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Pat Goss, known by millions for doling out automotive wisdom during his weekly Goss’ Garage segment on the TV show MotorWeek, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, March 19th, 2022 at his home in West River, Maryland. Goss had been a mainstay of the PBS series since its beginning in 1981, appearing in over 2,000 episodes over the course of 41 seasons. “Pat was one of the last few remaining technicians that probably knew just about everything about what makes a car tick,” said MotorWeek creator, host, and managing director John Davis during an interview on Sunday. “Most technicians today, they specialize, just like lawyers and doctors … He wasn’t a specialist, but he specialized in everything.” Davis explained that MotorWeek intends to broadcast the remaining segments featuring Pat Goss that were previously recorded, now with special introductions in his memory. “He would not want the material he’s already done to not be out there, if it could help somebody.” Davis also said the the crew at Maryland Public Television, where MotorWeek is produced, have already begun working on a special tribute to their colleague that will air on public TV stations starting Saturday, April 23. (Check your local listings for exact times.) Pat Goss’ involvement with Maryland Public Television actually started several years before MotorWeek, on a 1970s program called Consumer Survival Kit. Here, he taught viewers how to avoid automotive scams and questionable business practices at repair shops. He didn’t make it into the unaired MotorWeek pilot that was produced in 1978, but shortly after, John Davis reached out to Pat Goss and got him onboard before the show’s official launch in 1981. “I approached him very quickly, because we had to be on the air in a couple of months,” remembered Davis. “And it was only a few weeks later that we were at his Gulf station in Bladensburg, on the hottest day of the summer, taping the first series … And the rest as they say, is history.” Goss started with the basics, saying, “The one single thing that is most important as far as the life expectancy of your automobile’s engine, is changing the oil.” Originally credited as the show’s “Automotive Consultant” and later as “Master Technician,” to viewers he was simply known as “Goss.” Almost every episode of the iconic PBS series featured him in a two to five minute segment, teaching viewers about everything from anti-lock brakes to carburetors, paint protectors to alternators, trailer hitches to EV chargers, and anything else automotive. He often eschewed the title “mechanic” preferring instead to refer to people who worked on cars as “technicians.” Over 41 years, the segment officially became known as Goss’ Garage, and the content evolved. Originally focusing on maintenance that owners could do at home, he covered both general tips and model-specific problems. (Including this alarming segment on 1980s Oldsmobile diesels.) As cars became increasingly complex, Goss shifted from “do it yourself” to what he called “know it yourself” advice, intended to help viewers understand how to identify problems, how to talk to mechanics, and how to avoid getting ripped off when going to a repair shop. Read full article at the link below:

First-Ever U.S. Auto Tech National Championship Qualifying Event Comes to the Detroit Area September 23rd - 25th Regional Qualifying Event Will Determine Top Auto Technician Professionals and Students in National Competition, Culminating with Championship Event in Nashville in December to Compete for Over $200,000 Cash and Prizes SYCAMORE, Ill., Sept. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC., a family business that designs and manufactures products for the professional trades, and Intersport, and independent award-winning marketing agency headquartered in Chicago, have announced the inaugural U.S. Auto Technician National Championship (USATNC) competition. The competition was created this year to celebrate and showcase the incredible skills of auto technician professionals and students across the country. The program centers around a one-of-a-kind competition series, including four months of online and live qualifying challenges across the country to find the best 64 professional (32) and student (32) auto technicians, and brings them together for a national championship event scheduled to take place December 13-14, 2021, in Nashville, TN. A regional qualifying event is open for registration and will take place in Southfield, MI September 23rd – 25th. What: US Auto Tech National Championship Qualifying Event Who: Professional Auto Technicians and Students/Apprentices Where: Garage Gurus 27300 W 11 Mile Rd. Southfield, MI, 48034 When: Thursday, September 23rd – Saturday, September 25th The regional tour qualifying event is one of seven that will determine the 64 finalists who will be invited to Nashville for the Championship event. From the finalists, three professionals and three students will be crowned first, second, and third prize winners, and will divvy up $200,000 in cash and prizes. Sponsors for the USATNC include 7-Eleven, Discount Tire, Duluth Trading, Garage Gurus, Little Giant Ladder Systems, Lucas Oil, ServiceTitan, and the University of Northwestern Ohio. Registration for the competition is open at: www.usatnc.com For a list of rules, see: https://www.tradesnation.com/us/en/etcs/autotech/official-rules.html For additional information, visit: www.usatnc.com SOURCE Intersport Inc