EAST NORRITON, Pa., March 5, 2008—The Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation is pleased to announce the results of its 15th Annual Automotive Technology Competition. High School Seniors Keith Zook and Sean Angstadt of Berks Career & Technology Center West claimed first place at the 2008 event, which took place on February 29th at the Automotive Training Center (ATC) in Warminster.
Created in 1994, the purpose of the competition is to build awareness for the important role of auto technicians in today’s workforce and to spotlight their specialized skills and professionalism. The first part of the competition involved a 160-question written exam. Of the 90 students who took the exam, the twenty-four individuals who received the highest marks advanced to the hands-on portion of the competition.
At the hands-on event, participating students tested their knowledge at eight different workstations and performed a Pre-Delivery inspection on a new vehicle. In total, the hands-on competition was 4.5 hours long. Afterwards, all of the students were treated to an astounding amount of donated prizes and an inspirational speech led by Philadelphia Eagles Kicker David Akers.
“From vehicle manufacturers to industry vendors to school educators, all facets of the automotive community annually come together to make this event happen,” said Mary Lynn Alvarino, director of operations for the Foundation and the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia (ADAGP). “And, the Foundation is honored to serve as the producer. It’s a great feeling to watch these students open new doors for themselves and embark on such a rewarding career path.”
The array of prizes and scholarship money distributed to the participating students totaled nearly $800,000. Eighteen students were awarded a 25% scholarship to ATC in Warminster and Exton and Lincoln Tech in Philadelphia, as well as $1,000 to Ohio Technical Institute.
The first place duo of Zook and Angstadt from Berks Career and Technology Center West received combined winnings of over $218,000. The team was led by Instructor Lewis Davis and sponsored by Geoff Penske Buick GMC. Davis will accompany his two students to New York City later this month for the National Automotive Technology Competition at the New York Auto Show, with all expenses paid by the Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation.
“Our support and encouragement for all individuals that want to explore this career path is essential to the success of many area dealerships,” added Kevin Mazzucola, executive director of the Foundation and
ADAGP. “Collectively, an estimated 4 million vehicles are serviced each year at dealerships in the Greater Philadelphia region. Therefore, the need for young, knowledgeable and efficient technicians is invaluable to the community.”
Second place honors went to Burlington County Institute of Technology’s Dan Goldy and Dyllon Oatman who were instructed by Tom Molnar and sponsored by Burlington Volkswagen. This team took home combined winnings of $142,000. Instructed by David Sinn, Tyler Dunn and Dustin Pannone of Council Rock North High School captured third place. The pair took home a combined $92,000 in prizes and was sponsored by Thompson Toyota. Other finalists included:
Terry Stahlnecker and Drew Weisser
Berks Career and Technology Center East
Instructor: Ron Leinbach
Rich Biemuller and Tom Scott
Bucks County Technical High School
Instructor: Byron Cesari
Joe Abate and Carl Huppman
Delaware County Technical School
Instructor: Ronald Erle
Matthew Conard and Robert Mosk
Eastern Center for Arts & Technology
Instructor: John McDonald
Chris Rosa and Kent Miller
Mercer County Technical School – Sypek
Instructor: David Nash
Timothy Barlow and Joshua Snyder
Middle Bucks Institute of Technology
Instructor: Paul Ciarlone
Trevor Chernuka and Nick Cannon
North Montco Technical Career Center
Instructor: Bill Kirkpatrick
Benjamin Kim and Joshua Torres
Swenson Arts & Technology High School
Instructor: Robert Nelson
Chris Hill and Travis Bauman
Western Center for Technical Studies
Instructor: Steve Bruno
Educational Sponsors included Automotive Training Center, Lincoln Technical Institute, Universal Technical Institute, Camden County Community College, Ohio Technical College, Montgomery County College and Volvo Cars of North America.
Dealers providing vehicles and technical support to the student competitors included Savage Kia, Geoff Penske Buick GMC, McCafferty Ford, Burlington Volkswagen, Thompson Toyota, Springfield Ford, Bryner Chevrolet, Haldeman Ford, Keystone Motors, North Penn Mazda, Northeast Auto Outlet and Norco Auto Group.
Corporate supporters consisted of American Tire Distributors, Hunter Engineering, Matco Tools, Mitchell 1, Montgomery County Community College, Snap On, Toyota Motor Sales and Conicelli Autoplex.
*Editors Note – Photographs from the event are available.
For information on the 2009 Automotive Technology Competition, please be sure to visit the events page of this site.
2008 Auto Techonology Competition Release
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