Judges

 

	Three things happened in 1958: there was a recession, the Edsel launched, and CHRISTOPHER SAWYER was born into a car-obsessed family as the youngest of six boys. Dad was a Ford engineer and Dearborn was home during Ford’s Total Performance racing days. Eventually, he found his way to AutoWeek as an associate editor, Automotive Industries as a senior editor, and Campbell & Co., a PR firm, where he was Communications Director for Lotus Cars USA and helped launch Visteon Automotive Systems. From there it was off to Automotive Design & Production as Executive Editor for eight years before joining Open Road Podcast as Chief Blogger.		DAN ROTH has had a lifelong passion for automobiles. When other kids were reading "The Dog Next Door," Dan was thumbing through factory service manuals. His musings on cars can be found at Autoblog.com and Examiner.com, and occasionally Dan lets his skills as a video producer loose for those sites, as well. Dan brings a solid understanding of how cars work and an appreciation for the engineering that goes into these complex machines, while also approaching vehicles with the fresh perspective of someone who's formative years were in the 1980s (so station wagons are still cool, while minivans are not so much).
	FRANK WASHINGTON is managing partner/editor of www.AboutThatCar.com and www.aboutthatcar.blogspot.com . He also writes a syndicated product review column that is distributed nationally to African American newspapers. Frank’s career in journalism and communications spans several decades. He  has spent a great deal of time covering the auto industry for Advertising Age, African Americans On Wheels, Auto Executive, Automotive News, Automotive News Marketer,  Ebony magazine, www.ebonyjet.com, Newsweek, Newsweek Japan,  Savoy magazine, Ward's Auto World, Ward's Automotive Reports, Ward's Dealer Business, the Detroit News Online and the Detroit News. Frank is an award winning automotive journalist who has numerous awards for his coverage of the auto industry.		JOE LAMURAGLIA is the publisher of Gaywheels.com and has recently come out of the automotive corporate closet and into the world of entrepreneurship. Joe has loved cars since he can remember but suffers from a serious case of auto-commitment phobia. At last count, he has owned over 29 vehicles and the longest "relationship" with a vehicle being just under 2 years. His taste in vehicles runs the gamut but he is a self-proclaimed "wagonphile". His last automotive relationship with a Mercedes-Benz 240D has ended and he is currently searching for his next ride - most likely a turbo diesel 300TD or 300D if he is lucky to find a good one.
	With more than 30 years experience in the automotive business, JOHN F. PAUL knows cars. As AAA's Car Doctor and the Manager of Public Affairs for Southern New England for the past 23 years, he writes new car reviews, feature articles and a Q & A column in the AAA monthly publication "Horizons." John has been writing a column for Boston.com for the past 10 years as well as columns for the Providence Journal and Worcester Telegram. Certified as a Master Automobile Technician from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, Paul holds additional certifications in Advanced Engine Performance and Alternative Fuels along with a vocational teaching certificate for the State of Massachusetts.		JONNY LIEBERMAN has written online about cars for The Truth About Cars, Jalopnik, Autofiends, Autoblog, 0-60, Motive and Speed:Sport:Life. He lives in Los Angeles, California with his lovely fiancee and enjoys both homebrewing and poker in his free time.
	LAUREN FIX, the Car Coach, is an automotive and lifestyle expert. She has appeared numerous times on Oprah, TODAY, 20/20, The View, CNBC, CNN, FOX News, Headlines News and MSNBC to name a few. Author of her third book:  Lauren Fix’s Guide To Loving Your Car; and host of Talk 2 DIY Automotive and Female Driven on Lifetime TV. She is a nationally recognized automotive expert in car care, repair, safety issues, buying and selling autos, and driving skills. Lauren is editor-in-chief of CarZen.com.  A member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and an ASE certified technician. Lauren Fix was named 2008 Automotive Woman Of The Year.		MARK ARNOLD, a 23-year-old film school graduate, has contributed video content and written for Jalopnik.com, FastLaneDaily.com, Garage419.com, Pickuptrucks.com, and Autofiends.com. He admits to being a "purist" in that he prefers cars to be deliberately designed machines rather than compromises compiled by focus groups. Mark claims to treat his own cars properly, despite all the shattered oil pans, blown head gaskets, and head-on collisions he's subjected them to. Mark resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but if you gave him an Ariel Atom, he would use it as a year-round daily driver.
	VALERIE MENARD is a freelance writer and editor. She established S.A. Esa Enterprises, a freelance writing and editing service, in January of 2000. As a freelancer, she has crafted a diverse portfolio that includes automotive reporting. She is the editor of Latinos on Wheels, a quarterly magazine targeting the Latino car enthusiast. She also contributes a monthly car feature to the Austin American Statesman, the daily newspaper in Austin, Texas. Other clients include Latina Style, Latino Leaders, Estylo, Latina, and Hispanic Enterprise. She also served on the board of the Texas Auto Writers Association.		ZACH BOWMAN graduated from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA in 2007. He managed to combine his near useless English degree with his life-long love of anything and everything automotive to become the Managing Editor of Autofiends.com and the Contributing Editor to DriverSide.com. He splits his time between remodeling his home in Knoxville, TN and wrenching on any of his three classics – the most frustrating of which is a 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III. Though he was raised on FoMoCo blue, these days he enjoys every flavor of the automotive fare out there.