The Final Half of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge 2017 Dual Championship took place at the PRI Show in Indianapolis. It included 18 teams which came from coast to coast to battle to become one of the Top 4 teams to move on and compete in the Elite eight playoffs for the 2017 National Championship at the PRI Show Dec. 8th and 9th.
The Elite Eight Competition
A total of forty-five teams competed at the SEMA and PRI shows just to get into the Elite Eight competition. The top four SEMA show seeds against the top four PRI show seeds.
The top four teams that competed at the PRI Show were Team K&N, from Burton Center for Arts & Tech in Salem, VA, who came in fourth place with an average of 20:59. Team Derale from Forsyth Central High School in Cumming, GA, came in third place with an average of 20:25. Team QA1, from Forsyth Central High School from Cumming, GA, came in second place with an average of 18:29. And in first place came Team Meziere from Burton Center for Arts & Tech in Salem, VA. With the best average of 17:51.
The top four teams from the SEMA Show were Team Howards Cams, from Lakeshore High School in Stevensville, MI, with an average time of 19:07. Team Fragola Performance Systems, Fremd High School in Palatine, IL, came in second place with an average time of 20:56. Team Aeromotive, Eastern Oklahoma Technology Center out of Choctaw, OK. took third place with an average time of 21:52. Team Fel-Pro, Tulsa Technology Center from Broken Arrow, OK. came in fourth place with an average time of 23:08.
The times are based on three important parts. First it is the average of the three times the teams competed. Second, are the penalty minutes added for mistakes made during dis-assembly and re-assembly and the third part is a 50-question written test on parts and tools identification along with general engine and rules knowledge.
The Best Against the Best
The Elite Eight are the best and it showed! Only 3 seconds separated the first and second place teams, just 17 seconds between first and third place! But in the end Team Fel-Pro, Tulsa Technology Center from Broken Arrow, OK. came out on top with the average time of 17:06.
Team Fel-Pro instructor Greg Gilliam said “I was extremely shocked! I thought we may have placed 3rd until they announced the 3rd place team. The Team and I knew we got second place at that point and were very excited about 2nd, then they called the 2nd place team and it wasn’t us, my jaw hit the floor. I was speechless.” He also mentioned “I am extremely proud of my team and their hard work and determination to practice on their own time after school and work. It feels good to know that my dedication to the students paid off for them. We are proud to represent Oklahoma and our school Tulsa Technology Center. Hard work and dedication reap rewards.”
Ann Skrycki-Mohler from Federal-Mogul said “Federal-Mogul Motorparts and the Fel-Pro brand have been honored to support this important program since its inception. We are proud not only of Team Fel-Pro, but of every participant from each of this year’s teams. Their exceptional skill and shared commitment to quality and performance point to a very bright future for the engine building industry.”
Each student earned scholarship opportunities ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 from Ohio Technical College, School of Automotive Machinists & Technology, and Universal Technical Institute.
