Earning the title of Automotive Service Excellence World-Class Technician is no small accomplishment. To be recognized as 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 as of 2026, only 2,000 technicians have achieved World Class status.
In this Q&A, Motor Age sat down with Zac Sheehan—an ASE World Class technician at Goodwin Chevrolet in Oxford, Maine—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.
Zac Sheehan: I have spent over 25 years in automotive repair, specializing in diesel and automatic transmission diagnostics. I’ve worked on everything from muscle cars and "bro dozer" trucks to electric vehicles. I achieved ASE World Class status at age 42, in 2024.
Motor Age: What's the most memorable repair you've ever completed?
Sheehan: Early in my career, I had a C4 Corvette with an intermittent no-start because of an anti-theft issue. It had already been to a few other shops, and many components had been changed that turned out to be incompatible with each other.
Finding the root cause was an issue of incorrect resistance between the ignition lock cylinder sensor and module. I took resistors out of a VCR—it was a long time ago—that were out by the dumpster and fabricated a little compatibility module that I then wired in. Even back then, parts were unavailable/discontinued, so this problem required a creative solution.
Motor Age: Tell us one thing about you that we can't guess from your certifications.
Sheehan: I've always strived to have a well-rounded skill set. I have been doing gunsmithing and locksmithing as a "side hustle" since my late 20's. Being a locksmith is something I pursued as a result of vehicle issues I’ve encountered and has been a real benefit.
Motor Age: What automotive technology trend are you most excited about? Most concerned about?
Video multi-points have been a hot topic at my dealership. I think it’s a great new way to communicate directly with the customer. The clerical side still needs polishing, and the time it takes to produce quality professional multi-point content vs. how much is paid needs improvement.
Motor Age: How has ASE certification helped advance your career?
Sheehan: ASE certification has helped greatly with employment opportunities for me. I didn’t go to a trade school; I just got an entry-level job as a tire tech in high school. Early in my career, having no official technical training kept a lot of doors closed. After obtaining a few ASEs, I was taken a lot more seriously by potential employers.
