10 teams in the 2015 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Finals were:

“The automotive technicians of tomorrow must be well-educated and highly-skilled to meet the current and future technological advances in automotive technology,” said Steve DeAngelis, Ford’s Manager of Technical Support Operations. “The people at Ford are committed to training and retaining the best technicians in the industry, which is why we are so proud of our involvement in the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition.”

In addition to scholarships, the national champion Oregon team enjoyed an immersive, weeklong job shadow experience with auto racing royalty, Wood Brothers Racing’s legendary No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion team and driver Ryan Blaney. The hands-on-experience took place at the Wood Brothers Racing shop in Harrisburg, N.C. and also trackside in Daytona as the Team prepares the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion car for the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola in early July.

 “The commitment necessary to make it to the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Finals was evident as I spoke with many of the students and instructors,” said driver Ryan Blaney.  “Our team is extremely excited to host the Oregon team and show them behind-the-scenes at a race shop and then be part of our team in Daytona.  It’s going to be a great experience for them to witness first-hand the adjustments that are made to a race car during an actual race.”

The Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills is a nationwide automotive technology competition that will award over $12 million in scholarships and prizes to high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers as automotive service technicians.  Approximately, 12,000 students from across the U.S. competed for the chance to represent their school and state in the National Finals. The competition tested students’ automotive knowledge, workmanship and problem-solving abilities. For additional information on the competition, visit autoskills.aaa.com.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week.  Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.

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