F&I and Showroom magazine and Innovative Aftermarket Systems have extended the deadline to enter the F&Idol contest. F&I managers who want to participate must submit their entries by Wednesday, Aug. 15.

The contest will select the best F&I performances in five categories. Four of those categories include Vehicle Service Contracts, GAP, Tire and Wheel, and Key Replacement. Added this year was an “Other” category, which allows F&I managers to submit a video entry for whatever F&I product they choose.

 Category winners for this roleplaying contest will receive a $1,000 cash prize, free airfare, hotel accommodations at the Paris Las Vegas and a free pass to the Industry Summit 2012 (Scheduled for Sept. 10-12 in Las Vegas), where they’ll be honored during a special ceremony. One winner will then be named the grand prize winner and the recipient of the 2012 F&Idol trophy.

The overall winner, which is selected by readers of F&I and Showroom magazine via an online vote, also will receive an additional check for $2,500. He or she will also be profiled in the magazine’s October 2012 issue.

Last year, readers selected Greg Paul “GP” Anderson’s video entry as the overall winner. The F&I manager for Park Rapids, Minn.-based Thielen Motors also took the top spot in the GAP category, bringing his total cash winnings to $3,500.

Video entries must be five minutes or less, include at least one fictional/stand-in customer in a staged transaction, and show a minimum of two objection-handling techniques.

Entries can be recorded using an iPhone, Android phone, Flip video camera, iPad, Webcam or any other recording device. Videos can then be uploaded to the contest site at www.fandidol.com.