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[08/27/2002] Ford Engineers Set to do Battle on 'Junkyard Wars'

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Three talented Ford product development engineers attempt to achieve the ultimate in engineering bragging rights with an appearance on TLC''s popular TV program "Junkyard Wars" on August 28th at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

Stephen Zoepf, Gary Kiley, and Justin Case form team Model T. The engineers met as interns at Ford Motor Company last year and became fast friends. Together they make a formidable team that will face off against another group of tool-wielding gearheads. The goal is to build the best machines they can in a 10-hour period using junkyard parts. The team will have no prior knowledge of what they are going to build until they reach the junkyard.

Each team takes its machine and competes against the other in a head-to-head race. If they win, they move onto the next elimination round
and face a new opponent in a playoff-type format with the final goal of becoming the ultimate champions of the junkyard. The Model T team was selected out of thousands of applicants for their talent, experience, and ingenuity. These are skills they use daily developing and engineering class-leading and award-winning cars and trucks. The rest comes from the bonds formed in unique gearhead hobbies like automotive and kart racing, performance engine tuning and anything else that involves speed.

Gary Kiley, team captain and the engine behind the Model T team, was born in Dansville, Michigan. He has a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan Tech in Houghton, Michigan. At Ford, Kiley has worked on powertrain engine calibration, Ford Racing driving dynamics and SUV body structures. In his spare time, Kiley can be found modifying engines, driving snowmobiles, or carving snow sculptures. The team called upon Kiley''s planning and problem-solving skills to keep the team organized and focused while at the junkyard and throughout training for the competition.

Justin Case was born in Fowlerville, Michigan but split his time growing up in Austin, Texas and in the suburbs of Chicago. He has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Case started working at Ford with various systems and testing of the 2003 Lincoln Navigator. Currently he is working in product innovation with buzz and image vehicles and Ford''s technology cycle plan. Outside of the office, Case enjoys racing his 1987 Mazda Turbo RX7. In the junkyard, the team called upon Case to gather parts, weld, fabricate components, and provide needed comic relief.

Stephen Zoepf brings his electrical engineering talents to the Model T team. He was born in Brussels, Belgium but raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has an electrical engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Like Kiley and Case, Zoepf has worked on several different projects while at Ford including electrical testing for various product programs, Formula 1 electronics, and the all-new 2003 Range Rover. Outside the office, Zoepf has a passion for two-stroke motorcycles, music, and the sounds of throaty exhaust notes. While in the junkyard, the team called upon Zoepf for all their electronics and wiring needs, making sure their machine wouldn''t die throughout the competition.

Source:
Dave Marchand
Mustang/Thunderbird Club Center Coordinator
1-800-576-PONY/1-800-TBIRD10

SOURCE: None

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[08/27/2002] Ford Engineers Set to do Battle on 'Junkyard Wars' By: -

[08/27/2002] Ford Engineers Set to do Battle on 'Junkyard Wars'

By: -