PHOENIX, July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As industry partners of Universal Technical Institute (NYSE: UTI), Team Penske and Würth USA have found a creative and high-profile way to honor recent graduates of the nation's leading automotive technician training school – on the roof of the No. 2 Ford Mustang driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Cup Series.
On July 19, a total of 225 graduates who completed their education at one of UTI's 13 campuses nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic began will be watching their names race around the track at Texas Motor Speedway. Team Penske's No. 2 Würth USA/UTI Class of 2020 Ford Mustang, driven by 2012 Champion Keselowski, will feature a one-of-a-kind paint scheme with the names of UTI's recent graduates.
The team effort gives students who weren't able to participate in traditional graduation ceremonies the recognition they deserve for their achievements.
"We are extremely proud of our 2020 graduates for succeeding during these unprecedented and uncertain times," said Jerome Grant, CEO, Universal Technical Institute. "Demand for skilled technicians will remain high as our nation recovers from the pandemic. UTI graduates deliver services essential to the economy and keep our nation's vehicles maintained and running in industries like healthcare, agriculture, energy and distribution. We are grateful to Team Penske and Würth USA for their ongoing partnership and for this generous recognition of our graduates."
Würth USA CEO Aaron Brading says the graduates' names will also be displayed on Texas Motor Speedway's famous "Big Hoss TV," the largest video board of its kind in the world.
"Universal Technical Institute is a purpose-driven organization that continues to take an active role in combatting the current U.S. labor crisis through education and training," said Brading. "The professionalism and expertise UTI instills in its graduates are qualities commonly found in the technicians that put their trust in our products and services every day. Our partnership with UTI is a perfect marriage between highly-skilled men and women who demand the highest quality Würth products to get their jobs done right the first time."
"Everything we do at Würth is about our customers. From automotive and manufacturing, to construction and woodworking, to MRO and fasteners - we serve the men and women who are building and shaping the future of our country and keep America moving forward," said Thomas O'Neill, Executive Vice President of the Würth Group. "These individuals include skilled technicians who are the lifeblood of the automotive and trucking industry. These UTI 2020 graduates deserve to be recognized and we are thrilled to utilize our racing platform to make it a special and memorable experience for them."
For Team Penske and the Penske Corporation, this is another way to thank UTI for training the skilled talent that helps them succeed on and off the track. They've employed more than 2,000 UTI graduates in the last decade, and currently have graduates of UTI's NASCAR Technical Institute working on pit crews for Keselowski, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.
"Universal Technical Institute graduates have the skills to deliver for our organization, which is why we rely on UTI to help us identify new talent," said Roger Penske. "UTI has not only helped us win on the race track, its graduates work throughout our organization. This special paint scheme is a great way to recognize the recent graduates of UTI and celebrate our partnership. We look forward to honoring the UTI graduates on the No. 2 car in Texas next weekend."
Central Managing Board Member of the Würth Group, Dr. Steffen Greubel, calls the strong partnership between UTI, Team Penske and Würth a sustainable and long-term investment in the future and in up-and-coming staff.
"We are highly pleased to celebrate the graduate technicians of UTI and I wish them much success in their professional careers," said Greubel. "As Reinhold Würth, the man who has turned his parents' two-man business into today's worldwide operating Würth Group, once said, 'What you cannot imagine, you will never achieve.'"
The race will be broadcast live on Sunday, July 19 at 2 pm CT on NBC Sports Network and The Performance Racing Network (PRN) radio.
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
With more than 220,000 graduates in its 54-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:
UTI
) is the nation's leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 13 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
For more information, visit www.uti.edu. Like UTI on www.facebook.com/UTI or follow UTI on Twitter @UTITweet, @MMITweet, and @NASCARTechUTI.
About Team Penske
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 550 major race wins, over 620 pole positions and 37 Championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 54-year history, the team has also earned 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, two Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win, overall victories in the 24 hours of Daytona and the 12 hours of Sebring, along with a win in Australia's legendary Bathurst 1000 race. For 2020, Team Penske will compete in the NTT IndyCar Series, the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team also races in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, in a partnership with Dick Johnson Racing, as DJR Team Penske.
About the Würth Group
The Würth Group is the global market leader in its core business—the sale of fastening and assembly materials. It currently consists of more than 400 companies in over 80 countries with about 79,000 employees on its payroll. Approximately 34,000 of them are salaried sales representatives.
In the Group's core business, the Würth Line, the sales program for the skilled trades and industry comprises more than 125,000 products: from screws, screw accessories and anchors to tools, technical chemicals and personal protective equipment. The Allied Companies of the Würth Group, which operate in business areas related to its core business, round off the range by offering products for DIY stores, material for electrical installations, electronic components such as circuit boards, tools, and financial services. They account for more than 40 percent of the Würth Group's sales volume.
Media Contact:
Jody Kent
VP, Communications and Public Affairs
Universal Technical Institute
jkent@uti.edu
(623) 445-0872
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SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
