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Nation's Best Automotive Technology Students Compete For Over $3 Million in Scholarships and Prizes

24 April 2000

         National Automotive Technology Competition Finals to Be Held
            at This Year's New York International Automobile Show

    NEW YORK, April 24 The best automotive education students
from around the country will descend on Manhattan, Wednesday, April 26 to
compete for more than $3 million in scholarships and prizes at the National
Automotive Technology Competition finals.  The high school seniors, who all
study automotive service technology, will compete against one another for
various prizes including full scholarships, new cars, and various other tools
and prizes to help jump start a successful career in the high-paying field of
automotive technology.

    The annual Competition, which is organized by the Greater New York
Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA), holds regional contests around the
country with the finals culminating each year at the New York International
Automobile Show.  This year's eighth annual competition will be held on
Wednesday, April 26, 2000 at the Javits Center in New York City.

    "Today's cars and trucks have become so sophisticated that maintaining and
repairing them requires the brightest minds in both engineering and computer
science.  No longer can vehicle owners just lift the hood and tinker around to
solve a problem.  It takes well-trained, highly-skilled technicians using
advanced diagnostic tools and computers," said Steve Shapiro, Ed.D., GNYADA
Director of Education and Training.

    "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," he continued.

    The competition takes place in two stages.  First, each team is assigned a
new car that is rigged to malfunction in a number of ways.  The student teams
must then diagnose the problem and correct it within the allotted time.  Each
"bug" correctly diagnosed and repaired is worth a number of points, depending
on the level of difficulty.  Second, the student's theoretical knowledge is
tested through a series of challenging written tests specially prepared by
Snap-On, Hunter Engineering, Fluke and the EPA.

    Sponsored by many of the biggest names in the automotive industry,
GNYADA's National Automotive Technology 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.