World Class Wednesday: James Cook: Finding the "music" in vehicle repair

Earning the title of Automotive Service Excellence World Class Technician is no small accomplishment. To be recognized as ASE World Class, these individuals have obtained ASE certification in 22 specialty areas: A1-A8 (automotive), T1-T8 (medium/heavy truck), B2-B5 (collision repair), and L1-L2 (advanced).

Not only is achieving certification in these areas impressive, but becoming ASE World Class is no small feat. As of 2025, only 2,000 technicians have achieved ASE World Class status.

In this Q&A, Motor Age sat down with James Cook — an ASE World Class technician and instructor at Logan High School in Logan, Utah — to learn more about his journey in the automotive industry and how gaining World-Class status has helped advance his career.

Motor Age: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your experience in the automotive industry.

James Cook: I hated going to History and English classes in high school. That was almost 40 years ago, and I can still remember that. When I think back, there are two or three teachers who really helped me, and one of them was my auto shop teacher. He showed me that auto repair was something I could do.

Because of my auto shop teacher, I went on to college. Two years later, I ended up getting my degree and working at a Toyota dealership.

When I started at Toyota, I already had a few ASE certifications, and it helped me money wise. After Toyota, I went to work for Pep Boys and did some training for them.

While working there, I was doing some training on a guy’s vehicle at the time — I guess I must have impressed him — because he offered me a job as a teacher at Job Corps.

I worked for Job Corps for 15 years, and then the position of auto shop instructor at Argan High School — where I currently teach — opened.

Motor Age: What's the most memorable repair you've ever completed?  

Cook: My first memorable repair was when I was in high school. I had a Z28 Camaro, and my teacher helped me rebuild the engine. When I put the engine in my car and I fired it up, that was music to my ears. To this day, I can still hear him saying, “That's music to us as technicians — the sound of a really healthy engine — that's music.”

Motor Age: Tell us one thing about you that we can't guess from your certifications.

Cook: One of my best friends and I got into mud racing, and we both built a Pro Stock. He had one, I had one. We were good enough that we would get paid to travel to mud racing events and run them.

Motor Age: What automotive technology trend are you most excited about/ most concerned about?    

Cook: The lack of qualified, well-trained individuals entering the workforce. I hope the industry can survive with schools being shut down and many training programs not being supported.

I’m most excited about the opportunities and advancements for our students at Logan High School. A lot of it is because of the support that we have here in our community.

Motor Age: How has ASE certification helped advance your career?  

Cook: As far as my career advancement goes, every position that I have applied for, my ASE certification has put me above somebody who has not had certifications. When I went into teaching at Job Corps, I was the only one at that time who had my Master ASE status. The director was very proud of that. Now it is required for the teachers out there to have their ASE masters and to teach in the programs.