Chris Babcock and Sean Nelson, both students from Burnsville High School (BHS), qualified to compete in the state-wide 2008 Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills competition at Hennepin Technical College in April.

At the competition, 2008 model year autos are “bugged” with identical problems that students must diagnose in 90 minutes. The team that fixes the most auto programs in the least amount of time wins the state competition and goes on to the national contest.

The competition challenges high school students’ knowledge and mechanical abilities in the field of automotive technology.

The competition is co-sponsored by Ford Motor Company and AAA to encourage talented young people to pursue careers as automotive service technicians.