By Michael Hart
 Steve Darnell of Vegas Rat Rods will participate in Shifting Gears as part of the 2015 SEMA Show Education program. |
Through the 2015 SEMA Show educational session, “Shifting Gears: Industry Interviews With Leaders & Legends,” attendees will get the chance to learn what makes the industry’s most innovative thinkers and doers tick and what made them fall in love with their work.
On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, November 3–4, well-known SEMA figures will get the chance to sit down with some of their heroes and—much like a talk show host would do on the “Tonight Show” or “Late Night,”—ask some questions, get unrehearsed answers and have a little fun with their heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
“There’s a motivating aspect to it,” said Joe Sebergandio, owner of Motor Media, a SEMA veteran and the host of Wednesday morning’s session. “We’re going to get to eavesdrop on a conversation with the people who are creating the energy that is fueling our industry. How can you miss that?”
First, on Tuesday morning, SEMA Hall of Famer and Coker Group President Wade Kawasaki will visit with some of today’s icons, including:
- Harry Hibler, also known as “Hand Grenade” Hibler and the longtime publisher of Hot Rod magazine.
- Linda Vaughn, who many still call “the preeminent beauty queen of stock-car racing.”
- Ed Pink, already known as “The Old Master” way back in the 1930s when he first began to make his mark on the drag-racing world.
Sebergandio will take over on Wednesday as he continues the conversation with some of those who are creating the automotive industry of the future, including:
- Steve Darnell of Vegas Rat Rods, and one of the most creative minds behind today’s cutting-edge rat-rod phenomenon.
- Boris Maryanovsky of Street Machinery in Cleveland, who is on the forefront of the trend to take vehicles with the original rusted patinas and turn them into the industry’s next big thing.
- Brett Voelkel of RideTech, also known as the “King of Airbags,” who has been involved in everything new in the industry for years.
“These are the builders,” Sebergandio said, “and the builders are the celebrities today.”
Register Now! View a complete list of SEMA Show Education sessions available.