The 44-year-old Texas John Deere FFA won the Chevron contest

Chevron announced today that the winner of this year’s 27th annual Chevron Tractor Restoration Contest is Tyler Billings of Floresville, Texas, for his restoration of a 1980 John Deere 4440.

Teens from across the United States competed in this STEM initiative in Indianapolis last week during the 2024 FFA National Convention and Expo.

Chevron TRC is an initiative that inspires high school students to engage in hands-on learning while improving critical thinking, budgeting, time management and collaboration skills. This program goes beyond the classroom to help students develop a deep understanding of engineering, mechanics and the agricultural industry.

Here are the young people who were honored at this year’s competition:

Grand Champion: Tyler Billings, Floresville, TX – 1980 John Deere 4440

For his win, Billings was awarded $10,000 in first place as Grand Champion, along with an additional $10,000 in cash and prizes for the other aforementioned contestants.

“This year was one of the strongest and most compelling competitions in the history of the Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition,” said Walt M. Collier, Chevron’s Americas Commercial Sector Manager. “We would like to thank our newest grand champion, Tyler Billings, and every teenager who has put in the time, hard work and dedication to rebuilding our shared agricultural history. These collections last the whole year, and you break the stereotypes of an entire generation.”

Reserve champion: Trey Shronk, Hillsboro, TX – 1959 John Deere 730 Diesel

Third place: Samantha Williams, Atascadero, CA – 1948 Ford 8N

• Cathy McCarthy Hendricks Mentor of the Year: Austin Thorson, nominated by Benjamin Reed and Landon Rehberg, Delevan, WI
• Safety Award: Tyler Billings
• Best presentation: Kathy Bryan, Richlands, NC – 1950 John Deere Model A
• Best photo: Garrett Mills, Mount Ulla, North Carolina – 1952 Oliver 66 Diesel
• Fan Favorite: Reilly Houtz, Paso Robles, CA
• Fan favorite runner-up: Kathy Bryan

Each tractor restoration project was judged on overall process, safety measures, results, documentation and their oral presentation. The judges are industry experts and former Chevron Tractor Restoration Competition champions with decades of hands-on experience and involvement in the industry.