Compiled by SEMA Editors
RTM Announces “PowerNation on the Road” From the 2016 SEMA Show Primetime Airing November 10
RTM—Raycom Media Company and the producer of the “PowerNation” automotive television program—has announced that “PowerNation on the Road” will air in primetime, November 10, on NBCSN from the 50th-anniversary 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where PowerNation Host Katie Osborne will provide coverage. In addition, “PowerNation Daily” host Gannon Pritchard, “Truck Tech’s” Jeremy Bumpus and “Detroit Muscle’s” Marc Christ and Tommy Boshers will bring America the biggest scoops. This prime-time special will take viewers behind the scenes to this industry-only event, and will cover everything from car builders to racers to the latest and greatest custom creations in the automotive universe. “PowerNation on the Road” will be a one-hour special premiering on NBCSN, November 10, at 7:00 p.m. (EST) and again November 11, at 12:00 a.m. (EST). Raycom stations will also provide primetime airings of the show.
 Jon Apogée |
Gale Banks Engineering Appoints Jon Apogée Director of Corporate Communications
Gale Banks Engineering has appointed Jon Apogée to the position of director of corporate communications. Apogée will be responsible for all aspects of brand management, strategic marketing, press releases and media planning. His duties include providing direction and implementation for social media marketing and re-launching the Banks Power brand. With more than 30 years of experience, Apogée is a veteran in the OE and automotive aftermarket industry. He has worked with Prolong Super Lubricants as general manager: domestic sales, marketing and motorsports, and owned Marketing Matters Inc.—an advertising agency specializing in the automotive aftermarket. Prior to Marketing Matters, Apogée was the vice president of DuBois Advertising in Ontario, California, and director of marketing for SEMA. Apogée also created the Motorsports department for Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, where he guided the company into the U.S. racing circuit and led Mitsubishi to become the first manufacturer to win the Class 7 (mini pickup) championship in both the High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) and Southern California Off Road Enterprises (SCORE) championships.
 Scott Parker |  Steve Grein |
Power Automedia Appoints Scott Parker as Editorial Director of Content and Strategy; Steve Grein as Power Studio’s General Manager
Power Automedia has announced the hiring of Scott Parker as the company’s editorial director of content and strategy. Parker will be responsible for leading all editorial and video content across Power Automedia’s 12 automotive magazines and taking on general management responsibilities. Parker will work hand-in-hand with Editorial Operations Manager Andrew Almazan and Associate Content Director Trevor Anderson to craft Power Automedia’s editorial voice. Parker has extensive editorial experience in the automotive industry, including roles as editor of GM High-Tech magazine and Vette magazine, along with helping launch the Mustang 360 and the Super Chevy digital platforms for TEN: The Enthusiast Network.
Power Automedia also has announced the hiring of Steve Grein as Power Studio’s general manager. Grein will oversee Power Automedia’s video production team and the live broadcast division, SpeedVideo, as well as have a leading role in business development and client relationships. Grein has more than 22 years of experience in the automotive videography industry, having founded and owned NeWave Productions—a leading production studio in Chicago. NeWave produced thousands of hours of motorsport content, television shows and corporate videos annually, in addition to producing live shows for the American Drag Racing League (ADRL), POWRi Midgets, Lucas Oil On The Edge, and others. Grein most recently was executive producer of MAVTV—an all-motorsports television network that covers racing events all over the globe.
 Lonnie McCurry Jr. |
Skyjacker Suspensions Announces Appointment of Lonnie McCurry “Jr.” to President
Skyjacker has promoted Lonnie McCurry “Jr.” to the position of president. He will take the reins from Lonnie McCurry Sr. Lonnie Jr. has more than 30 years of experience at Skyjacker, and has served in many roles and capacities, most recently as the chief operations officer for the company. As president, Lonnie Jr. will be directly responsible for overseeing all of Skyjacker’s manufacturing and company operations. This transition will allow Lonnie Sr. to concentrate on his role as CEO and chairman of the board. Skyjacker is operated out of West Monroe, Louisiana, was established in 1974 and remains family owned with three generations actively involved.
 Chris Baer |
Chris Baer Named President of VIPAR Heavy Duty
VIPAR Heavy Duty chairman Bill Nolan announced today at the organization’s annual business conference in Orlando that Chris Baer has been named its new president. Baer joined VIPAR Heavy Duty in January 2002 as director of program management, and in November 2003, he was named vice president and a corporate officer. Baer was promoted to executive vice president of VIPAR Heavy Duty in November 2014. Before joining VIPAR Heavy Duty, Baer was with Chicago Rawhide/SKF for 17 years in a variety of sales management roles, including director of automotive aftermarket sales. Baer has served as a member of the AWDA Young Executive Society (YES) committee and earned the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) designation from the University of the Aftermarket. He is a 2014 recipient of the Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Management Education Award.
Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords Redesigns With a Fresh New Look
Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords has redesigned the brand for the first time in 28 years, revamping everything from the logo down to the features and departments in its pages. The first redesigned print issue, December, now available on newsstands, keeps to its fundamental roots in bringing to the forefront hard-hitting tech, featuring some of the fastest Ford cars in the country, and Mustang builds that enthusiasts can relate to.
 The official unveil of Madam X will take place at the BASF booth (#20367) in the 2016 SEMA Show’s central hall in Las Vegas, November 1, at 12:30 p.m. |
Chip Foose’s Madam X Cadillac Custom to Be Unveiled at 2016 SEMA Show
Custom car designer Chip Foose has announced details around the unveiling of his latest automotive masterpiece—the ’39 Cadillac custom known as “Madam X.” The official unveil of Madam X will take place at the BASF booth (#20367) in the 2016 SEMA Show’s central hall in Las Vegas, November 1, at 12:30 p.m. The event will feature an autograph session, a short presentation from Foose, and the world premiere of the Madam X. The car features a powerful Corvette, Gen V LT-1 motor, an eight-speed 8L90 automatic transmission from a Cadillac Escalade coupled to a Camaro Z01 third member, C6 Corvette suspension front and rear, and Pirelli tires. In addition, the body features all-new chrome trim, a custom leather interior, one-off cloth Carson top, custom-mixed BASF paint, a painted blonde wood dash and bespoke MHT billet aluminum wheels styled to resemble classic Cadillac hubcaps. For more information about the forthcoming debut or current news on Madam X Cadillac project or Foose Design, visit www.chipfoose.com.
RealTruck.com Announces Fourth Annual Vendor Awards Finalists
RealTruck.com has announced the finalists of its 2016 Vendor Awards. In its fourth year, the Vendor Awards aim to recognize companies that went above and beyond in delivering on their commitment to RealTruck and its customers in the last year. Finalists were selected by a panel of four judges, with an extra point awarded to any company nominated internally by a RealTruck employee.
The five finalists in each category included:
- Rookie of the Year: Air Lift, APS, Fuel Wheels, KSource and DECKED
- Customer Service: MaxTrac, Aries, Zone Off Road Products, Covercraft and Curt
- Data Geek: Curt, Westin, Aries, Magnaflow and Dee Zee
- Vendor of the Year: Husky Liners, SCC Northwest Mfg, Westin, Covercraft and Meyer
Finalists will be narrowed down to a single winner in each category by November 1. The full list of finalists per category can be found on the 2016 Vendor awards page.
 The Bestop Project Pink campaign offers Jeep owners a chance to win one of two OEM-quality customized breast cancer embroidered tops. |
Bestop, American Cancer Society Team Up to Launch Project Pink
Bestop has teamed up with the American Cancer Society to launch Bestop Project Pink—an epic campaign to help save lives from breast cancer. The Bestop Project Pink sweepstakes is set to launch in early November. All money raised will be donated to the American Cancer Society in support of breast cancer awareness and research. In addition, Bestop will match all donations up to $10,000. The Bestop Project Pink campaign offers Jeep owners a chance to win one of two OEM-quality customized breast cancer embroidered tops, which include the Trektop NX for any Jeep Wrangler JK four-door, while the Trektop Pro fits any Jeep Wrangler JK two-door. In addition, the Trektop Pro will be showcased on a special Bestop Project Pink Jeep project vehicle featuring a one-of-a-kind wrap with lighting from Bestop sister company Baja Designs. Bestop's Project Pink Jeep will be displayed in the Bestop booth #30017 at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 1–4 as well as other automotive events, local trail runs and a special road trip yet to be announced. To buy raffle tickets, visit www.BestopProjectPink.com November 1, 2016–July 28, 2017. Raffle tickets are $3 each. Winners will be notified in early August 2017 and shared via social media.
Cargo-Ease Hires Ryan Colvin as Customer Support and Client Sales Assistant
Cargo-Ease has announced the hiring of Ryan Colvin as customer support and client sales assistant. With more than 12 years of experience in sales and management, Colvin will be a key part of the ongoing growth and success of Cargo-Ease.
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