A record number of local high school teams are set to compete as the Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association and SUNY Erie Community College host the 2020 NFADA Ron Smith Memorial AutoTech Competition on Friday, Jan. 17. 

The competition features teams of two high school automotive seniors who will go through a series of diagnostic, workstation and performance tests to measure their automotive technical skills and abilities. Ford Motor Company is the vehicle sponsor with local Ford dealers providing vehicles for the students to compete on.

Also during the event, high school juniors will compete against a stopwatch in an Olympic-style format to dismount and mount tires using a tire-changing machine. Overall, the competition will feature a record number of participants, including 13 senior and 14 junior teams.

The competition, to be held at the SUNY Erie Community College-Vehicle Technology Training Center at 5885 Big Tree Road in Orchard Park, will be open to the public beginning at 9 a.m. It concludes with an awards ceremony at approximately 3 p.m.

Previously held on a Saturday, the competition has been moved to Friday to allow more current and future Career & Tech students the opportunity to learn about careers as automotive technicians while they attend both the Junior Tire Rodeo and Senior AutoTech competitions. During the event, they can talk with current technicians and service professionals from local dealerships, automotive instructors from high schools and colleges, and learn about scholarships.

Competitors in the 2020 competition represent the following career and technical high schools from the Western New York area: Burgard High School, Belmont, Ellicottville Career & Tech Center, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, Harkness Career & Tech Center, Hewes Educational Center, Kenton Career & Tech Center, LoGuidice Educational Center, Niagara Career & Technical Center, Oleans Career & Tech Center, Potter Career & Tech Center and the W.D. Ormsby Center. 

First place finishers will represent their school and the Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association at the National Automotive Technology Competition in New York City in April.

Follow the NFADA/Ron Smith Memorial AutoTech Competition on Facebook. For more information on the competition, please contact Tom Herrmann at tom@nfada.com or (716) 481-1991.