By SEMA News Editors
For more than a decade, the SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers has given the specialty-equipment industry's most talented builders a worldwide platform to showcase their work at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The 2026 competition crowned Eddie Pettus and his '70 Chevrolet Chevelle as the overall winner.
This year's competition also marked a new chapter with the introduction of a dedicated custom motorcycle competition, in which Steven Iacona became the first-ever winner of the Bike Builder Shootout with a custom Harley-Davidson Knucklehead.
Pettus Takes Overall 2026 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Title
Prior to announcing the overall 2026 SEMA Battle of the Builders presented by Mothers High Performance Care Care winner, SEMA Live host AJ Janic made her perspective known about the competitiveness of this year's event.
"Honestly, and I say this every year, the competition gets bigger, more competitive. You cannot leave any stone unturned. Most builders know a lot of work is under the car, not on top of it. So it could be down to the tiniest of detail that determines how the builders vote for each other and who wins and who doesn't," Janic said.
SEMA Vice President of Marketing RJ de Vera and Jim Holloway of Mothers also joked that "everyone who entered was their favorite" builder before announcing Pettus, who advanced through the Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck category, had secured the overall competition win with his '70 Chevrolet Chevelle.
Pettus faced three other category champions in the final round: Buddy Hale and his '55 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia in the Sport Compact/Import Performance category, Mark Giambalvo and his '74 Chevrolet K10 in the Off-Road category and Jesse Rieger and his '69 Ford Mustang in the Young Guns category.
The five-year build by Pettus represents more than 15,000 man-hours of work, combining extensive fabrication and custom design with a 1,300hp twin-turbo LS3 engine. This year was Pettus' first overall win in Battle of the Builders; as a longtime Battle of the Builders competitor, he's had three class wins (Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck, Off-Road and Sport Compact/Import Performance) and has been in the Top 40 nine times in the past.
When asked by SEMA Live host how this year's competition was for him, Pettus shared, "This [year's competition] was way tougher. And the ones that scare me are the young guns. Like what I was doing when I was that age, it's just nothing near this."
Pettus was also quick to give his gratitude to his team at Eddie's Rod and Custom in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"I'm going to make sure all the guys at the shop know how grateful I am for them. I know that my name's on this, but it's really not just me. It's my customers, my employees, my team. That's really who does this," Pettus said.
Inaugural Bike Builder Shootout Crowns First Champion at 2026 SEMA Show
The 2026 SEMA Show also marked the debut of the Battle of the Builders Bike Builder Shootout, creating a dedicated competition for motorcycle builders to showcase their craftsmanship and creativity.
"I am so happy SEMA welcomed motorcycles. I look forward to more motorsports and action sports here at SEMA," said Holloway of Mothers, who also shared his excitement about the new powersports section in the West Hall introduced at the 2026 SEMA Show.
"It's been a great year. These are the guys that put all the hard work in, not just in their builds, but also in judging the other builds," said de Vera of SEMA. "Of course, we are really excited for the first time to have the Bike Builder Shootout. It's a new segment of the industry that we're really leaning into, and hopefully a lot of you got to learn more about motorcycles and two wheels."
Iacona of Iacona Custom Cycles in Brooklyn, New York, earned the inaugural championship with a custom Harley-Davidson Knucklehead. Robert Zeolla took second place with an Indian In-Line 4, while James Crosby finished third with a Harley-Davidson Pan Head.
"It's amazing. I've never been to the SEMA Show before, but it's always been something I've wanted to experience," said Iacona. "To be next to these great builders on stage, it's just incredible. It's a great thing for the motorcycle industry, and it's great to bring new life into the industry."
The new competition expands the Battle of the Builders platform to recognize the talent and innovation within motorcycle customization. Entries were evaluated by motorcycle industry experts Zach Ness of Arlen Ness Motorcycles, Jeff Holt of V-Twin Visionary and Pat Patterson of Led Sled Customs, with judging based on craftsmanship, design innovation and overall execution.
"I began with a '45 Knucklehead engine that we had, and I just needed to find the right customer that would let me do what I wanted with it," said Iacona. "I built a bike similar to what I had heard the stock Knucklehead was and just enhanced it. I didn't want to disrespect the Knucklehead, and this is what I came up with. The customer is going to ride it and enjoy it, and that's all that matters."
Relive the 2026 Battle of the Builders
From Pettus' overall-winning Chevelle to Iacona's inaugural motorcycle championship, the 2026 Battle of the Builders highlighted the builders and businesses pushing the boundaries of vehicle design, fabrication and customization.
Watch the SEMA Live coverage below for the winner announcements, behind-the-scenes moments and reactions:
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Begins at 00:13:15: Battle of the Builders Kickoff
Begins at 06:42:00: Top 10 Finalists: Young Guns, Hot Rod, Off-Road, and Compact and Top 3 Finalists: Bike Builder Shootout
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Begins at 00:04:57: Competition check-in and Young Guns interview
Begins at 6:39:20: Top 12 Overall Finalists
Thursday, November 5, 2026
Begins at 06:45:30: Category Winners and Bike Builder Shootout Winner
Friday, November 6, 2026
Begins at 03:11:00: Overall Winner Crowned
The 2026 SEMA Show may be over, but the connections, ideas and industry momentum continue. The aftermarket will reunite in Las Vegas for the 60th SEMA Show, November 2–5, 2027. Companies interested in exhibiting can learn more at semashow.com/reserve-booth-2027 and through the 2027 Official Exhibitor Services Portal. For additional Show information, visit semashow.com.
