{"id":2559,"date":"2026-10-06T18:52:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T01:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evvtoltechnation.com\/?p=2559"},"modified":"2026-10-06T18:52:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T01:52:45","slug":"aspiring-auto-techs-head-to-las-vegas-to-compete-in-second-annual-student-competition-at-aapex-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/evvtoltechnation.com\/sv\/2026\/10\/06\/aspiring-auto-techs-head-to-las-vegas-to-compete-in-second-annual-student-competition-at-aapex-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspiring Auto Techs Head to Las Vegas to Compete in Second Annual Student Competition at AAPEX 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine teams, including an all-female team, from high schools and technical colleges across the country will race to tear down and rebuild V8 engines<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Automotive Aftermarket Product Expo (AAPEX) student competition is returning to the show this year with double the number of schools involved \u2013 and triple the number of teams. Nine teams from seven high schools and technical colleges are sending students to compete in the 2nd Annual AAPEX Student Competition<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter attending last year’s event and sharing my experiences with the class, my students were instantly hooked,\u201d said Bob Parmley, an automotive instructor at\u00a0Arapahoe Community College<\/a><\/span>\u00a0in Colo.,. \u201cWhile classroom instruction and lab work build a vital foundation, nothing compares to stepping into the heart of the global automotive industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teams will race each other in a timed event to fully disassemble and reassemble a small block V8 engine in front of a live audience. The competition will unfold over two preliminary rounds with four teams competing at a time in one group and five teams in the other. Next, the four teams with the fastest times will compete in the final round for prizes and bragging rights.<\/p>\n

Origin of the student competition<\/strong><\/p>\n

Organizers initiated the first-ever student competition\u00a0last year at AAPEX 2025<\/a>.<\/span> Three teams competed, including two from community colleges and one from a Kansas-based high school, which took first place. The winners took home $2,000 in prizes last year, including $1,000 in gift cards and $1,000 in professional-grade starter tool sets.\u00a0This year, the prize value for first place is valued at more than $5,000.<\/p>\n

The competition was part of a multi-year plan to improve the show and to call attention to the shortage of auto techs. The U.S. produced less than half of the 241,842 auto technicians it needed last year,\u00a0according to the TechForce Foundation<\/a>.<\/span> The organization projects the country will be short 1.2 million auto techs over the next five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a national stage for these students as AAPEX is a \u2018homecoming\u2019 of sorts for the\u00a0$599.7 billion U.S. automotive aftermarket<\/a>,<\/span>\u201d said Bernard Tansey, the owner of\u00a0Euro Clinic<\/a><\/span>, an independent repair shop based in Santa Clara, Calif. \u201cIt takes initiative for students to sign up for this and work ethic to perform, which are characteristics many employers find desirable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tansey has been the driving force organizing the competition and also serves as a judge and emcee. He\u2019s also been outspoken about the skilled labor shortage and penned an op-ed for the\u00a0San Francisco Business Times<\/em><\/a><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>The piece, a version of which was later republished on the AAPEX blog,\u00a0outlined pragmatic steps<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>shop owners can take to address the issue.<\/p>\n

Students have prepared to compete<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jack Stow, an A.S.E. certified master automobile technician and automotive instructor with North Kansas City Schools,\u00a0coached the winning team<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>at last year\u2019s event. He\u2019s bringing an all-female team to the competition this year and they are coming to win. Stow noted in a phone call with AAPEX last spring that the duo was already putting in the work to practice after school.<\/p>\n

An automotive maintenance and light repair teacher at\u00a0Heritage High School<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>in Palm Bay, Fla., expressed a similar sentiment. Michael A. Broud will coach a pair of students at the competition this year. One student builds dirt bikes on the side, and the other has become \u201ca skilled tuner,\u201d who has tuned his Mazda 3Speed Turbo to deliver more than 600 horsepower.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese two are hungry,\u201d Broud said to AAPEX in an email asking for his thoughts on the upcoming competition. \u201cWhen I asked if they would like to compete, their only question was, \u2018When do we start?!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Improvements to the competition<\/strong><\/p>\n

The event was a highlight of the show last year. It attracted a sizable crowd of show-goers that was hundreds deep. Accordingly, AAPEX has made the event a little more fan-friendly by adding stadium-style seating and large-screen TVs for onlookers this year.<\/p>\n

The student competition is being held near\u00a0Joe\u2019s Garage<\/a>,<\/span> a staple feature of the AAPEX show. It will be held on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Preliminary rounds will start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The four fastest teams will advance to the final round that determines the winner, which will begin at 4 p.m., Las Vegas time. There is no cost to attend the student competition.<\/p>\n

Competition sponsors and community support<\/strong><\/p>\n

The event is made possible by sponsoring businesses and volunteer members of the Auto Care Association\u00a0Tool & Equipment Community<\/a>,<\/span> who coordinated the tools, prizes and gift bags.<\/p>\n

The engines are being supplied by\u00a0Duralast Parts<\/a>,<\/span> a private label brand owned and operated by AutoZone, Inc. The engine stands are supplied by\u00a0Dorman produkter<\/a>,<\/span> a provider of aftermarket automotive parts and OE solutions.<\/p>\n

Prizes for the winning teams are sponsored by\u00a0Milwaukee Verktyg<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Carlyle Tools<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, businesses sponsoring tools for the competition include:\u00a0Snap-on Incorporated<\/a>,<\/span> Carlyle Tools,\u00a0SP Tools USA<\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0Lisle Corporation<\/span><\/a>and\u00a0SureWerx<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Register for AAPEX 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Registration for AAPEX 2026 is open for automotive aftermarket professionals;\u00a0register here<\/a>.<\/span> Passes to the show are\u00a0$100.\u00a0Students and members of the media are eligible for a\u00a0complimentary pass<\/a><\/span>\u00a0to AAPEX.<\/p>\n


\n... anteckningar fr\u00e5n SP<\/p>\n

Om AAPEX<\/strong><\/p>\n

AAPEX unites the global automotive aftermarket \u2013 a market valued at $2.65 trillion worldwide and $599.7 billion in the U.S. \u2013 that keeps the world\u2019s 1.61 billion vehicles safely on the road. The annual tradeshow attracts thousands of exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees from around the world to find new products and innovations, expand business relationships, and advance their team\u2019s skills with world-class technical and business training sessions.<\/p>\n

Exhibitors span suppliers, manufacturers, remanufacturers, technology solution providers, and more. Industry buyers that attend include automotive service and repair professionals, auto parts retailers, quick lube businesses, independent warehouse distributors, program groups, service chains, automotive dealers, fleet buyers and engine builders.<\/p>\n

With more than 60 years of history, AAPEX is one of the longest-running and largest automotive aftermarket events in the Western Hemisphere. It consistently ranks in the top 1% of U.S. trade shows by leading trade publications, including the Gold 100 Honorees by\u00a0Chef f\u00f6r m\u00e4ssa<\/em>\u00a0(TSE) and the Top 250 Trade Show List by\u00a0Trade Show Network News<\/em>\u00a0(TSNN).<\/p>\n

AAPEX \u00e4r ett evenemang som endast riktar sig till branschfolk och \u00e4r st\u00e4ngt f\u00f6r allm\u00e4nheten.<\/p>\n

AAPEX is co-produced by\u00a0MEMA Eftermarknadsleverant\u00f6rer<\/span><\/a>\u00a0och\u00a0Bilv\u00e5rdsf\u00f6reningen<\/a><\/span>. For more information, visit aapexshow.com or email: info@aapexshow.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"EVVTOL<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nine teams, including an all-female team, from high schools and technical colleges across the 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