On Friday, October 27, 2017, the Automotive Maintenance and Light Repair classes from Oak Ridge High School competed for the second time in the Top Wrench competition at McGhee-Tyson Air National Guard Base. The students had their first experience in this competition of April 2017. Top Wrench Competition is in its 27th year, hosting 17 area schools, including over 600 instructors, students, and other attendees.

Our students entered the following competitive events: Static Engine Challenge, Pit Crew Challenge and Computer Control Car Challenge. Our teams placed as follows:

First Place in the Static Engine Challenge with a time of two minutes, Second Place in the Computer Control Car Challenge with a time of one minute and thirty seconds, and Fourteenth Place in the Pit Crew Challenge with a time of thirty-two and forty-five one hundredths seconds.

Besting seventeen schools to take first place in the Static Engine Challenge (repairing an ailing 427 Chevrolet engine to running status) the team completed the task in two minutes even. (Next closest time: 2:45)

Static Engine Team:

Jack Borchers              Brian Dittner               Matthew Thompson

Matthew Powers        Brooke Bigi

Edging out sixteen schools to take second place in the Computer Control Car Challenge (Repairing a computer controlled truck to flawless running status) the team repaired, then cleared the check engine codes in one minute 30 seconds, (First Place winning time: one minute 27 seconds, Grainger County).

Computer Control Car Team:

Christopher Sexton                Elijah Brashears                      Parker Palmer

Cierra “Rose” Cortez              Matthew Herndon

Coming in at fourteenth place in the Pit Crew Challenge (Changing a racecar tire pit-crew style), the team removed and replaced the tire with a time of thirty-two and forty-five one hundredths seconds, (Winning time: 15.10 seconds, Sevier County).

Pit Crew Challenge team:

Michael Barnett                      Kyle Nay                      Trevor Haisten

Johnathan Carter                   James Madsen

In addition to prize money, each winning participant (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) has earned differing levels of scholarships in automotive technology at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology or Lincoln College of Automotive Technology in Nashville.

Well done Grease Cats!

 

Article and photographs courtesy of Patrick LaDue, instructor.