If you’re a Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep®, Ram (insert all brands under the Stellantis umbrella here) enthusiast in the United States, chances are you’ve heard of the WAM Show – the largest Mopar® event in North America, bringing together enthusiasts from all corners of the country. I recently sat down with the dynamic duo behind WAM, Pedro and Cincita Murillo, to get an inside look at how/why they made the decision to start the show and how it has grown into a 3-day destination event for fans of the brands and vehicles we all know and love.
The WAM Show began as a simple concept. Pedro and Cincita Murillo attended countless events around the U.S.A. to get a feel for how large-scale car shows were planned and executed. They dug deep into what was being offered to everyone attending these events. Attention to detail is everything when planning events. It is even more essential to get the details dialed in when thinking about bringing to life a personal dream involving thousands of like-minded Mopar fans from around the globe. This led to hundreds, possibly thousands of conversations between Pedro, Cincita and the team who run WAM. They realized Texas needed an enthusiast-based event tailored explicitly for the Mopar community. And so, fueled by their passion for Mopar and all the vehicles falling under that umbrella, they started to bring Mopar Heaven to life!
Pedro and Cincita went all-out to promote the WAM Show in the early days. They engaged with Mopar vehicle owners and enthusiasts wherever they could connect – from events, forums and social media to interacting with club leaders. Their grassroots approach laid the foundation for the show’s growth, which still thrives today.
If you have attended any WAM event over the years, you know how far the event and its organizers have pushed this event since its inception. Year one was 2016 at Gas Monkey LIVE. Friday Night Lights was kicked off in the host hotel’s parking lot. They immediately realized creating an event worthy of the title “Mopar Heaven” required the highest level of execution revolving around a multi-day format.
Remember those planning conversations I mentioned above? I imagine the discussion leading to significant changes in the “Friday Night Lights” portion of the program went something like this. A few thousand people are pouring into Dallas on Friday with the baddest Mopar vehicles around. Would they want to have a show before the show? Hmmm. Possibly. If Texas Motor Speedway is the home for WAM, where should we hold this Friday night event? There are a couple of multi-story parking garages beside the host hotel. Why not there? And… BOOM!!! Friday Night Lights had the home it needed to grow! Think Tokyo Drift parking garage scene… with infinitely cooler cars/trucks! Vendors and VIPs taking over the roof. Every story of the garage is filled with a few thousand Mopar fans just hanging out and having a great time with their extended family.
Fast Forward to Saturday and throw in a venue shift to the Texas Motor Speedway for what can only be described as something you truly need to see with your own eyes to believe! In 2016, when WAM was launched, the goal was to bring around 300 cars to the event. ONE THOUSAND showed up! Fast forward to 2023, and attendance is up to 2,500, and thousands more spectators. The Mopar faithful were treated to another spectacular event in 2023. The entire infield of the Texas Motor Speedway was covered in Mopar Goodness. Lead follow laps around the BIG oval run almost the whole time the event is open, and proceeds from the laps go to charity. BFGoodrich was on hand with a Scat Pack Charger and Challenger to give hot laps around the autocross course set up on the infield road course. Autocross is also open to anyone wanting to run a lap or three with their own vehicle. Bring a helmet. Ensure your brakes and tires are in good shape and SEND IT! This year, there was a burnout pit with several entries willing to turn rubber into dust for the crowd’s roar. Top it off with an award ceremony held in victory lane to hand out trophies to the car show participants.
WAM has evolved since its inception. It keeps growing because the organizers genuinely care about the experience. The team behind WAM/Mopar Heaven consists of more people who volunteer their time than most would believe. It takes an army of dedicated individuals to run an event of this size. They embrace both positive and negative feedback, using it to continuously improve the event. By addressing concerns and building on successes, they aim to provide an experience that leaves participants excited and ready to return next year.
I cannot wait to return to Dallas in 2024 to catch up with friends, check out what the vendors offer and, most importantly, melt the tires off my Pacifica on the autocross again! I hope to see you all at Mopar Heaven 2024!
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