Loara ROP Team Wins National
Hotrod Title

The annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas is the largest automotive aftermarket show in the world.  Tens of thousands of people pour in to see what’s new, beautiful, and efficient.  The industry’s engineers, designers and technicians support youth by sponsoring the “Hotrodders of Tomorrow” contest, in which students from all over the United States compete in a timed event to tear down and rebuild small block engines.

The North Orange County ROP/Loara High School national first place team poses with their instructors, John Kasabian (far right), and Russ Bacarella (next to him), the North Orange County ROP Board of Trustees, and officials and superintendents of North Orange County ROP and Anaheim Union High School District.  Everybody wants to be seen with these national champs!

Former ROP Auto Technician (AT) instructor Russ Bacarella (now teaching at Cypress College and recruiting students who finish ROP classes), and AT instructor John Kasabian took two North Orange County ROP teams from Loara High School in Anaheim to the contest in November.  One of the teams took first place, and the other placed tenth.  How long did it take the winning team to dismantle and rebuild the engine?  Would you believe 20 minutes and 51 seconds?   The 10th place team did the work in about the same time, but had time penalties added for a total of 31.08.  To qualify for the national event, the teams placed first and second in the Edelbrock “Hotrodders of Tomorrow” competition last spring.
 

What’s their secret to success? Practice, practice, practice!  John, Russ, and ROP AT instructor Dave Endo spent many hours with these students after school and on weekends practicing.      
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