Kyle Tucker Named SEMA Battle of the Builders™ Winner

By Della Domingo

	Kyle Tucker, with his ’69 Chevy Camaro, was the first-ever SEMA Battle of the Builders™ winner.
	Event organizers estimated that more than 10,000 individuals attended SEMA Ignited.

With his ’69 Chevy Camaro, Kyle Tucker was the winner of the first-ever SEMA Battle of the Builders™ competition. The announcement was made last week at SEMA Ignited, a new event designed to celebrate the builders and showcase products from the trade-only SEMA Show.

Tucker competed in the SEMA Battle of the Builders™ along with more than 125 vehicles customizers from throughout the country. Editors from leading auto magazines—Sam Du from Super Street, David Freiburger from Hot Rod and Fred Williams from Petersen’s 4Wheel & Off Road—selected the top-10 finalists for the competition. The finalists then became the judges to determine who would ultimately be named the winner of the competition.

Mike and Jim Ring, Jeff Kinsey and Kyle Tucker were announced as the top three competitors during SEMA Ignited, where producers were filming for a nationwide television special currently scheduled to air on the Velocity Network, March 8, 2015. The one-hour show will highlight innovations in vehicle customization and raise consumer awareness for the aftermarket industry. The TV show will profile Tucker as the first-ever SEMA Battle of the Builders™ winner, along with other competitors, to showcase the talent, creativity and craftsmanship involved with vehicle customization. While the SEMA Show is a trade show that is not open to the general public, SEMA Ignited was open to consumers and provided them with a chance to preview new automotive accessories on many of the vehicles that were on display during the 2014 SEMA Show week. Organizers estimate that more than 10,000 individuals attended SEMA Ignited.

2014 SEMA Battle of the Builders™ Participants

Top-10 Finalists:

• Bobby Alloway, ’37 Chevy Coupe
• Gordon Aram, ’78 Ford Mustang II
• Mike and Jim Ring, ’66 Chevy Chevelle
• Dale Dondel, ’14 Ford Raptor Pre-Runner
• Rick Dore, ’48 Jaguar
• Jeff Kinsey, ’32 Ford 4-Door Sedan
• Troy Ladd, ’32 Ford Roadster
• Larry McRae, Jeep JK
• Steve Strope, ’67 Ford Black Ops Fairlane
• Kyle Tucker, ’69 Camaro

The top 10 builders’ cars were lined up beside the main stage.		Mike and Jim Ring, Jeff Kinsey and Kyle Tucker were announced as the top three competitors during SEMA Ignited, where producers were filming for a nationwide television special currently scheduled to air on the Velocity Network, March 8, 2015.
This season's final episode of “Overhaulin’” also was filmed during SEMA Ignited.		The High Roller provided the perfect backdrop for the SEMA Ignited Event.

Entire List of SEMA Battle of the Builders™ Participants