Press Release: NY Students Compete for Place in National Auto Tech Competition
For Immediate Release Contact: Nick Crispe/Chris Sams www.nationalautotech.com 212.560.9494 NEW YORK STUDENTS COMPETE FOR PLACE IN NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION Follow Your New York Team to the National Finals! New York, NY - (February, 2007): Greater New York's best automotive education students are competing to see who will move on to the National Automotive Technology Competition finals in April at the New York International Automobile Show. The high school seniors, who all study automotive service technology, are hoping for a chance to make it to the national finals where they will compete for more than $3.5 million in scholarships, new cars, and the title of "America's Top Technician". The State finals, which are organized by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), will be held at the all-new Center for Automotive Education & Training at 15-30 Petracca Place, Whitestone, Queens, on Tuesday, February 13th from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each two person team is supported by their teacher, school, and a local area franchised new car dealer. "The National Automotive Technology Competition is designed to reward the best of a new generation of automotive technicians and encourage future generations to choose the automotive industry as a meaningful and worthwhile career path," said GNYADA president, Mark Schienberg. "Today's cars and trucks have become so sophisticated that maintaining and repairing them requires the brightest minds in both engineering and computer science. With on-board computers, self-diagnostic capabilities and ever-evolving parts and systems, automobiles have never been more advanced. A trained technician with the right skills will always be in demand," Schienberg continued. Here's how the Competition works: The contests take place in two stages. First, each team is assigned a new car that is rigged with multiple computer and mechanical malfunctions. The student teams must then diagnose and repair the "bugs" within the two hours allocated. Second, the students' theoretical knowledge is tested through a series of challenging one hour workstation tests specially prepared by Snap-on, Hunter Engineering, Megatech, and the EPA. The Competition is a clear demonstration of the industry's strong commitment to excellence in automotive education. The Competition is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, which devised and underwrites the Competition, represents nearly 650 franchised automobile dealerships in the metro area of New York, selling more than 700,000 new and used cars each year. The Association opened its doors in 1910 and has continued to serve the needs of the industry and the car-buying public ever since. 2007 New York Finals Competition Teams: School: L.A. Wilson Tech - Northport, Long Island, NY Dealer: Smithtown Acura Students: Mike Conte Nicholas Scudieri School: Thomas A. Edison Vocational-Technical High School, Queens, NY Dealer: Regan Pontiac-Buick-GMC Truck, Inc. Students: Geary Mohammed Nimesh Tigree School: Southern Westchester BOCES, Rye Brook, NY Dealer: Premium Buick Students: Austin Cardany Andrew Gluck School: H.B. Ward Tech Center, Riverhead, NY Dealer: Lexus of Southampton Students: Christopher McKiernan Kevin Mickaliger School: Automotive High School, Brooklyn, NY Dealer: Giuffre Mazda Students: Arben Amsterdam Elickson Arias School: Orange-Ulster BOCES, Middletown, NY Dealer: Middletown Mazda Students: Eddie Howie Thomas Sheridan School: Putnam-Westchester BOCES, Yorktown Heights, NY Dealer: Geis Auto Mall Students: Brett Johnson Christopher Torres School: H.B. Ward Tech Center, Riverhead, New York Dealer: King O'Rourke Pontiac Students: Jonathan Bowen Andrew Scheiner School: Thomas A. Edison Vocational-Technical High School, Queens, NY Dealer: Victory Toyota Students: Keran Dalliphcharnd Kevin Leigh School: Islip Career Center, Long Island, NY Dealer: Sunrise Toyota Students: Ben Rose Brandon Slovik School: Thomas A. Edison Vocational-Technical High School, Queens, NY Dealer: North Coast Subaru Students: Rony Byas Raynor Dodd School: L.A. Wilson Tech - Northport, Long Island, NY Dealer: Smithtown Toyota Students: Jamie Conroy Sean Maier # # #