In Vegas, Severn Lucky WyoTech Grads Build Fast Cars and Their Careers
The boss is 85 years old and the certified auto legend. The cars are legendary, too, each carrying the unmistakable DNA of the original Shelby Cobras. Welcome to Shelby Automobiles, Inc., founded by Carroll Shelby and builder of high-performance, limited-production supercars such as the Shelby GT and Shelby GT500KR.
Seven WyoTech Laramie graduates are currently working at Shelby, located on the ground of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as line techs, fabricators and master technicians.
Steven Ambrose, Jacob Hill, Justin Quinville, Richard Rivera, Jeremy Roberts, Andrew Smidt and Nathan Smith all graduated in recent years-most coming to work at Shelby straight out of WyoTech.
As high-performance enthusiasts, they are all part of the team creating rolling automotive masterpieces such as the ground-shaking 540-horsepower Shelby GT500KR, the most powerful production Ford Mustang ever produced. The GT500KR was featured in the July 2008 issue of "Motor Trend"-with the editors commenting, "There was a ton of well done work here."
"My WyoTech training was imperative for my position here at Shelby," said Hill, who specializes in building supercharger and brake systems. "I get respect from Shelby management and co-workers, due to my skills related to my WyoTech training."
Rivera, who took automotive and chassis fabrication classes at Laramie, says that WyoTech gave him the foundation but that you never stop learning. "WyoTech changed my life forever. The career path in the automotive industry changes constantly and you need to keep learning. WyoTech gave me the drive to do just that."
Roberts credits his ASM classes as benefiting his position as a trainer for new Shelby hires. And Smidt, who handles R&D, fabrication and prototype work, adds, "I wouldn't be in the position I am here at ShelbyAutomotive without my WyoTech training."
These lucky seven Shelby employees are living the dream of every auto enthusiast-working on fast cars and building a future.
And that's no gamble.
Here's a great link to this WyoTech story!
Co-host of Spike TV's "Xtreme 4X4"
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