ORLANDO, Fla. — In a little more than a month’s time, two high school students will have gone from working underneath the hood of an automobile to being center stage behind a microphone in front of thousands of fans at the AAA Insurance 200, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis on July 23.
Jonathan Anderson, 18, and McKenzie Nordland, 17, of North Dakota earned the honor of serving as Grand Marshals — delivering the most famous command in racing, "Gentlemen, start your engines" — after they teamed up in June to capture the 61st Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Championship.
The nationwide automotive technology competition for high school juniors and seniors began in February with 10,500 auto tech students vying for a share of more than $11.5 million in scholarships. The best two students from each state advance to National Finals, where they raced to diagnose and properly repair "bugs" — purposefully placed mechanical and electrical problems within the vehicle — for scholarships, prizes and a shot at the national title.
For the Sheyenne Valley Area Career & Technology Center pair, their Grand Marshal duties are just one of many rewards for capturing the national crown. Anderson and Nordland’s experience will begin on July 20, when they spend two days job shadowing with Roush Fenway Racing’s No.16 Con-way Freight team at its North Carolina race shop. The national champs also will join the team in Indianapolis in the garage and pits and serve as honorary pit crew members for the Kroger 200 benefiting Riley Hospital for Children race on July 24. Their instructor, James McFagden, will join the students for the weeklong race experience.
"For these two extraordinary students from North Dakota, the opportunity to be front and center and serve as race Grand Marshals of the AAA Insurance 200 is richly deserved," said Marshall L. Doney, AAA National, Automotive Vice President. "In a very short period, these students will have achieved a great deal while creating many lasting memories, from capturing the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills National Championship to having the chance to be embedded into Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 16 Con-way Freight team for a race week and weekend."
In addition, the students will receive at-track tutoring throughout the race weekend by Larry McReynolds, one of the sport’s most recognized crew chiefs and this year’s national spokesperson for the Ford/AAA Auto Skills competition.
Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills is a nationwide automotive technology competition for high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers as automotive service technicians. This year marks the 61st anniversary of the competition that tests students’ automotive knowledge, workmanship and problem-solving abilities with a written test as well as a race against the clock to diagnose and properly repair intentionally "bugged" vehicles. Ford and AAA are dedicated to the competition as part of their commitment to the future of automotive service in America.
