MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Universal Technical Institute’s Mooresville campus NASCAR Technical Institute teamed up with Interstate Batteries to redesign its Electrical Applications classroom and lab, which was officially unveiled recently with the help Kyle Busch and crew chief Adam Stevens.
The lab is part of a five-year partnership between Universal Technical Institute and Interstate Batteries, which will add similar classrooms or labs to every UTI campus across the country.
To familiarize future technicians with their products and technology, Interstate Batteries will outfit every UTI campus with the batteries used by students in the auto, diesel, NASCAR, and marine training programs. Interstate Batteries is one of UTI’s more than 30 industry partners. These partners help shape UTI programs, outfit its labs with state-of-the-industry tools and technology, and get UTI graduates hired.
“Interstate Batteries is the best in the industry, and we are honored to have their products on our campuses and in the hands of UTI instructors and students,” said John Dodson, vice president of business alliances & NASCAR at Universal Technical Institute. “Today’s event is just another exciting example of the power of this partnership. The marriage between our two brands feels natural, and we run into new ways to collaborate at every turn.”
The Sept. 26 unveiling included a roundtable discussion with Busch, Stevens and Nick Fuller, a UTI graduate and member of the Joe Gibbs Racing team, followed by a Q&A session with more than 150 NASCAR Tech students. Interstate Batteries is the founding sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing and recently announced a multi-year agreement that will extend the relationship beyond 30 years.
Sitting outside the lab was the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Tundra, recently refurbished by Kyle Busch Motorsports. The race truck, wrapped in a throwback Interstate Batteries green color scheme from a 2010 Kyle Busch NASCAR truck win, will be used by NASCAR Tech students in their NASCAR Chassis Applications course.
“With our branded lab officially open at NASCAR Tech, we are able to physically see our partnership with UTI come to life,” said Tracy Honore, senior brand marketing manager at Interstate Batteries. “Over the last year, we’ve worked with UTI to provide students with the tools and resources that give them confidence and support toward successful occupations. We look forward to the roll out of our branded labs in the other campuses and the impact we can have on shifting the myth on the skills and growth opportunity for this career.”