Lancaster Community Center — Top Team 2026
Our students have been working all year for this very moment.
Since the first day of class, teams have collaborated through engineering challenges, automotive STEM projects, leadership activities, marketing competitions, and public speaking opportunities. Over the course of 15 projects, students earned points, developed critical thinking skills, and worked together toward a common goal: earning the title of Top Team 2026.
On June 1, 2026, students, families, Lancaster Community Center staff, and community supporters gathered to celebrate the conclusion of the 2025–2026 Future Auto Techs STEM Program.
Before the awards ceremony, parents and guests had the opportunity to view each team's final project, including their prototype vehicle designs and marketing advertisement posters. Students proudly showcased the creativity, engineering principles, teamwork, and problem-solving skills they developed throughout the school year.
The celebration began with a pizza party, giving students, families, and guests an opportunity to connect and celebrate a successful season before the awards ceremony commenced.
Every student participating in the Future Auto Techs STEM Program received certificates of recognition honoring their accomplishments throughout the school year. Students were presented certificates from both the Office of Assemblyman Tom Lackey and the Office of Congressman George Whitesides in recognition of their dedication, hard work, teamwork, and commitment to learning.
During the ceremony, Mr. Rudy Gutierrez, Head Instructor and ASE Master Technician, presented special recognition medals to students who demonstrated outstanding leadership, growth, perseverance, teamwork, and commitment throughout the school year.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Top Team 2026 Trophy, recognizing the team that accumulated the highest point total throughout the year.
One of the most exciting moments of the competition came during the final marketplace challenge. Entering the final project, D1-Clippers found themselves in last place and facing a significant point deficit.
However, the Future Auto Techs STEM Program is designed so that any team can remain competitive until the very end. During the final marketplace competition, the team that earns the most Auto Pros Academy Bucks receives a 500-point bonus, creating an opportunity for teams to dramatically improve their standings through creativity, marketing, teamwork, and presentation skills.
This scoring structure ensures that every team remains competitive until the final project and rewards not only engineering and design, but also marketing, communication, teamwork, and business skills.
D1-Clippers embraced the challenge. Through an outstanding marketing campaign and persuasive presentation, they successfully convinced fellow students and Lancaster Community Center staff members to invest their Auto Pros Academy Bucks into their prototype vehicle design.
By earning the highest amount of Auto Pros Academy Bucks during the final marketplace competition, D1-Clippers secured the 500-point bonus and completed an incredible comeback from last place to first place, earning the title of Lancaster Community Center Top Team 2026 Champion.
Their victory serves as a powerful reminder that perseverance, teamwork, determination, and effective communication can change the outcome of any competition.
Final Standings
🏆 1st Place
D1-Clippers
1,167 Points
$210,000 Auto Pros Academy Bucks Earned
🥈 2nd Place
JTR Racing
1,062 Points
$180,000 Auto Pros Academy Bucks Earned
🥉 3rd Place
Chick-fil-A Sauce
949 Points
$120,000 Auto Pros Academy Bucks Earned
4th Place
Overthinkers
789 Points
$90,000 Auto Pros Academy Bucks Earned
Lancaster Community Center Top Team 2026 Champion
D1-Clippers
With an impressive 1,167 points and $210,000 in Auto Pros Academy Bucks earned, D1-Clippers secured the title of Lancaster Community Center Top Team 2026.
Their championship run was highlighted by an exceptional final marketplace presentation and marketing campaign that transformed a last-place team into champions. Through creativity, teamwork, communication, and perseverance, they proved that the competition is never over until the final challenge is complete.
Congratulations to D1-Clippers, JTR Racing, Chick-fil-A Sauce, and Overthinkers for an outstanding season. Each team played an important role in establishing the inaugural year of the Future Auto Techs STEM Program at the Lancaster Community Center.
The 2025–2026 school year marked the beginning of a new tradition—one that celebrates leadership, teamwork, innovation, engineering, marketing, and perseverance. We are proud of every student who participated and look forward to seeing what future classes accomplish.
