There were some tense moments for students at the annual auto competition at Erie Community College's vehicle tech center Saturday.
It's either win big, or go home for some passionate Western New York tech students.
Each year, the Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association hosts the Ron Smith Memorial Auto Tech Competition. About 40 students from area high schools compete for scholarships, prizes, and the chance to compete on the national stage.
"These kids can go on to New York City. That would be the Super Bowl of auto tech, for a chance to go on and represent Western New York," said Paul Stasiak, President of NFADA.
Students have to get their hands dirty under the hood, determine what's wrong the the cars they're given, and fix them.
Many Western New York car dealerships and community colleges are well-invested in this automobile battle. Often times, their next employee comes from this elite group of students.
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