High school students compete for auto repair crown, win NASCAR date and secure future

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — For Matthew Ludwig and Justin Dwyer, their future in the auto industry is a bright one, unmarred by a slumping auto sales market and Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings. The high school juniors from Faribault, Minn., won the annual Ford/AAA student auto skills competition Tuesday, by repairing a series of mechanical problems in a Ford Escape in just 42 minutes. The competition brings 50, two-person teams of student automotive technicians to the Detroit suburb to race against the clock and their skills for scholarship money and an opportunity to participate in a pit crew during a NASCAR race. But for sponsors and , the event is an investment in future employees, whether…

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