Willy T. Ribbs will, in fact, land the CTS ride with Bobby Hamilton’s group. Formal announcement should be in a week or so. Ribbs truck will be one of three considered ‘factory backed the other two being the #’s 1 and 2 Ultra Motorsports trucks(12-8-2000)
UPDATE: Dodge officials and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) team owner Bobby Hamilton welcome well-known African-American driver Willy T. Ribbs to the Dodge Motorsports family. As part of the diversity initiative, Dodge will serve as primary sponsor of the Hamilton-owned #4 Dodge Ram NASCAR Craftsman Truck that Ribbs will drive in the 2001 NCTS season. Ribbs, who’s found considerable success in other North American racing series, relishes the new challenge of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. To enhance the opportunities of African Americans seeking to enter NASCAR racing as crew members for leading Dodge NASCAR teams, Dodge will help fund a scholarship program that will provide important training in the racing field and seek graduate placement within the Dodge Motorsports family. The Dodge Motorsports diversity program ultimately could expand to include other forms of racing in which the company participates, including road racing and drag racing. Ribbs was selected from a number of candidates, who were evaluated for eligibility based on guidelines including actual racing experience, background and character. As the second element in the diversity announcement, the Dodge Motorsports Scholarship program gives aspiring minority team members a hands-on, NASCAR-based racing technology education, while providing financial support and ultimately career placement with a Dodge Motorsports race team. During the initial phase of training the students participate in a nine month program, with a curriculum tailored to giving them a thorough understanding in general automotive theory and practice. Coursework can be completed at any one of the four Universal Technical Institute (UTI) campus locations including Phoenix; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.; Glendale Heights, Ill.; Orlando; and Houston. Universal Technical Institute is the only technical school in the nation that is officially licensed by NASCAR. Upon receiving their diploma, program participants enroll in a specialized six-week, NASCAR-specific elective program currently offered only at UTI’s Houston campus. The program provides students an intensive NASCAR curriculum, including the sport’s history, rules and regulations, engine building and development, and chassis theory. When the NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech) opens in Charlotte, N.C., in 2002, a scholarship recipient may alternately elect to complete studies there, in place of an existing UTI campus. The course schedule at NASCAR Tech will offer students a 13-month program, which will include the basic nine-month general automotive training program currently available at UTI, along with a more comprehensive four-month NASCAR-specific course. NASCAR studies include chassis fabrication, paint and body, engine building, and integration of hands-on race team programs. Candidate selection for as many as four students annually is set to begin immediately. A program to consider opportunities for minority team owners is also under consideration.(Dodge PR)(12-14-2000)
