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Under the Hood … in Rio & London!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 6, 2010
Contacts: Kyle Rizzoli, General Manager, (805) 541-1082

Local mechanic wins top honors in automotive Olympics

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA—Earlier this year, a local 21-year-old mechanic won a silver medal in the International Automotive Skills Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since only Brazilians are awarded the gold, this was the highest award possible for non-Brazilian competitors in the grueling four-day competition, and the most recent of many such awards for Daniel Lehmkuhl.

Called an “automotive mechanical wizard in the genius category,” by his current employer, General Manager Kyle Rizzoli of Rizzoli’s Automotive, Lehmkuhl was also just named to the U.S. World Championship Team and will compete in London next year. Rizzoli’s has sponsored Lehmkuhl in both these endeavors.

“We are extremely proud of, but not surprised by, Daniel’s achievements in these national and international competitions,” said Rizzoli. “In addition to the skills he’s worked hard to cultivate, he just has this intuitive and uncanny ‘feel’ for what’s wrong with an engine and what to do about it.”

Lehmkuhl, whose father has been the auto shop instructor at San Luis Obispo High School for 21 years, started competing at a young age in Skills U.S.A., the vocational equivalent of such organizations as Future Farmers and Future Teachers of America. By the time he was a high school senior, he’d won the regional, state, and national competitions. Overall, he’s racked up a dozen awards in automotive technician contests, with the pinnacle being when he was named to compete as part of the USA World team at the World Championships slated for London in late 2011.

“The U.S. has never won at the international level,” said Lehmkuhl, “so that’s my goal for the next year—preparing for that event.”

Currently working full-time at Rizzoli’s, Lehmkuhl attends Cuesta College and will transfer to Cal Poly to earn his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology, along with a teaching credential.

“I’ve learned so much at these competitions,” he said, recalling that the manuals he used in Brazil were all in Portuguese. “I get to travel around the world, and the experience is amazing. … Rizzoli’s has been very generous in their support of me and I’m really grateful to them for everything.”

Follow Lehmkuhl’s travels and competitions at www.daniellehmkuhl.blogspot.com or call Kyle Rizzoli at 541-1082 for more information.