Auto-matic competition
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on October 4, 2017 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Erick Ruiz, 14, works at station 5, the 3.6L engine cam cover, during the Auto Mechanics Vocational Competition during the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair Tuesday evening.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Charles B. Aycock High School senior Dalton Ginn, 18, gets instructions from David Byrd as he prepares to start the first round of the Auto Mechanics Vocational Competition at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair Tuesday night.
The auto mechanics contest at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair drew a bigger crowd Tuesday night than usual.
Several things were changed up this year -- in addition to being moved into a more visible area of the fairgrounds, a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado was part of the competition.
"We're using an actual live vehicle this year instead of just some parts on the table," said Bryant Keel, who serves as liaison between Wayne Community College and Wayne County Public Schools for the annual event.
He communicates with automotive teachers in preparation for the competition, which is geared toward the curriculum being taught, he said.
"This whole contest is taken from that curriculum," he said. "We want them to take on different tasks -- some electronic work, tire identification exercises, some measuring exercises with precision measuring tools."
The event had five stations -- a written test, retrieving a code from the computer using a scan tool, tire diagnostic identification, brake rotor measurement and engine component removal and reinstallation.
Students work individually but as a team also, in that the combined scores for each school are taken into account. Awards are given from the fair as well as CCOG, an annual sponsor of the event.
"There's a certain time limit but the way we judge is on the activity itself," Keel said.
The importance of the effort is to sharpen the students' skills, while allowing them to see what awaits them if they pursue the automotive program offered at WCC, Keel said.
Three schools were represented this year, with two students each from Charles B. Aycock, Eastern Wayne and Southern Wayne high schools.
Vincte Ruiz, a junior at CBA, admitted he was "kind of nervous" as the time drew near to start.
"I've never done anything like this before," he said.
He was as prepared as he could be, though, having been taught by Jon Horton, his instructor at CBA.
"I learned all the different types of tools that you could use," Ruiz said.
Kevin Jordan, transportation department chair at WCC, said the contest at the fair has been going on as long as he can remember. While he's been at the college for 10 years, he also participated in it as a student, at Southern Wayne.
He recalled being "nervous, a little scared" but at the same time, confident.
"Our teachers had prepared us well," he said. "I don't think we won but we had a good time."
The procedures have changed over the years, he said, as have the cars and the technology.
"We're actually practicing on something that's practical," he said of the vehicle that took center stage in the contest. "We want them to see what they'll be training on at WCC."
Nicholas Thompson, a senior at Eastern Wayne High, can look forward to that next fall when he plans to enroll of the WCC program.
He already has quite a history in the automotive realm.
"My dad has a shop -- H&M Performance -- so I go over there every day after school, since I was about 13," he said. "We do small engine repairs, brakes, tune-ups."
His dream job, he admits, would be "anything working on cars."
"I have always liked working on cars ever since I was a little kid."
Erick Ruiz, a ninth-grader at Southern Wayne, had a similar motivation for signing up for the contest.
"I've got seven years of straight-up mechanics with my dad," the 14-year-old said. "He has a shop. He taught me everything -- how to take out motors, transmission, all the technology."
When the educational competition wrapped up, Thompson came in first place, receiving $20 from the fair; Dalton Ginn of CBA, in second place, received a $15 award; Erick Ruiz, third place, received $10; and Vincte Ruiz, fourth place, received $5. e, received $