AMHERST, N.Y. — High school students from across Western New York competed at the third annual Auto Collision Competition in Amherst.
High School juniors and seniors were judged on skills such as dent repair and color mixing to help restore damaged cars to their former condition.
The competition was organized by Richard Greenawalt as a way to help students who want to compete at the national level hone their skills. He's also hoping it will encourage students to become more interested in developing vocational skills.
"We're trying to promote more students to come into our industry", Greenawalt told 2 On Your Side.
Greenawalt owns the Auto Collision Repair shop in Amherst. He started the competition after a friend in Virginia told him about something similar he had planned. He's hoping the contest will continue to grow and get kids in the area interested in the automotive trade.
"This competition is getting students out of their comfort zone."
The competition is a qualifier for upcoming regional and state competitions that will take place in the spring of 2019.