Pictured here is the 2011–2012 SEMA Board of Directors. For more information, refer to the article in the December issue of SEMA News.

As a member of the Association, we need your recommendation of industry leaders to serve on the SEMA Board of Directors. Our industry has many individuals who would be an asset to the SEMA Board, but oftentimes those individuals aren’t immediately apparent to the committee that is responsible for selecting the final candidates.

Please take a moment to tell us about whom you would recommend as a potential nominee for a Board member position.

It would also be most helpful if you would include information to help the Nominating Committee know more about the qualifications of the nominees, such as background, experience and achievements from a leadership standpoint.

 Nominations for the 2012 SEMA Board of Directors are due Thursday, January 4, 2012.

Please complete and submit the nomination form, and be sure to include the qualification information noted above.

Your Association is vitally important to the industry and your company. Your participation in helping to ensure strong leadership for the SEMA Board of Directors is essential.



Thank you for your attention to this important request.

Chris Kersting, CAE


SEMA President and CEO

Jeep Wrangler Diesel

Toyota Hilux

Ford Ranger Double Cab

SEMA, in partnership with the U.S. Commerce Department, will provide vehicles for measuring opportunities that are popular in key international markets but not available in the United States. You can help select them. Among the contenders:

• Jeep Wrangler Diesel. Among other regions, the Wrangler Diesel is available in Europe (where more than 80% of Jeeps purchased are diesel-powered) and Australia. While Chrysler recently announced that it will sell a diesel Cherokee in the United States by 2013, there are no plans to bring a diesel-powered Wrangler to North America.
• Toyota Hilux. This vehicle is sold in nearly every market except for North America. It is a best seller in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, throughout Europe, South Africa, southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. 
• Ford Ranger. The new Ranger, which was engineered primarily in Australia, will go into production shortly at the Ford plant in Rayong, Thailand. It will eventually be assembled in Argentina and South Africa and, after the complete rollout, available in more than 180 countries on five continents. The United States is not one of them.

View the full list of vehicles under consideration and register your vote.

Buyers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have identified a growing list of products they are seeking. Middle East buyers have expressed an interest in suspension kits, tonneau covers, superchargers, turbochargers, exhausts, air intakes, wheels, tires, fender flares and lights.

 It's not too late to participate in the inaugural Middle East matchmaking event, being held in the UAE April 17–20, 2012.

Better yet, qualified U.S. companies can be immediately approved for a $1,000 grant to help defray the costs.

 This is a very limited opportunity for only a few more U.S. SEMA-member manufacturers to meet with interested Middle East buyers.

For more information or to register, visit SEMA.org/MiddleEast.

Questions? Contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

Buyers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have identified a growing list of products they are seeking. Middle East buyers have expressed an interest in suspension kits, tonneau covers, superchargers, turbochargers, exhausts, air intakes, wheels, tires, fender flares and lights.

 It's not too late to participate in the inaugural Middle East matchmaking event, being held in the UAE April 17–20, 2012.

Better yet, qualified U.S. companies can be immediately approved for a $1,000 grant to help defray the costs.

 This is a very limited opportunity for only a few more U.S. SEMA-member manufacturers to meet with interested Middle East buyers.

For more information or to register, visit SEMA.org/MiddleEast.

Questions? Contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Co. recently supplied these photos of what he referred to as the first evidence of a face-lifted and freshened Ford Raptor.

While the details are scarce and the changes well-hidden under the mesh fabric, Priddy and the team expect minor revisions to the grille and the headlamps for the ’13 model year. They also are anticipating some light updates to the Raptor's interior.

Priddy and her team will keep us posted as more details are made available.

Photo Credit: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Co.

Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Co. recently supplied these photos of what he referred to as the first evidence of a face-lifted and freshened Ford Raptor.

While the details are scarce and the changes well-hidden under the mesh fabric, Priddy and the team expect minor revisions to the grille and the headlamps for the ’13 model year. They also are anticipating some light updates to the Raptor's interior.

Priddy and her team will keep us posted as more details are made available.

Photo Credit: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Co.

