The Automotive Aftermarket Product Expo (AAPEX) student competition is returning to the show this year with double the number of schools involved – and triple the number of teams. Nine teams from seven high schools and technical colleges are sending students to compete in the 2nd Annual AAPEX Student Competition.

“After attending last year’s event and sharing my experiences with the class, my students were instantly hooked,” said Bob Parmley, an automotive instructor at Arapahoe Community College in Colorado. “While classroom instruction and lab work build a vital foundation, nothing compares to stepping into the heart of the global automotive industry.”

Teams will race each other in a timed event to fully disassemble and reassemble a small block V8 engine in front of a live audience. The competition will unfold over two preliminary rounds with four teams competing at a time in one group and five teams in the other. Next, the four teams with the fastest times will compete in the final round for prizes and bragging rights.

Organizers initiated the first-ever student competition last year at AAPEX 2025. Three teams competed, including two from community colleges and one from a Kansas-based high school, which took first place. The winners took home $2,000 in prizes last year, including $1,000 in gift cards and $1,000 in professional-grade starter tool sets. This year, the prize value for first place is valued at more than $5,000.

The competition was part of a multi-year plan to improve the show and to call attention to the shortage of auto techs. The U.S. produced less than half of the 241,842 auto technicians it needed last year, according to the TechForce Foundation. The organization projects the country will be short 1.2 million auto techs over the next five years.

“This is a national stage for these students as AAPEX is a ‘homecoming’ of sorts for the $599.7 billion U.S. automotive aftermarket,” said Bernard Tansey, the owner of Euro Clinic, an independent repair shop based in Santa Clara, Calif. “It takes initiative for students to sign up for this and work ethic to perform, which are characteristics many employers find desirable.”

Tansey has been the driving force organizing the competition and also serves as a judge and emcee. He’s also been outspoken about the skilled labor shortage and penned an op-ed for the San Francisco Business Times. The piece, a version of which was later republished on the AAPEX blog, outlined pragmatic steps shop owners can take to address the issue.

Jack Stow, an A.S.E. certified master automobile technician and automotive instructor with North Kansas City Schools, coached the winning team at last year’s event. He’s bringing an all-female team to the competition this year.

The event was a highlight of the show last year. It attracted a sizable crowd of show-goers that was hundreds deep. Accordingly, AAPEX has made the event a little more fan-friendly by adding stadium-style seating and large-screen TVs for onlookers this year.

The student competition is being held near Joe’s Garage, a staple feature of the AAPEX show. It will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Preliminary rounds will start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The four fastest teams will advance to the final round that determines the winner, which will begin at 4 p.m. There is no cost to attend the student competition.

The event is made possible by sponsoring businesses and volunteer members of the Auto Care Association Tool & Equipment Community, who coordinated the tools, prizes and gift bags.

The engines are being supplied by Duralast Parts, a private label brand owned and operated by AutoZone, Inc. The engine stands are supplied by Dorman Products, a provider of aftermarket automotive parts and OE solutions.

Prizes for the winning teams are sponsored by Milwaukee Tool and Carlyle Tools.

Additionally, businesses sponsoring tools for the competition include: Snap-on Incorporated, Carlyle Tools, SP Tools USA, Lisle Corporation and SureWerx.

Registration for AAPEX 2026 is open for automotive aftermarket professionals; register here. Passes to the show are $100. Students and members of the media are eligible for a complimentary pass to AAPEX.