By SEMA Editors
 The top two teams from the SEMA Show and PRI Show will face off starting Friday, December 12, at 5:00 p.m., and compete another two times on Saturday. The team with the best average time will be crowned the 2014 Hot Rodders of Tomorrow national champion. | |
This year, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow will return to the SEMA Show (November 4–7), where 17 teams will compete in a semi-final championship, while another 17 teams will compete in a semi-final championship the following month at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show (December 11–13). The top two teams from the SEMA Show and PRI Show will face off at PRI starting Friday, December 12, at 5:00 p.m., and compete another two times on Saturday, December 13. The team with the best average time will be crowned the 2014 Hot Rodders of Tomorrow national champion.
The SEMA and PRI trade shows are two of the most anticipated events in the automotive industry each year. These are often the site of major announcements, press conferences, product debuts and more. The seemingly endless aisles of displays include everyone from the regular mechanic to the most recognizable names of the industry. It is in this arena that high school students from across the nation will face off against the clock and each other in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge finals.
The Engine Challenge, designed to equip and inspire the next generation of gear heads, is a series of cross-country events in which high school teams compete in complete factory crate-engine rebuilds. Each of these students gains valuable mechanical skills and learns to work efficiently under pressure, all in an environment that demands teamwork and precision. Participating in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge has afforded many students opportunities for scholarships, secondary schooling and promising careers that would not have been available otherwise. In recent history, automotive interest was waning among young adults. Efforts, such as those of Hot Rodders of Tomorrow, bring about a resurgence of enthusiasm among the next generation of hot rodders.
During the 10 events held in 2014, more than 29 teams completed their rebuild in less than 35 minutes, qualifying them for the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Championship. In the past five seasons, a single Engine Challenge Championship was held either at the PRI Show or SEMA Show.