Winners of 2017 Rush Tech Skills Rodeo announced

With $225,000 in cash and prizes, you could safely say that Christmas came a little early for the winners of the 2017 Rush Truck Centers Tech Skills Rodeo.

Rush Enterprises CEO Rusty Rush played the role of Santa, so to speak, handing out checks and prizes 40 times from a stage within a large conference room in the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio.

“It’s so special for me to be able to come here for the 12th year,” Rush told a room filled with about 800 people.

Rush heaped plenty of praise on his employees who work at Rush Truck Centers across the country.

“My heart and my connection to you is there, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart because you have made the organization, you make your families and we make so many other families better because of our commitment to making it happen,” said Rush who runs the largest commercial vehicle dealership network in the U.S.

NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer, who’s sponsored by Rush Truck Centers, joined Rush later on stage to announce Overall Grand Champion Justin Euler. Bowyer is featured in the first photo below alongside Euler (in the middle) and Rush (on the right).

We’ll follow-up tomorrow with some interviews of the winners. In the meantime, here’s the list of winning technicians, parts specialists and sales personnel. More pictures are posted below.

Overall Grand Champion

Justin Euler, Rush Truck Center – St. Peters, Total Winnings $18,000

Grand Champions

Aftermarket Sales: Tony Abbott, Rush Truck Center – Haines City, Total Winnings $7500

Parts: Michael Lyles, Rush Truck Center – Phoenix, Total Winnings $11000

Medium-Duty: Justin Euler, Rush Truck Center – St. Peters

Heavy-Duty:  Erick Lincoln, Rush Truck Center – Albuquerque

Reserve Grand Champions

Aftermarket Sales: Gary Gates, Rush Truck Center – Houston, Total Winnings: $4500

Parts: David Zainfeld, Rush Truck Center – Houston, Total Winnings $9,000

Medium-Duty: Travis Graham, Rush Truck Center – Orlando, Total Winnings $9500

Heavy-Duty: Jason Swann, Rush Truck Center – Dallas, Total Winnings $10,250

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Heavy Duty

Navistar

3^RD place: Andrew Frieling, Rush Truck Center – Joliet, $3,000

2^nd place: Maciej Gal, Rush Truck Center – Chicago, $4400

1^st place: Dylan Moser, Rush Truck Center – Richmond, $6750

Vocational

1^st place: Carl Trevino, Custom Vehicle Solutions, $5800

2^nd place: Travis Webster, Rush Truck Center – Houston Medium-Duty, $4400

PACCAR MX

1^st place: Glenn Boothe, Rush Truck Center – Nashville, $6750

3^rd place: Eduardo Gutierrez, Rush Truck Center – Phoenix, $4400

2^nd place: Johnny Mendez, Rush Truck Center – San Antonio, $3000

Cummins

3^rd place: Wesley Appleton, Rush Truck Center – Odessa, $3000

1^st: Michael Jones, Rush Truck Center – Tucson, $6750

2^nd: Erick Lincoln, Rush Truck Center – Albuquerque, $4400

Alternative Fuels

1^st: Matt Chilson Rush Truck Center – Houston Northwest, $5800

2^nd: Gonzalo Uribe, Rush Truck Center – Fontana Vocational Services, $4400

Eaton

2^nd: Sylvester Chandler, Rush Truck Center – Dallas, $4400

3^rd: Peter Dezwart, Rush Truck Center – Doraville, $3000

1^st: Jason Swann, Rush Truck Center – Dallas, $6750

Medium-Duty

 Bus

1^st: Derrick Kollin, Rush Truck Center – Cincinnati, $4400

2^nd: Barry Thompson, Rush Bus Center – Dallas $5800

Hino

1^st: Steven Brain, Rush Truck Center – Dallas Medium-Duty, $6000

2^nd: Billy Stanley, Rush Truck Center – Houston, $4400

International

1^st: Justin Euler, Rush Truck Center – St. Peters

2^nd: Tom Hamilton, Rush Truck Center – Smyrna, $4400

Isuzu

1^st: Mark Smith, Rush Truck Center – Doraville, $6000

2^nd: Kory Sangster, Rush Truck Center – Dallas Light- and Medium-Duty, $4400

Peterbilt

2^nd: Louis Fontano, Rush Truck Center – Fontana, $4400

1^st: Travis Graham, Rush Truck Center – Orlando, $6000

Parts Finalists (representing all Parts categories)

1^st Ford: Timothy Howard, Rush Truck Center – Las Vegas

1^st Peterbilt: Michael Lyles, Rush Truck Center – Phoenix

1^st International: Tom Murray, Rush Truck Center – Gary

1^st Isuzu: John O’Brien, Rush Truck Center – Orlando South

1^st Hino: David Zainfeld, Rush Truck Center – Houston