When two high school students tore down and rebuilt a V8 engine in under 40 minutes at this year’s AAPEX trade show, they didn’t just win a competition — they signaled a potential shift in how the automotive industry recruits its next generation of technicians. The event, which draws hundreds of onlookers, is becoming a proving ground for young talent facing a nationwide technician shortage.
Nine teams from seven schools competed in this year’s contest, representing roughly double the number of schools and triple the number of teams that took part in the inaugural student competition last year.
High school students enrolled in college automotive courses tore down and rebuilt a V8 engine in 39 minutes and 11 seconds; each took home ~$10,000 in prizes
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To build a champion team like this, it takes two guys who are willing to show up and work hard and take critical feedback.”— Bob Parmley, coach and auto instructorLAS VEGAS, NV, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A pair of high school students simultaneously enrolled in automotive classes at Arapahoe Community College emerged victorious at the 2026 AAPEX Student Competition. John Parmley, 16, and Schafer Eirich, 18, managed to beat last year’s winning time by more than an hour. Before a live audience hundreds deep, the duo dismantled and reassembled a V8 engine in just 39 minutes and 11 seconds.
“It’s absolutely surreal,” said Schafer Eirich in an interview immediately following the competition. “We’ve been working towards this for so long; we saw it [the inaugural competition] last year and we knew in that moment we needed to do this.”
The competition evaluates the fundamental auto technician skills these students are learning in the classroom. Each team starts with a small-block Chevy V8 engine and must fully disassemble it, including the pistons, crankshaft and camshaft. A judge confirms the disassembly meets the required standard, and then the team races to put everything back together. The engine must turn over after reassembly, and the fastest team wins.
“They’re amazing,” said Bob Parmley, the team’s coach and automotive instructor at the community college. “To build a champion team like this, it takes two guys who are willing to show up and work hard and take critical feedback.”
Thanks to the generosity of aftermarket businesses that sponsored the event, each winning team member took home an estimated $10,000 in prizes. The haul included professional tool sets, which address a unique barrier facing entry-level technicians and worsen the industry’s talent shortage: unlike many other skilled trades, auto technicians must supply their own tools.
Challenges, illness and nerves abound
The Arapahoe team says they practiced two or three times a week for the last eight months. Finding time to practice was no small feat, given that both young men are in high school, taking college classes and also participating in school sports. However, busy schedules weren’t the only challenges the team faced.
First, John Parmley was hospitalized prior to the competition to have his appendix removed. He was unable to practice during the crucial week leading up to the competition – and yet he gutted it out alongside his partner.
Second, the competition setup was a little different than they had expected. For example, they had practiced with two piston ring compressors, allowing the pair to work in tandem, but the competition only permitted each team to have one.
Finally, when they arrived at the student competition, both young men were hit with nerves about the task at hand. Eirich described feeling “nauseous,” and the team was expressly worried about competing against an older team from Ferris State University.
The Arapahoe team battled through these challenges anyway. They finished first in their qualifying round but second overall, behind Ferris State, as the final round began. Less than 40 minutes later, competition judge Charles Sanville, who is known in the industry as The Humble Mechanic, observed the engine turn and signaled they had won.
“I’m still stunned by how fast these kids were,” said Bernard Tansey, a co-judge, event organizer and emcee. “The team’s preparedness and communication with each other and their coach was unparalleled. It’s obvious they put a lot of practice in, but with hundreds of people cheering just 10 feet away, it adds a level of stress and pressure you don’t get in a shop.”
Tansey owns an independent repair shop in Santa Clara, Calif., called Euro Clinic. He has been a dedicated volunteer and the driving force behind this competition two years in a row.
Future career goals for aspiring techs
The U.S. Secret Service joined the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) in a co-located booth again this year. The law enforcement agency needs ASE-qualified technicians to work on their vehicles and exhibits at AAPEX to support recruiting efforts.
Their strategy seems to be working. When the winning team was asked about their career aspirations, Eirich’s eyes wandered to the Secret Service booth, which was adjacent to the competition area. “That’s everything I want in a career tied together,” he said. “That’s pretty cool.”
Participating schools and aftermarket sponsors
Nine teams from seven schools participated in the event, which is about double the schools and triple the teams that participated in the inaugural student competition last year. It takes commitment to prepare for a competition, and courage to step on a national stage and compete, so these students have distinguished themselves from their peers.
Participating schools in the 2026 AAPEX Student Competition are as follows:
– Advanced Training Institute, Las Vegas, Nev.
– Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, Colo.
– College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, Nev.
– Ferris State University, Grand Rapids, Mich.
– Heritage High School, Palm Bay, Fla.
– Humble High School, Humble, Texas
– North Kansas City High Schools, North Kansas City, Mo
The entire event is made possible through the generosity of volunteers from the Auto Care Association Tool & Equipment Community and aftermarket businesses including:
– Carlyle Tools
– Dorman Products
– Duralast Parts (by AutoZone)
– Lisle Corporation
– Milwaukee Tool
– Snap-on Incorporated
– SP Tools USA
– SureWerx
About AAPEX
AAPEX unites the global automotive aftermarket – a market valued at $2.65 trillion worldwide and $599.7 billion in the U.S. – that keeps the world’s 1.61 billion vehicles safely on the road. The annual trade show attracts thousands of exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees from around the world to find new products and innovations, expand business relationships, and advance their team’s skills with world-class technical and business training sessions.
Exhibitors span suppliers, manufacturers, remanufacturers, technology solution providers, and more. Industry buyers that attend include automotive service and repair professionals, auto parts retailers, quick lube businesses, independent warehouse distributors, program groups, service chains, automotive dealers, fleet buyers and engine builders.
AAPEX is a trade-only event and is closed to the general public.
AAPEX is co-produced by MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers and the Auto Care Association. For more information, visit aapexshow.com or email: info@aapexshow.com.
Frank Strong
for AAPEX
+1 202-352-5920
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Why it matters: The competition underscores a critical pipeline challenge for the automotive aftermarket, which is struggling to attract and retain entry-level technicians. By showcasing raw talent and providing prize packages that include essential tools—a significant financial hurdle for newcomers—events like this could help bridge the industry’s growing skills gap.
