Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Peter Coleman |
Coleman Joins VP Racing Fuels as Business Development Consultant in Europe
VP Racing Fuels Inc. has announced that Peter Coleman of Birmingham, United Kingdom, has been named business development consultant for Europe. Coleman has extensive sales and marketing experience with the international brands STP and Armor All, and most recently as brand manager for Bridgestone.
“Horsepower Wars” 2018 Season and HorsepowerWars.com Launched
Power Automedia’s competition-based automotive show, “Horsepower Wars,” in partnership with Royal Purple, has debuted, along with the launch of its video platform HorsepowerWars.com. The “Horsepower Wars” production team has released a sizzle reel, overviewing the first season’s episodes.
- Pony Wars: Camaro vs. Mustang – A ’17 Ford Mustang GT and a ’17 Chevrolet Camaro SS go head-to-head on a dyno, road course and dragstrip, first with $5,000 to spend on bolt-ons, then with superchargers and all the teams can get their hands on for $15,000.
- $10K Drag Shootout – Teams are given $10,000 to buy, build and race a drag car in just 10 days with a plethora of surprises and challenges along the way. The score is settled at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, in September.
- Coyote vs. LS Shootout 2: Boost – “Horsepower Wars” revisits the simple, yet controversial, debut into the series, but this time with two boosted versions of each engine, $15,000 each and as much horsepower as possible.
- True Street Chassis Dyno Showdown – The rules are simple: 100-mile drive, license, registration, insurance and 100% pump gas in the tank. Three back-to-back runs with the highest average power wins.
 Tom Corton |
Restyling Industry Veteran Tom Corton Announces Retirement
Restyling industry veteran Tom Corton, whose automotive career spanned more than three decades, has retired from his position as sales manager for Roadwire Leather and Signature Automotive Products to pursue an active retirement, according to a recent company announcement. Corton launched his automotive career in 1984 with American Honda. He subsequently moved into the aftermarket arena, assuming the position of national sales manager for American Sunroof Corporation (ASC). Following his stint at ASC, in 2004, Corton joined the sales team at Inalfa Sunroofs, which later changed its name to Signature Automotive Products. For the past 14 years, he served as a sales manager for Signature and Roadwire Leather, both of which are Roadwire Inc. subsidiaries.
Truck Hero Inc. Announces Further Business Expansion in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Truck Hero Inc. has announced the purchase of an additional office at 4670 Runway Blvd. in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The new location totals 60,000 sq. ft., and is located near the company’s existing facilities at 5400 Data Ct. and 5400 S. State Rd. This office will house Truck Hero’s Center of Excellence for Research, Development and Testing to support the company’s pipeline of aftermarket truck and Jeep accessories. Signature Associates was the exclusive broker for this purchase.
In-N-Out Burger and HOT ROD Celebrate 70 Years With Joint Anniversary Party
HOT ROD and In-N-Out Burger have announced a joint 70th anniversary party at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, Saturday, November 17, 2018, to celebrate 70 years since both Southern California businesses opened within 25 miles of each other. The 70th anniversary party will include an opportunity for historic vehicles to drag race, on-site In-N-Out cookout trucks, an outdoor car show featuring historic race cars, special historical exhibits and the chance to view the history of HOT ROD and meet the HOT ROD staff. Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. Spectator tickets are on sale now. Advance tickets are $15, on-site tickets are $20. Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult. Show participant pre-registration is $40, $50 on-site. Show participant plus racer is $65 for pre-registration, $75 on-site. Register now as a participant or purchase spectator tickets. For more information, visit HOT ROD’s website.
CURT Group Announces Launch of New Websites
CURT Group has launched all-new websites for three of its brands. Curtmfg.com, Ariesautomotive.com and Luvernetruck.com have been reinvented with a new mobile-responsive platform, simplified navigation and enhanced vehicle lookup. These three websites went live April 3, each one featuring improved functionality and simplified taxonomy for a more user-friendly experience. A key area of focus was CURT’s vehicle lookup tool, which features more comprehensive ACES/PIES data, making it easier for visitors to look up their vehicle by year, make and model and quickly find the parts that fit their vehicle.
Nexen Tire USA Launches All-New Education Portal
Nexen Tire USA has launched its all-new education portal, designed to elevate customer service, marketing efforts and ultimately sales. As part of Nexen’s online redesign, tire professionals will be able to read the latest Nexen brand, motorsports and overall tire industry news; complete tire training modules to improve their customer service and marketing capabilities; earn points toward purchases on the Nexen Tire Store; and access Nexen-branded gear and quarterly giveaways.
Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.