A shop foreman/service technician from Allendale, Mich., is BP Amoco's ``Ultimate Golden Mechanic'' after outperforming two other finalists in the oil company's inaugural competition held during the 2005 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas.
Ryan Kooiman, a drivability technician and shop foreman at Tolman's Auto Tech Group Inc. in Allendale, took home the grand prize of $25,000 and up to $1,200 in gasoline. He also will be a spokesperson this year for Amoco Ultimate motor oil.
Mr. Kooiman participated initially in a nationwide competition among hundreds of qualified mechanics, BP Amoco said. That initial round was pared to 25 and then to three for the finals, which were held live Nov. 1 at the SEMA Show. The two runners-up in the contest are Greg Damon from St. Charles, Mo., and Michael Bacon from Snellville, Ga.
The final round consisted of an open-ended question-and-answer session covering technical and environmental knowledge and experience, a ``Truth and Repair'' session that tested the finalists' industry knowledge and auto repair abilities, and a ``Performance Challenge'' through a physical obstacle course.
The national competition was hosted by Brett Wagner of the cable TV show ``Monster Garage.'' Finalists were rated by an expert panel of judges from Hot Rod magazine, the Automotive Service Association and the co-authors of the recently released book, ``Dare to Repair Your Car.''