The second annual SEMA Award was presented to the Jeep Wrangler for the Hottest 4x4-SUV, Chevrolet Camaro for Hottest Car, Ford F-Series for the Hottest Truck and Fiat 500 for the Hottest Sport Compact Car. The winners were announced on the opening day of the 2011 SEMA Show. View the the Jeep Wranglers on display at the 2011 SEMA Show.

The SEMA Award winners represent the models that industry experts—the SEMA Show exhibitors—most often feature in their booths as the hottest rides for the enthusiast market.

The SEMA Award honors those vehicles that specialty-equipment manufacturers believe are the best platforms for accessorization and that showcase this year’s coolest products. The award recognizes four outstanding vehicle models in four categories—“Hottest 4x4-SUV,” “Hottest Car,” “Hottest Truck” and “Hottest Sport Compact Car.” It also underscores the cooperative relationship between the automakers and SEMA-member companies.

Are you hunting for a new job? The “Positions Available” section in the SEMA Member Classifieds lists more than 50 job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest classifieds posted to the website.

• Transamerican Auto Parts, located in Los Angeles, is hiring an e-mail marketing specialist to manage e-mail marketing campaigns for TAP e-commerce properties. This position will be responsible for implementing and optimizing multiple weekly e-mail campaigns. The successful candidate must be proficient in Google Analytics. A bachelor's degree in marketing, mathematics, computer science or a similar field is preferred.
• Dealer Services International, located in Houston, is hiring an account executive/online salesperson with a minimum of two years' experience in automotive aftermarket sales and five years in an outside sales capacity with a significant track record of obtaining and/or exceeding goals. Experience selling to new-vehicle dealerships is preferred and knowledge of off-road parts and accessories is a plus.
• Custom Performance Engineering Inc., located in Baltimore, is hiring an organized packing and distribution manager to work as a key player within the organization.
• ProMedia LLC, located in Santa Ana, California, is hiring a sales rep. Experience is not required; however, an outgoing get-it-done personality is a must. College experience is a plus. The applicant must be a performance automotive enthusiast to be considered.

For more job listings, click here. 

 

	Courtney Force. Photo: Ford Driving Skills for Life

Courtney Force Recognized by ESPN The Magazine "NEXT" Athlete
Every year since 1998, ESPN The Magazine has recognized an elite group of emerging athletes to watch in the year ahead—athletes they call "NEXT." They are competitors not only on the cusp of stardom, but also on the verge of transcending their sports. NEXT is what happens when the hype is real. This year, John Force Racing driver Courtney Force is in the motorsports group going head to head with Darrell Wallace Jr. (NASCAR), Chase Elliot (NASCAR), Ryan Truex (NASCAR) and Josef Newgarden (Indy Car) as the NEXT big driver in motorsports.

Force has spent the 2011 season testing her BrandSource Ford Mustang Funny Car with plans to race full-time on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2012. An official announcement about Force’s future has not been made by John Force Racing. She began her racing career in the Super Comp ranks in 2006 and has steadily moved up through the ranks following a similar career path as her older sister Ashley Force Hood, who is a four-time Funny Car national event winner, including back-to-back Mac Tools U.S. Nationals titles in 2009 and 2010.

Voting for the NEXT athlete competition ends December 18, 2011.

Flowmaster to Sponsor All-New NMCA WEST Street Car Series Through 2013
Flowmaster Inc. and ProMedia Events have announced that Flowmaster will be the series sponsor of the all-new NMCA WEST Street Car Series through the 2013 season. NMCA West will debut in 2012 as a four-event championship series catering to the growing West Coast drag-racing scene.

• Auto Club Dragway – Fontana, California – April 20–22
• 2012 Famoso Dragway – Bakersfield, California – June 22–24
• 2012 Speed World Dragway – Phoenix – September 28–30
• 2012 Auto Club Dragway – Fontana, California – October 19–21, 2012

Stay tuned for a complete list of NMCA WEST race classes, rules and special announcements.

	The 2.0L Acura RSX is eligible for National competition in STL for 2012. Photo: Mark Weber/SCCA

SCCA Includes Super Touring Lite in National Club Racing Program
Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) Board of Directors approved the addition of the previously regional-only Super Touring Lite (STL) class to National competition in 2012. STL will be included as a separate class for events during the season and then participate within the Super Touring Under (STU) class at the National Championship Runoffs.

