Sorting though the rich experience that was Rush Truck Centers’ Tech Skills Rodeo, held last week in San Antonio, is I’ve found a task best approached over weeks rather than days. If you missed the results, read on, or see my story from last week here. It’s impossible to get it all into the space of a single post or news piece, including as it did the drama of mutliple competitions, diverse educational opportunities for both working techs as well as students from San Antonio’s St. Philip’s College, and so much more.
A good bit of fun, too, as you can hear in the background of the first vid posted here, from the Monday night party at dueling-piano bar Howl at the Moon, on San Antonio’s Riverwalk. As
Getting the competition started at Howl at the Moon — and who should be honored for his gamesmanship — was Gary Fassett, of the Twin Falls, Idaho, location, featured here:
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“To win,” he said, “it’s just awesome.” He’s been with Rush for 10 years, following time working in maintenance in the U.S. Army.
“I can’t tell you how proud we are of him,” said Rush Regional Manager Mario Trevino, over Zweifel’s region. Technicians, said Trevino, echoing Rush President and CEO W.M. Rusty Rush, “are the unsung heroes at our dealerships. The Rodeo is just a great opportunity to really showcase and honor them and their abilities.”
Following find a short video with scenes from the competition, including an interview with Rodeo originator Mike Besson and an example of the kind of problems the techs are presented in the troubleshooting competition.
Likewise, I’ve updated the photo gallery from my previous post last week and included it here, below the vid. Full results of the competition follow. Enjoy.
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Rush Tech Skills Rodeo Results
(All technicians advancing to the final round, in addition to cash prizes, were awarded permanent raises of $1 an hour, $1.25 and $1.50 for Reserve and Grand Champions.)
Heavy Duty
Grand Champion ($5,000) Chris Zweifel, El Paso, Texas
Reserve Grand Champion ($2,500) Jason Morris, Flagstaff, Ariz.
Third ($1,000) Erick Lincoln, Albuquerque, N.M.
Caterpillar
First ($5,000) Erick Lincoln, Albuquerque, N.M.
Second ($4,000) Chris Zweifel, El Paso, Texas
Third ($3,000) Jason Morris, Flagstaff, Ariz.
Cummins
First ($5,000) James Collins, Ft. Worth, Texas
Second ($4,000) Ted Mazurkiewicz, Pico Rivera, Calif.
Third ($3,000) Shawn Thornton, Alice, Texas
Eaton
First ($5,000) Brian Noska, Sealy, Texas
Second ($4,000) Jason Swann, Dallas
Third ($3,000) Chris Jensen, Houston
Medium Duty
Grand Champion ($5,000) Matthew Pogue, San Antonio, Texas
Reserve Grand Champion ($2,500) James Glover, Houston
Third ($1,000) Erick Lincoln, Albuquerque, N.M.
Medium Duty first stage
First ($5,000) Matthew Pogue, San Antonio, Texas
Second ($4,000) Gabriel Benavides, Fontana, Calif.
Third ($3,000) James Glover, Houston
Refuse
First ($5,000) Alan Phillips, Pico Rivera, Calif.
Second ($4,000) Nathan Buffington, Phoenix
Third ($3,000) Travis Webster, Houston