By Steve Wolcott
 The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races featured hundreds of pinewood cars racing against the clock for bragging rights and to support SEMA Cares charities. | |
Once again held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation Gala, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 24, 2015, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The finals will be held during the cocktail reception shortly before the banquet begins.
SEMA members can race either a car or truck in three classes: Build it for me (BIFM) Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the Build it For Me (BIFM), Stock Class or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-Class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 seconds on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited Class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-three seconds, and many of the past top builders include some of SEMA’s most recognized names.
SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom Pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned off with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member increases their chances of winning.
If you're the hands-on type, SEMA invites you to attend one of several to-be-announced build days where you can help the children sand, paint and assemble cars for the races. Each child will build two cars: one to keep and one reserved for sponsorship by a caring SEMA-member company or individual.
Members interested in participating in one of the build days are invited to contact derby@sema.org or visit the SEMA Cares Facebook page.
Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities—Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides the camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go to camp. Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today.