Chevron Products Company announced that the grand champion winner of this year’s 26th Annual Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition is Andrew Hanna of Greenwich, Connecticut, with his restored 1942 Farmall M.
Designed to foster hands-on learning, critical thinking, and teamwork among high school students, while also celebrating the rich heritage of agricultural machinery, winners received a total of $20,000 in prize money. The winners were announced at the National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis earlier this month.
“To see a teen restore a tractor four times their age and win our competition never gets old,” said Rachel Whitlow-Pullem, Tradeshow Specialist, Chevron. “Congrats to our Grand Champion, Andrew Hanna, and all of our other entrants who put thousands of painstaking hours into their builds! You are restoring the rich agricultural heritage of America one tractor at a time, and we are grateful to play a role in that.”
Grand Champion Andrew Hanna was awarded $10,000 for his first-place-winning restoration.
Reserve Champion, Dubiski Career High School FFA from Grand Prairie, Texas, won with their 1959 John Deere 630 LP, taking home $5,000.
Third place went to Cade Clark, Lubbock, Texas, with a restored 1954 John Deere 70LP Standard.
Other winners were awarded in a number of other title categories:
- Cathy McCarty Hendrix Mentor of the Year was awarded to Tim Hartzell, nominated by Braden Wheeler, Templeton, California.
- Safety Award was presented to Dubiski Career High School FFA.
- Best Presentation was awarded to Ruby Valley FFA, Sheridan, Montana, with their 1945 Farmall M.
- Best Photo award was received by Andrew Hanna.
- Fan Favorite went to Dubiski Career High School FFA.
- Fan Favorite Runner-Up was Ruby Valley FFA.
Each tractor restoration project was graded on the overall process, safety precautions, results, documentation, and their oral presentation. Judges are comprised of industry experts and former Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition (TRC) champions with decades of hands-on experience and involvement in the industry.
Since 1997, the Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition has rewarded the determination, mechanical skills, and business savvy of high school tractor restoration experts from around the country.
The skills needed for success in the program — equipment mechanics, teamwork, project management, budgeting, planning and marketing, networking, presentation skills, and confidence — help develop the participants into future leaders in the agriculture community and the modern business world.