Super Touring Lite represents a significant group of cars not currently able to compete in the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series. The class features cars less than two liters in displacement with permitted engine swaps; aerodynamic components such as wings and splitters; brake upgrades; and aftermarket suspension components riding on DOT-approved tires.

For 2012, STL will run in each National race, grouped with STU but counted separately as any other national-level class. Drivers qualifying for the National Championship Runoffs in STL will be invited to compete in STU with their STL cars. The intention is for STL to have its own National Championship race in 2013, in conjunction with planned class realignment in the Super Touring, Touring and Showroom Stock categories.

The SafeRacer National Racing Series, as well as the BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour, begins January 6–8 at Sebring International Raceway.

	Michael Meeks won in the LSX Drag Radial class by a slim five-point margin over runner-up Mark Carlyle.

LSX Challenge Series Heats the Tires for 2012
The Chevrolet Performance LSX Challenge Series is back for 2012. Chevrolet Performance enables racers to compete and win with a growing range of LSX maximum-performance crate engines and engine parts, including the LSX454R racing engine. Chevrolet Performance also offers LSX Bowtie blocks—with the tall-deck version for building large-displacement engines of up to 500 ci—as well new drag-race six-bolt cylinder heads, intake manifolds and forged rotating components.

Chevrolet Performance will award the fastest LS-powered racers at the LSX Shootout event and pay a $250 bonus to any racer who wins his or her category using an LSX Bowtie engine block. Chevrolet Performance will also supply awards to all racing class and show class winners.

The champions of the landmark 2011 season—the first to feature the four-race format—include:

• Michael Meeks in the LSX Drag Radial class, who won by a slim five-point margin over runner-up Mark Carlyle.
• Jud Massingill in the LSX All Motor class. His Camaro runs in the low-eight-second range without a power adder.
• Adam Preston in the Real Street class. His Camaro is a mid-eight-second performer.
• Rob Farley in the LSX Rumble class, who topped more than 80 racers who accumulated points in the competitive class throughout the season.
• Shawn Calabrese in the 5th-Gen Camaro Challenge class. His tuned Camaro SS ran low 12s at the start of the season and kept going quicker.

The four-race LSX Challenge Series for the 2012 season includes:

• March 15–18 (NMCA season opener) at Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, Florida
• June 1–3 (Chevy High Performance Nationals) at Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia
• October 11–14 (NMCA World Finals/LSX Shootout), at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis

The fourth event will be the LS Fest, September 7–9, 2012, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at Beech Bend Raceway. As in the past, LS Fest organizers will allow racers to follow the rules and classes of the LSX Challenge Series, with points awarded during competition applying to the championship.

Racers competing for the championship must participate in three of the four races, including the LSX Shootout. The results of each race will be tracked throughout the season in NMCA’s Fastest Street Car.

The LSX Challenge Series features five racing classes:

• LSX Drag Radial
• LSX All Motor
• LSX Real Street
• LSX Rumble (index)
• 5th-Gen Camaro Challenge

 

	Courtney Force. Photo: Ford Driving Skills for Life

Courtney Force Recognized by ESPN The Magazine "NEXT" Athlete
Every year since 1998, ESPN The Magazine has recognized an elite group of emerging athletes to watch in the year ahead—athletes they call "NEXT." They are competitors not only on the cusp of stardom, but also on the verge of transcending their sports. NEXT is what happens when the hype is real. This year, John Force Racing driver Courtney Force is in the motorsports group going head to head with Darrell Wallace Jr. (NASCAR), Chase Elliot (NASCAR), Ryan Truex (NASCAR) and Josef Newgarden (Indy Car) as the NEXT big driver in motorsports.

Force has spent the 2011 season testing her BrandSource Ford Mustang Funny Car with plans to race full-time on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series in 2012. An official announcement about Force’s future has not been made by John Force Racing. She began her racing career in the Super Comp ranks in 2006 and has steadily moved up through the ranks following a similar career path as her older sister Ashley Force Hood, who is a four-time Funny Car national event winner, including back-to-back Mac Tools U.S. Nationals titles in 2009 and 2010.

Voting for the NEXT athlete competition ends December 18, 2011.

