Northern California Auto Skills Competition 5/6/11

Ford at AAA sponsor a competition among two-person teams from school automotive programs. The Northern California competition event was at Blackhawk Museum in Pleasanton, CA. A set of identically modified Mustangs present a challenge to the teams to diagnose and fix. Judges have replacement parts for the failed components. Winning includes time and finding the most problems and fixing them. We were there to support the team from Castro Valley High School.

Blackhawk Automotive Museum parking lot was the venue for the Northern California competition.
AAA was one of the sponsors of the event.
This plug-in modified Prius hybrid claims 100 mpg
This is our team.
The competing teams and their coaches meet before the event starts.
All these mustangs have been identically modified by the insertion of failed components. The cars have been provided by Hertz - they will be sold after the competition (working correctly).
The judges meet before the event to discuss what will be happening and the rules for the event.
Competitor questions are handled here.
Judging questions are handled here.
Each team has brought familiar tools for use during the competition.
Each team has a computer into which shop manuals have been loaded for the Mustangs.
Ford exhibited some recent trucks for reference.
There's not much room for reaching around in there.
Last minute instructions from the coach.
The starting instructions are give.
Loyal spectators and cheering system is ready.
The event organizer is satisfied that all is ready.
And away they go - the man with the box is the judge for the team. His box contains parts that can be exchanged for failed parts identified and presented to him for replacement.
Taking on multiple tasks speeds the way to solutions.
Enthusiastic support from the audience continues.
When a team has completed what it can identify in the way of fixes and time has just about run out, they close the hood and the judge raises a flag indicating that car is ready to be moved.
Each car must take a lap of the test space then line up for inspection. The student team stands by.
The judges take part in each team's scoring
After the scoring, the cars are moved back to the workspace where the parts that weren't found as failed are installed.
At the end of the day, every card is fully restored to correct operation.
The day after the competition, the cars are delivered to Hertz to be sold.