Aftermarket October 2022

MONTH 2017 AFTERMARKET 3 www.aftermarketonline.net concerned, he would not want to be anywhere else: “My children had bought me a flying lesson, which was up here funnily enough, but I thought I would do the Top Technician semi- final instead.” First-time semi-finalist James Leach observed: “I’ve never been this far in Top Tech before, and I never expected to make it this far. The last time I did it, I got 97% in round two, but that was not enough for me to get through to round three, so getting through was a big surprise. This is the third time I have been in.” Oliver Hayward was not only new to being in a Top Tech semi-final, but he was also new to the competition, relatively speaking, and even fresh in the world of diagnostics: “I have tried twice before, and I have only been doing diagnostic stuff for a short time.” Explaining his motivation for taking part, he said: “It really helps with seeing where your weak points are. I seem to get one stage further every year.” Meanwhile, John Hall noted: “I was in the semi-final ten years ago. When you look back at the tasks then, they were fairly straightforward. Things have moved on since then. I have entered every year since though. Sometimes you do really well in the first round, but then you get caught out by the later rounds.” Also back this year was 2021 runner-up Simon Parkinson, who said: “Last year it was a bit of fun, as I didn’t have anything to prove. This year though, I will have to hold the standard up.” Pressure With that, the bell was rung, and the first group got to it, moving round one task each 20 minutes. The pressure was truly on, as John Hall observed during the break before the second task began: “The thing that stood out from the first test was the pressure of the time.” Reflecting on the difference between the finals, where you get a relatively roomy 50 minutes to work in, and the more direct gut-punch of the 20-minutes-per-task semi-final format, Simon Parkinson noted: “I remember from the final last year where you get 50 minutes, that time just went, so 20 minutes is fast.” Andrew West agreed: “It is pretty straightforward, it is just the time.” It can also be a tool for learning, if you are so inclined, as Oliver Hayward noted: “On the tests, if I get one I don’t know, I will take a picture.” John Hall concurred: “I do this to find out what I don’t know. When asked which task he had found the most challenging, James Leach pointed to the fault on the Land Rover Discovery: “That was harder than I expected.” He also noted another problem. “The little Fiesta gets you mucky,” he said as he showed his oily hands. “She’s a dirty girl.” After their tasks were complete, the morning group received special giveaways from Top Technician and Top Garage 2020 sponsors Snap-on and TPS, and then the next group arrived. Enthusiasm As the afternoon group readied themselves, they reflected on the achievement of making it through to the semi-final. Gary Birse was new to Top Technician: “I’m nervous. It is my first time, though have done Technician of the Year with Toyota. The whole process has been good.” Bryan Swales said: “This is my first time in the Top Technician semi-final, although I have been in Top Garage. I have entered a few times. I have been lurking in the background.” Nearby, another regular face was ruminating on his enthusiasm for the competition, as the nervous wait for the first session to start seemed to run on endlessly: “Am I looking forward to it? No. I don’t know why I have come back,” observed Kelvin Tuttle. Yet, come back he does, every year. A couple of rounds later, the group were still sharing their observations. Nigel Yardley said: “I thought that Round three was really hard this year. It does not get any easier.” Kelvin Tuttle added: “It does not get more fun either.” Bryan Swales: “20 minutes isn’t very long.” John Fountain; “I never work under time pressure, so the time is difficult, and I am probably trying to make things more complicated than they are.” Nigel Yardley added: “In the workshop, it would be a three-coffee job. You would have the time to have three drinks to think about it.“ Another regular high-scorer, and long- term participant, Nigel Spalding, thinking about the last task he had performed, exclaimed: “It was horrible!” However, some felt they improved as they went on, as Bryan Swales noted: “You get into the rhythm. The wheels might fall off the bus, but never mind.” Ultimately, the P.M group completed their tasks, received their swag from the sponsors too, and it was all over, for now. Offering some words of wisdom for the end of the day, Ian Gillgrass said: “Really well done to everyone. It’s not easy what you did today, but you have really proved yourselves.” Giving the last word to the semi- final’s hosts, Delphi Technologies UK and Nordics Technical Services Manager Luke Garratt said: “We are extremely proud to host this event within our Technical Training Centre here in Warwick. As OEM manufacturers and leading aftermarket specialists we are always working closely with the independent garage sector to ensure they are getting the right level of support, training and best quality parts moving forward into a new automotive era. Working alongside Aftermarket magazine has been a pleasure and watching the top skills demonstrated by the excellent mechanics in the competition has been astounding. I look forward to welcoming the finalists back through our doors on 1 October.” Those finalists will be: Gary Birse John Hall Oliver Hayward Andrew West Nigel Yardley Congratulations to all five, and well done to everyone else. It’s all on for the final on 1 October. Top Technician and Top Garage 2022 come to you in association with the Garage Equipment Association (GEA), the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF), the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) and are sponsored by Snap-on, VARTA, Blue Print & febi bilstein, TechMan, Motul and TPS. 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