DEARBORN, MI -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 06/27/06 -- Racing against the clock and 49 other two-person, student teams from around the country, aspiring auto technicians Bradley J. Bolton and Aaron Clay, seniors at Paris High School, in Paris, Texas, needed 29 minutes and 34 seconds to accurately diagnose and fix their Ford Mustang Convertible to win the 2006 FORD/AAA STUDENT AUTO SKILLS national finals this morning in Henry Ford's hometown.

The pair, who spent months preparing for the competition with their instructor, Michael Schmidt, took home thousands of dollars in prizes and scholarships to a number of the nation's top auto technology colleges. Hoping to encourage students to pursue automotive careers, Ford and AAA handed out a total of more than $6 million in prizes to the competition's participants.

"Aaron and Bradley today proved they are America's most auto savvy teens," said Patrick O'Reilly, manager of AAA Texas' Approved Auto Repair department. "Their hard work and drive to be the top high school auto technicians is typical of every participant here. The auto industry must attract such dedicated young people to keep America's vehicles operating safely and trouble-free."

Second place went to Travis Bradfield and Ken Netcher, seniors at Vale High School in Vale, Oregon. Mark Mitchell and Raymond Swan, seniors at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois, took third place. Teams placing second through 10th in the Ford/AAA contest received general education scholarships valued from $2,000 to $400 from Ford Motor Co. and AAA as well as partial scholarships to top-rated auto tech colleges.

Each year, the Student Auto Skills competition determines the nation's best high school auto techs through a two-part test. Following a written exam counting towards 40 percent of their overall score, the 50 two-person teams -- each representing a state -- convened outside Ford World Headquarters this morning for the hands-on portion, worth 60 percent of their total.

Responding to the call, "Gentlemen, start your engines, if you can," at 9:15 a.m., the teams raced to 50 2006 Ford Mustang Convertibles with identical mechanical problems. After popping the hood, they had 90 minutes to diagnose and repair numerous "bugs" in the starting, charging, ignition, electrical, lighting, braking, climate control and/or power train systems. The team from Texas drove their car across the finish line, winning the contest after judges determined they had removed all the bugs.

"Millions of car owners depend on well-trained auto technicians to maintain and repair their vehicles," said O'Reilly. "Co-sponsoring the Auto Skills contest, as we have since 1984, is one way AAA ensures that consumers' vehicles are properly cared for at all AAA-inspected and approved repair facilities."

For the sixth year in a row, 11 Ford-certified Master Technicians competed in a similar contest adjacent to the students, vying for $350,000 in cash and prizes in the Ford Ultimate Master Technician Challenge.

In 2004, a Texas team consisting of Garrett Johnson and Jacob Tilley of Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas, won the national competition in 39 minutes and 37 seconds.

AAA Texas, LLC, an affiliate of the AAA, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance, travel agency, insurance, financial products, automotive products, trip planning services, and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' web site at www.aaa.com.

Note to Editors:

This news release and photos may be downloaded from http://www.aaanewsroom.net

B-roll footage is available at the following coordinates:

June 28, 2006
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The top ten winners in the Ford/AAA Student Auto Skills Competition were:

1st Place... Texas. Aaron Clay and Bradley J. Bolton. Instructor: Michael Schmidt.

2nd Place... Oregon. Travis Bradfield and Ken Netcher. Instructor: Merle Saunders.

3rd Place... Illinois. Mark Mitchell and Raymond Swan. Instructor: Brian Elliott.

4th Place... Ohio. Zachary Haynes and Christopher Strickland, seniors, Buckeye Hills Career Center, Rio Grande, OH. Instructor: Douglas Crabtree.

5th Place... Hawaii. Glen Bissell and Joey Hoopai Souza, seniors, Maui High School, Kahului, HI. Instructor: Neill Nakamura.

6th Place... Michigan. Jeffrey Elder and Anthony Fraley, seniors, St. Clair County Tech, Marysville, MI. Instructor: Brian Hunter.

7th Place... Nebraska. Tyler Covert and Ben Dikeman, seniors, North Platte High School, North Platte, NE. Instructor: William Kalbinger.

8th Place... Maine. Bryan Conley and Kyle Simpson, seniors, Portland Arts and Tech High School, Portland, ME. Instructor: Vincent Olsen.

9th Place... Tennessee. Justin Burris and David Pomeroy, seniors, Polk County High School, Benton, TN. Instructor: Bobby Stone.

10th Place... Alabama. Cody Oelberg and Jared White, seniors, Winfield City High School, Winfield, AL. Instructor: Michael Henderson.

Contact:
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