C.B. Aycock advances in 'Best in Class Challenge'
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on September 29, 2016 9:57 AM
Charles B. Aycock High School is one of five schools to earn enough online votes to advance in the Quaker State "Best in Class Challenge."
Fifty-five schools across the nation were vying for the opportunity, with CBA one of 14 high schools in North Carolina participating.
The first round involved online voting, which ended Sunday.
This marks the second year Quaker State is holding its "Best in Class Challenge," an automotive education competition featuring high school auto shop classes across the U.S.
Gene Stancil, automotive instructor at CBA, said he received a bulletin at the end of the last school year, announcing the contest. He promptly went online and registered.
"The team out of North Carolina with the most votes will move on to the finals," Stancil said. "At that point, Quaker State provides a vehicle to us, they provide a budget and we completely overhaul the vehicle."
His students are psyched about the prospects of succeeding, their teacher said.
"They want to win," he said. "Everybody's excited to see if we win."
CBA has two classes of automotive students, with an average of about 60 students per semester taking the courses.
In the event they fared well in the first round, Stancil said he and Jon Horton, the school's other automotive instructor, had a plan ready.
"What we'll do is the more experienced students will be the ones actually to do the work," Stancil said. "Everybody will be involved in some aspect.
"They'll remove the engine and the transmission, completely rebuild (the car), clean the vehicle from one end to the other and completely reupholster the interior."
A team of about 24 students will take the lead, he added, with other students in the program also pitching in and putting their newly acquired skills to work.
"Between me and the other instructor we have a lot of years of experience, so we know we can guide them through it," he said.
In addition to CBA, other schools earning the most votes included Jordan Vocational High School in Columbus, Georgia, New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, Kearny High School in Kearny, N.J. and Satellite High School in Satellite Beach, Florida.
Teams from the five markets in the country will now move to the next stage of the competition, comprised of six weeks of automotive challenges beginning Oct. 11. It will entail hands on education, judging and participation in a vehicle auction for the grand prize.
The top five schools will each receive a pre-owned vehicle worth up to $3,000. Teams will also be given $2,000 to be used at AutoZone to purchase needed supplies and tools.
"If your school wins when they go to judge those cars, they actually take the team of students and the instructors and carry us to West Palm Beach, Florida and auction the car off and the school gets the proceeds," Stancil said.
The five teams that successfully complete the "Best in Class Challenge" will be awarded prize packages that include customized tool kits and money.
The grand prize winner will be given the chance to attend the Barrett-Jackson auction in West Palm Beach, Florida on April 8, 2017. The attending students and their mentor will be with their customized vehicle when it is auctioned off to the highest bidder. The gross proceeds earned from the auction will be awarded back to the school as prize money.