Students from three local area colleges – Waubonsee Community College, Moraine Valley Community College and Milwaukee Area Technical College — will participate in a special Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) career networking event Friday (May 17) at Route 66 Raceway in the NHRA Gerber Collison & Glass Route 66 Nationals drag races.
The Mopar CAP Program partners with 100 colleges and technical schools throughout the nation in a curriculum to guide students into the automotive industry in a variety of applications.
By incorporating the Mopar CAP curriculum, schools give students the ability to turn their passion for automotive activities into a career and assist them in gaining training and fundamental knowledge needed to work with some of the hottest vehicles in the industry from Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo brands. Giving students the competitive edge, Mopar CAP combines hands-on experience and classroom instruction from certified educators.
In addition to the Mopar CAP networking this Friday, students also will have the opportunity to meet and talk with NHRA drag racing stars Tony Stewart, Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett of Tony Stewart Racing. Stewart, the former champion in NASCAR, IndyCar and USAC competition, is making his Top Fuel racing debut this year in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT dragster, while Hagan, defending NHRA Mission World Funny Car Champion, will compete this weekend at Route 66 Nationals Park in the TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat as he seeks his third Route 66 Nationals win.
Last month, a group from Waubonsee Community College was a finalist in the first-ever Mopar CAP Bracket Challenge at the Chrysler Group National Technical Training Center in Auburn Hills, Mich.
“The Mopar CAP program is very crucial to the automotive industry,” said Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup winner at nearby Chicagoland Speedway. “There’s such a shortage of skilled, talented people in the workforce and the automotive industry that programs like Mopar CAP provide an opportunity for kids that want to be in this industry. It helps manufactures and dealers have access to these students while they’re in school, so I feel like it’s a big advantage.”
This Friday at Route 66 Raceway, the attendees will hear from Mopar CAP leadership team, network with local Stellantis dealers looking to hire qualified candidates to work in their store and enjoy lunch and trivia in the Tony Stewart Racing Hospitality area.
Action for this weekend’s NHRA Gerber Collison & Glass Route 66 Nationals drag races begins on Friday, May 17, with nitro qualifying rounds set for 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. CDT. Saturday’s nitro qualification rounds are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. CDT. Final eliminations on Sunday, May 19, will get underway at 11 a.m. CDT, with Fox Sports 1 network coverage scheduled from 4 p.m. EDT for first round eliminations and 10 p.m. EDT for the finals.
This story was originally published on May 13, 2024. 
