'Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge' Program to Help Teen Drivers in Indianapolis

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Mar 24, 2016, 04:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Sponsored by the FCA Foundation, supported by Mopar and Dodge, a defensive driving program geared for teenage drivers will provide sessions on April 9-10 in Indianapolis
Teens between the ages of 15-19 with a learner's or driver's license and at least 30 hours of driving experience are eligible to participate
Teens can register for one of four complimentary sessions available over two days being held at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana
The program is a collaborative effort with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S., two nationally recognized non-profit organizations
Parents can register their teen driver at www.mopar.com/road-ready/register

Mopar will give a helping hand to young drivers in Indianapolis, Indiana, with an advanced driving program called "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge," designed to teach safe and defensive driving techniques. Sponsored by the FCA Foundation and supported by Mopar and Dodge, the program dedicated to training and educating teenage drivers will be available to those between the ages of 15-19 with a learner's or driver's license and at least 30 hours of driving experience.

The program was developed in collaboration with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), two nationally recognized non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that share similar missions of promoting the importance of safe and responsible driving.

Mopar encourages families to sign up their teens for the upcoming "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" program at www.mopar.com/road-ready/register

"Mopar is a brand that cares about and supports all drivers, especially the youngest," said Pietro Gorlier, Head of Parts and Service (Mopar), FCA – Global. "We are excited to continue the 'Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge' program in 2016 and to assist in training even more teens on the skills they need to stay safe behind the wheel. By teaming up with the Dodge brand and through sponsorship from the FCA Foundation, we are empowering new drivers with education and experience that will last a lifetime."

"The Dodge brand wants all drivers to experience that visceral feeling that makes them fall in love with driving, and that includes making sure they feel comfortable in all driving situations," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA – North America. "The 'Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge' program gives new teen drivers the opportunity to learn important driving skills, gain valuable experience behind the wheel and fall in love with driving in the process."

Participants will benefit from a proven curriculum and skilled high-caliber instructors provided by the B.R.A.K.E.S. organization, with both classroom education and hands-on training with a 3:1 student-to-instructor ratio, allowing for quality time with each teen. Each teen's participation in the training program will include a companion experience for a parent or adult guardian who also will actively take part.

"The B.R.A.K.E.S. program has helped more than 15,000 kids learn safe driving techniques since 2008, and we're very pleased to be able to help educate and save even more with the support of Mopar, Dodge and the NHRA Motorsports Museum," said Doug Herbert, a NHRA Top Fuel champion and popular drag racing veteran, who founded B.R.A.K.E.S. after losing his two sons in a highway accident. "It's important to all of us to have the opportunity to teach kids to be more conscientious and focused when behind the wheel, and give them the skills to avoid trouble."

The collaborative effort has previously held events in Pomona, California, Gainesville, Florida, and Detroit, Michigan and this year has scheduled five two-day events at four different locations in the United States.

The 2016 slate of "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" events, each dedicated to training and educating teenage drivers, will visit Indianapolis, Indiana, April 9-10; Englishtown, New Jersey, April 23-24; two stops at Center Line, Michigan, in Metro Detroit, April 30-May 1 and May 14-15; and Bradenton, Florida, May 21-22.

The program expects to have impacted more than 1,500 additional young drivers and their parents, but considers the program a success if just one life can be saved.

"We are very pleased to be able to help more teens through this important program with the FCA Foundation, Mopar and Dodge, and also continue to fulfill the NHRA's original mission of promoting safe driving within the car culture," said Larry Fisher, Executive Director of the NHRA Motorsports Museum. "Since its founding in 1951, the NHRA has been dedicated to safety. With this program, we are proud to carry on Wally Park's vision of creating a safe environment for drivers, and to be able to do that with the youngest ones really makes this the perfect fit."

Parents and teens are encouraged to register for one of four available sessions, each providing four hours of valuable instruction. Sessions are available on either Saturday, April 9, or Sunday, April 10, with the choice of a morning session from 8 a.m. until 12 noon or an afternoon session from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Lucas Oil Raceway.

"Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" sessions will provide a brief classroom review of core driving topics, including proper seat positioning, hand positioning and basic vehicle dynamics. Advanced behind-the-wheel training will then be provided to teens, with on-track course sessions including accident avoidance (slalom), distraction, panic stop, wheel drop and wet skid pad.

"Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" classes are free of charge to registered teens and their parents or guardians. A $99 refundable registration deposit (plus processing fees) is required to secure a spot and is returned after the session. Parents can register their teens at www.mopar.com/road-ready/register

For information on future "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" events, visit Mopar.com. For more information on the NHRA Motorsports Museum and B.R.A.K.E.S., please visit www.nhra.com or www.putonthebrakes.org.

FOR MORE INFO:

VIDEO teaser: http://bit.ly/1Mm2vrC
News feature on "Mopar Road Ready Powered by Dodge" program [VIDEO]: http://bit.ly/22vWpMM

History of "Mopar Road Ready powered by Dodge" program and B.R.A.K.E.S. [VIDEO]:
http://bit.ly/1LGRvVR

Blog on Mopar Road Ready: http://blog.mopar.com/Top+10+to+be+Road+Ready

Registration link for Mopar Road Ready program in Bradenton, Florida:
www.mopar.com/road-ready/register

About the FCA FoundationSince 1953, the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, has invested more than $500 million in charitable organizations and initiatives that help empower people and build strong, viable communities. The FCA Foundation invests in programs that generate meaningful and measurable societal impacts in the following areas:

Education – programs that inspire young minds, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM);
Military – programs that support financial and basic needs of military service members, veterans and their families;
Multicultural/Diversity – programs that promote inclusion and opportunity for diverse populations; and
Youth Development – programs that help young people develop the skills and leadership qualities to succeed in school, at work and in life.

Additionally, FCA US seeks opportunities to support communities through its Motor Citizens® volunteer program. This innovative program enables FCA US salaried employees to use 18 hours of paid time each year to be an Engine for Change by investing their time and talents in community service projects.

About Dodge Brand
The Dodge brand is America's mainstream performance brand. With the purification of the brand and consolidation with SRT, Dodge is getting back to its performance roots with every single model it offers. The Dodge and SRT brands offer a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out within their own segments. Dodge is the "mainstream performance" brand, and SRT is positioned as the "ultimate performance" halo of the Dodge brand, together creating a complete and balanced performance brand with one vision and one voice.

From muscle cars to compact cars, minivans, crossovers and full-size SUVs, the Dodge brand's full lineup of 2015 models delivers best-in-class horsepower, class-exclusive technology, unmatched capability and a slew of cool features, such as LED headlamps, Dodge signature racetrack tail lamps, dual exhaust, 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment centers and 7-inch thin-film transistor (TFT) customizable gauge clusters, to name a few. For the 2015 model year, customers will be able to drive the new 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger, as well as the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat. The Dodge brand lineup also includes the 2015 Dodge Dart, Durango, Grand Caravan and Journey, including the new Crossroad model, and its flagship, the Dodge Viper.

About Mopar Brand
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked in 1937 with the launch of an antifreeze product, but it truly made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era. From Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, the brand soon expanded to include technical service and customer support.

Today, Mopar is FCA's service, parts and customer-care brand and distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in over 150 markets around the world. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 27 customer-contact hubs globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for FCA brands.

Mopar parts are engineered together with the same teams that create factory-authorized specifications for FCA vehicles. This offers a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.

SOURCE FCA US LLC