Texas took the title in 2006, with first place winners Aaron Clay, left, and Bradley J. Bolton, right. A total of 7,504 high school juniors and seniors enrolled in automotive technology programs throughout the United States competed in the 2007 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition for more than $6 million in prizes and scholarships.

    Each of the 50 two-person teams that gathered in Dearborn, MI, June 24-26 represented the cream of the crop of auto tech students in their state. They are the champions out of 7,504 high school juniors and seniors who enrolled in the competition last fall, and the team from California took top honors. Seventh place went to Jesse Cobb and Christopher Johnson of Oklahoma.
    Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Manager Allan Stanley said, “While each team has a story to tell, several teams are competing under unusual or challenging circumstances this year. For example two teams include father-son competitors, and one of the fathers is a former national contestant. This has never happened in previous years of the competition. Both members of the Mississippi team, who lost homes to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, overcame the effects of the storm to capture their state crown. The Maryland team is competing in memory of a beloved instructor who passed away earlier this year. The 2006 champion school from Texas is back for a second year. And schools from Oregon and Hawaii are breaking records by sending teams to the National Finals once again,” he said.
California competitor’s father is team instructor
    San Luis Obispo High School seniors Daniel Lehmkuhl and Austin Castro will compete in Dearborn under the watchful eye of Jeff Lehmkuhl, Daniel’s father and their auto tech instructor.
    Both young men plan automotive careers. Daniel, who has been hanging out at the school auto tech shop since he was 5 or 6, will attend the University of Nebraska this fall, majoring in mechanical engineering. Austin hopes to attend Universal Technical Institute.
    The team logged 80 hours preparing for the state Ford/AAA competition. For the nationals, the young men have been solving simulated problems, reviewing numerous text books, and pouring over a Ford Fusion donated by a local dealer.
    While Jeff has taken teams to finals three previous times in 17 years of teaching, having his son part of the 2007 team made this trip “pretty cool, pretty exciting.”
Wyoming student following in instructor father’s footsteps
    As did his father, Earl Smith, in 1979, Campbell County High School Senior David Smith competed in the national auto skills finals. But unlike his dad, who also is the instructor for the Gillette, WY, students, David and teammate Cory Moore are in the competition to win, not just have a good time.
    Cory will continue his education this fall, studying diesel and auto for an automotive career, while David is determining his next steps. But both young men have been practicing diligently for the face-off in Dearborn. Earl Smith, who is “proud as punch to be taking my son,” says David and Cory “want to win for their school and for Wyoming.” Campbell County has not sent a team to the competition in 18 years.