OGDEN, Utah – Weber State University’s Department of Automotive Technology expects more than 550 high school students from the Rocky Mountain and Great Basin regions to visit campus Dec. 4 for the qualifying round of its annual WSU Auto Tech Competition.

While on campus, the invited high school automotive students will take a written examination measuring their knowledge of automotive technology. An estimated 250 additional students, who live too far away to travel to campus, will take the test from remote locations.

Following the examination, participants will have an opportunity to learn more about WSU’s automotive technology programs through live demonstrations and interactions with industry professionals. Custom hot rods, off-road vehicles and showroom cars will be on display.

North America’s premiere custom painter, Charley Hutton, seen on such television shows as “American Hot Rod,” “Overhaulin’” and “Rides,” and airbrush industry talent Craig Fraser will make special appearances at the event.

Students from the 24 top-scoring high schools will be invited back for the championship round of the competition, scheduled for Feb. 19, 2009.

The championship round features a full day of hands-on competition, where students will use the latest tools and technology to diagnose and troubleshoot repairs on late-model vehicles.

This round of the competition is designed and administered by experts from the automotive industry. The winning students from the championship round receive scholarships and tools, and their respective high schools receive plaques and new vehicles for their automotive programs. Since 1987, the contest has brought nearly 10,000 high school seniors to campus from five western states, including Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and Utah.

WSU has one of the most extensive automotive education programs in the nation, offering both bachelor’s degrees in automotive technology and associate’s degree options in aftermarket emphasis and collision repair, as well as training partnerships with five different automotive manufacturers. The university has on-campus partnerships with American Honda; Chrysler; Ford; General Motors; I-CAR; Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.; and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Students in the program can take National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) master-certified courses. Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification also is available.

Visit weber.edu/automotive/WSU_Contest.html for additional information about the annual competition and weber.edu/automotive for more information about the automotive program.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.