NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Sara Panza
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500
Five Teams Qualify for 22nd
Annual Automotive Technology Competition
Cleveland, OH (February 4, 2014) — After qualifying on a rigorous written exam, five two-man automotive tech teams from high schools across Northern Ohio will square off in the finals of the Cleveland Auto Show’s 22nd Annual Automotive Technology Competition on Sunday, March 2. The finals will take place at the I-X Center during the Cleveland Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com and Medical Mutual.
“The students who have qualified for the finals of the 22nd Annual Automotive Technology Competition represent the very best Northern Ohio has to offer,” says Dennis Rose, floor manager of the 2014 Cleveland Auto Show. “They have qualified by scoring high on a rigorous written examination to test their knowledge. Now, they are moving on to the ‘hands on’ portion of the competition, where they must apply their knowledge in a real world environment.
“I’d like to congratulate all ten students as well as their instructors.”
During the finals, the five teams will be asked to find bugs placed in a 2014 Toyota Corolla by a team of volunteer test proctors. The team that wins the finals will represent all of Northern Ohio in New York City in the National Automotive Technology Competition in April 22 and 23.
The five teams qualifying for the final round of the 22nd Annual Automotive Technology Competition include: Alexander Antosh and LaShawn Boone and their instructor Anthony Rozman from Euclid High School; Nicholas Petiya and Derek Bratsch and their instructor Michael Szittai from Lakewood High School; Justin Friedl and Eric Lehky and their instructor Gary Mitchhart from Valley Forge High School; Mike Coleman and Dean Houlis and their instructor Bob Yuravak from Polaris Career Center, and Daniel DeJean and Casey Ceballos and their instructor Jody Keegan from Sentinel Career Center.
“These students have shown us how much they know in theory, now it’s time to see how well they can apply that knowledge on an actual vehicle,” says Ed Babcock, chairman of the 2014 Cleveland Auto Show and fourth generation owner of the Junction Auto Family dealerships in Chardon. “While the winners will go on to represent Northern Ohio in New York, all the students who are competing in the finals have already embarked on what could be a very lucrative and rewarding career path.”
In addition to a trip to New York City to represent Northern Ohio in the National Automotive Technology Competition, each member of the first place team will also be given a $5,000 scholarship to Cuyahoga Community College, the University of Northwestern Ohio or Stark State College. Each member of the second place team will win a $900 to any of those three schools, while the third place team will win a $750 scholarship.
Winners competing in the National Automotive Technology Competition will be pitted against automotive tech teams from around the country in a test of skill, a measure of knowledge, and a race against the clock – all rolled into one. It features hundreds of the nation's best high school automotive education students from across the country, competing for the title of The Nation’s Best High School Automotive Technician.
“Several of the teams that we have sent to New York have placed very high in the Nationals in the past,” says Babcock. “With the high level of knowledge and expertise we saw on the written portion of the examination this year, we expect the winners of this year’s 22nd Annual Automotive Technology Competition to place very high in the Nationals as well.”
The Cleveland Auto Show opens its doors at the I-X Center on Saturday March 1 and runs through Sunday, March 9 at the I-X Center in Cleveland. The show features more than 1000 vehicles in over 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space over its nine-day run at the I-X Center in Cleveland.
Tickets for this year’s Cleveland Auto Show cost $13.00 for adults and $11.00 for seniors aged 62 and older and preteens aged seven to 12. Children six and under get in free. Parking is also free, courtesy of your franchised new motor vehicle dealers.
Show hours run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Updated Cleveland Auto Show information and E-Tickets are currently available at www.clevelandautoshow.com. You can also like the Show on Facebook or follow on Twitter.
About the Cleveland Auto Show
The Cleveland Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com and Medical Mutual, marks the start of the spring selling season in Northeast Ohio. Featuring concept, pre-production and production vehicles from the world’s auto manufacturers, the show is held annually at the I-X Center with nearly 1.2 million square feet of exhibits. The Show also features an array of entertainment including sports celebrity appearances from the Browns, Cavs, and OSU. The Cleveland Auto Show is a consumer show and a favorite family tradition since 1903. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheClevelandAutoShow.
About the GCADA
The Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers' Association (GCADA) has served the retail-automobile industry and community with integrity and distinction since 1903. Today, located in Brecksville, Ohio, GCADA represents 250 franchised motor vehicle dealers, which includes new-car, truck, motorcycle and RV dealers in a 21-county region of northern Ohio along the Lake Erie shore and beyond. More information on the GCADA can be found at www.gcada.org.