Flowmaster to Sponsor All-New NMCA WEST Street Car Series Through 2013
Flowmaster Inc. and ProMedia Events have announced that Flowmaster will be the series sponsor of the all-new NMCA WEST Street Car Series through the 2013 season. NMCA West will debut in 2012 as a four-event championship series catering to the growing West Coast drag-racing scene.

• Auto Club Dragway – Fontana, California – April 20–22
• 2012 Famoso Dragway – Bakersfield, California – June 22–24
• 2012 Speed World Dragway – Phoenix – September 28–30
• 2012 Auto Club Dragway – Fontana, California – October 19–21, 2012

Stay tuned for a complete list of NMCA WEST race classes, rules and special announcements.

	The 2.0L Acura RSX is eligible for National competition in STL for 2012. Photo: Mark Weber/SCCA

SCCA Includes Super Touring Lite in National Club Racing Program
Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) Board of Directors approved the addition of the previously regional-only Super Touring Lite (STL) class to National competition in 2012. STL will be included as a separate class for events during the season and then participate within the Super Touring Under (STU) class at the National Championship Runoffs.

Super Touring Lite represents a significant group of cars not currently able to compete in the SafeRacer SCCA National Racing Series. The class features cars less than two liters in displacement with permitted engine swaps; aerodynamic components such as wings and splitters; brake upgrades; and aftermarket suspension components riding on DOT-approved tires.

For 2012, STL will run in each National race, grouped with STU but counted separately as any other national-level class. Drivers qualifying for the National Championship Runoffs in STL will be invited to compete in STU with their STL cars. The intention is for STL to have its own National Championship race in 2013, in conjunction with planned class realignment in the Super Touring, Touring and Showroom Stock categories.

The SafeRacer National Racing Series, as well as the BFGoodrich Tires Super Tour, begins January 6–8 at Sebring International Raceway.

	Michael Meeks won in the LSX Drag Radial class by a slim five-point margin over runner-up Mark Carlyle.

LSX Challenge Series Heats the Tires for 2012
The Chevrolet Performance LSX Challenge Series is back for 2012. Chevrolet Performance enables racers to compete and win with a growing range of LSX maximum-performance crate engines and engine parts, including the LSX454R racing engine. Chevrolet Performance also offers LSX Bowtie blocks—with the tall-deck version for building large-displacement engines of up to 500 ci—as well new drag-race six-bolt cylinder heads, intake manifolds and forged rotating components.

Chevrolet Performance will award the fastest LS-powered racers at the LSX Shootout event and pay a $250 bonus to any racer who wins his or her category using an LSX Bowtie engine block. Chevrolet Performance will also supply awards to all racing class and show class winners.

The champions of the landmark 2011 season—the first to feature the four-race format—include:

• Michael Meeks in the LSX Drag Radial class, who won by a slim five-point margin over runner-up Mark Carlyle.
• Jud Massingill in the LSX All Motor class. His Camaro runs in the low-eight-second range without a power adder.
• Adam Preston in the Real Street class. His Camaro is a mid-eight-second performer.
• Rob Farley in the LSX Rumble class, who topped more than 80 racers who accumulated points in the competitive class throughout the season.
• Shawn Calabrese in the 5th-Gen Camaro Challenge class. His tuned Camaro SS ran low 12s at the start of the season and kept going quicker.

The four-race LSX Challenge Series for the 2012 season includes:

• March 15–18 (NMCA season opener) at Bradenton Motorsports Park, Bradenton, Florida
• June 1–3 (Chevy High Performance Nationals) at Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Georgia
• October 11–14 (NMCA World Finals/LSX Shootout), at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis

The fourth event will be the LS Fest, September 7–9, 2012, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at Beech Bend Raceway. As in the past, LS Fest organizers will allow racers to follow the rules and classes of the LSX Challenge Series, with points awarded during competition applying to the championship.

Racers competing for the championship must participate in three of the four races, including the LSX Shootout. The results of each race will be tracked throughout the season in NMCA’s Fastest Street Car.

The LSX Challenge Series features five racing classes:

• LSX Drag Radial
• LSX All Motor
• LSX Real Street
• LSX Rumble (index)
• 5th-Gen Camaro Challenge