Western Technical College (WTC) has joined the AB Motorsports (ABM) roster of partners as the start-up team’s Official Career College. The venture will see 20 of WTC’s elite students join ABM as part of a merit-based internship program this season.
In addition to ABM, WTC is one of four presenting sponsors of the NHRA’s Youth and Education Services (YES) Program that hosts thousands of students at the race track for a career day at 14 of the 22 NHRA races on the 2022 NHRA Camping World Series schedule. Brown and the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster also will visit Western Tech’s Plaza Circle campus location as part of the school’s annual Motorsports Day in October.
“We are very excited to continue our relationship with Western Tech,” Brown said of the El Paso, Texas-based college. “We met our friends at Western Tech through Matco Tools and the relationship has blossomed and we’re excited to see it grow here at ABM. That’s really what it’s all about, the B2B and our partners working together.
“It’s great to see Western Tech grads working on many of the professional NHRA teams in the sport. Students like Eric Sanchez, who worked as an NHRA mechanic when he was a Western Tech intern and went on to win multiple NHRA championships, is now an instructor at the school. That’s really what it’s all about, giving the kids opportunities and seeing them thrive.”
The first group of three Western Tech interns – Anthony Moralez, 51, Adrian Ferguson, 35, and Gerardo Gomez, 25 – joins AB Motorsports and Dustin Davis Motorsports/Justin Ashley Racing at this weekend’s SpringNationals event followed by the upcoming Charlotte race before traveling to Indianapolis with the teams to experience working at the their racing headquarters.
Participation in the race team internship program is highly competitive. Students must apply for one of the limited internship positions. Their grades, attendance record, and work ethics are reviewed as part of the selection process. Additionally, the student must pass a review board and demonstrate that they have a true desire to work on a team.
“We’re very happy to be able to continue our phenomenal relationship with Antron Brown,” Jack Werner, Western Tech Director of Strategic Partners said. “Over the last nine years, Antron has been a true partner in education, as a mentor, role model and an inspiration to the dozens of students that have attended the Top Fuel Team Internship program.
“Western Technical College is very pleased to be able to provide our students with this once in a lifetime opportunity with AB Motorsports and Antron Brown,” Werner added. “The knowledge and skills that our students gain by being able to work side by side with the very best in the NHRA on a high-caliber team like AB Motorsports just can’t be duplicated anyplace else. We also appreciate Dustin Davis and Justin Ashley for hosting WTC students along with Antron’s team this season as part of their technical alliance.”
Adrian Ferguson receives pointers from three-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown as the Matco Tools team prepares their machine for Q1 at the NHRA SpringNationals on Friday afternoon
This story was originally published on April 22, 2022. 
