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| More than 400 members of the automotive specialty-parts industry
attended the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser at the
Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California, Friday, July 29. |
More than 400 members of the automotive specialty-parts industry attended the annual SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach, California, Friday, July 29, to honor 2011 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle and raise money for children’s charities Childhelp and Victory Junction Camp. They also came to thank departing SEMA Board of Directors members for their service and welcome new members.
“It was great to recognize our new Hall of Fame inductees Gray Baskerville, Art Chrisman, Chris Economaki and John Towle,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “Whether building the world’s appetite for all things automotive through media, spectacular hot rods or growing the industry through its trade associations, these inductees exemplify contributions at a world-class level. Also, I’m grateful for the contributions of our outgoing Board members and look forward to working with the new Board members. Their unique backgrounds and experiences will continue guiding the industry to grow and prosper. I’d like to thank all the volunteers who helped make the fundraising activities such a success. 'SEMA Cares' is a wonderful example of how people in this industry are able to selflessly work together to help better the lives of others.”
The day’s activities kicked-off with the 2011 Business Technology Symposium (BTS), a series of panel discussions and seminars sponsored by SEMA’s Street Performance Council (SPC), followed by the Pinewood Drag Races, sponsored by eBay Motors.
A reception at the Renaissance Hotel in Long Beach launched the evening’s Installation Banquet & Gala. Emcee Dave McClelland hosted the ceremonies honoring SEMA Hall of Fame inductees and incoming and outgoing Board members.
The newly elected members to the SEMA Board of Directors include: Tim Martin of K&N Engineering; Steve Wolcott of ProMedia LLC; Jim Chick of Bestop Inc.; J.R. Moore of Performance Warehouse; and Greg Adler of Transamerican Auto Parts. Nate Shelton of B&M Automotive Group is the new SEMA chairman-elect. In addition, outgoing Board Chairman Rick Rollins, of Rollins Performance Companies, addressed attendees as he passed on the torch to Paul "Scooter" Brothers of Comp Performance Group, the new chairman of the Board.
Outgoing Board members Laurel Dasher of Superchips, Zan Martin of Martin & Co. Advertising, Tony Napoli of American Speed Centers, Doug Evans of Source Interlink Media and Ernie Silvers of Egge Machine Co. Inc. were honored and thanked for their substantial contributions to the industry.
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| David Baskerville accepts SEMA Hall of Fame recognition on behalf of his brother Gray, who was a long-time editor for Hot Rod magazine. |
The NHRA's Steve Gibbs accepts SEMA Hall of Fame recognition on behalf of Art Chrisman, who played a key role in the hot-rod movement. He now works side-by-side with his son at Chrisman Auto Rod Specialties. |
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| Corinne Economaki accepts SEMA Hall of Fame recognition on behalf of her father Chris, who is hailed as the founding father of American motorsports media, having served as a commentator and journalist for more than 70 years. |
John Towle, currently executive director for the Performance Warehouse Association (PWA), started his career at Edelbrock nearly 50 years ago. |
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| Outgoing Board Chairman Rick Rollins says farewell before welcoming new Board Chairman Paul "Scooter" Brothers. | New Board Chairman Paul "Scooter" Brothers (left) shares a laugh with SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. |
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| Zan Martin (center) of Martin & Co. Advertising is an outgoing SEMA Board member. |
Tim Martin (center) of K&N Engineering is recognized for his new role on the SEMA Board of Directors. |
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| Tyler Tanaka of Cie Studios and chairman of SEMA's Street Performance Council (SPC) provides attendees of the Business Technology Symposium with an insider's perspective on the importance of staying current with technology trends for business marketing and overall operations. |
The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, sponsored by eBay Motors, featured hundreds of pinewood cars—built by children from Victory Junction Camp and Childhelp and sponsored by SEMA-member companies—racing against the clock for bragging rights and to support these two worthwhile charities. |