Joliet, Ill. - 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.

* Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) partners with 100 colleges and technical schools

* Mopar CAP provides students with general automotive and Stellantis brand-specific education

* With the Mopar CAP curriculum, schools give students a chance to turn a passion into a career

* Some CAP certifications are completed in as little as 12 months

* Students from Waubonsee Community College, Moraine Valley Community College and Milwaukee Area Technical College will attend this Friday's CAP presentation and recruiting event

* Mopar CAP event will be held at the NHRA Gerber Collison & Glass Route 66 Nationals drag races at Route 66 Raceway on Friday. May 17 at the Tony Stewart Racing hospitality area

* Tony Stewart Racing and Dodge/Mopar partnership features Tony Stewart, Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett speaking with students, local Dodge dealers and other attendees this Friday

* NHRA Gerber Collison & Glass Route 66 Nationals drag races set for May 17-19 at Route 66 Raceway

Mopar CAP 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, Michigan.

'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 manufacturers 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 stores 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.

Mopar CAP

The Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) is partnered with 100 colleges and technical schools nationwide. Mopar CAP provides students with more than a general automotive education. By incorporating the Mopar CAP curriculum, schools give their students the ability to turn their passion into a career. Mopar CAP students gain the training and fundamental knowledge they need to work on some of the hottest vehicles in the industry from our legendary Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo brands.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments in which the brand competes while moving forward to a future that includes electrified muscle in the form of the next-generation, all-new Dodge Charger.

The next-generation Dodge Charger electrifies a legend, with the Charger retaining its title as the world's quickest and most powerful muscle car led by the all-new, all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack. The all-new Dodge Charger will also offer performance choices via multi-energy powertrain options including the 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SIXPACK H.O., powered by the 3.0L Twin Turbo Hurricane High Output engine.

Dodge also keeps its foot on the gas as a pure performance brand with the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever, and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar

Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over more than 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

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