Compiled by SEMA Editors

VP Racing Fuels Inc. has announced the grand opening of its first location in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

VP Racing Fuels Opens First Branded Station in Baja, Mexico

VP Racing Fuels Inc. has announced the grand opening of its first location in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. VP President and CEO Alan Cerwick’s plan for bringing the VP brand to the street through the rapid expansion of branded locations is ahead of schedule and with many other locations planned for the near future.

Luis Larralde

Maxxsonics Appoints Sales Director for Latin America

Maxxsonics brands, Hifonics, MB Quart, Crunch and Autotek are growing across business units and in global markets. In order to strengthen the company’s market share in Latin America, Alden Stiefel, CEO of Maxxsonics USA, has appointed a new director to drive the market development. Luis M. Larralde has been named as Latin America sales director, effective immediately. In his new role, Larralde brings two decades of experience in consumer electronics, where he headed the International sales efforts.

AMSOIL Partners With Team O’Neil Rally School

AMSOIL INC. has partnered with Team O’Neil Rally School as the school’s official lubricant partner. The partnership complements the official oil status for the American Rally Association and New England Forest Rally, July 19–20. For more than 20 years, Team O’Neil Rally School, located in Dalton, New Hampshire, has offered a variety of driving courses, including rally driving; winter-safe driving; drift driving; and off-road and security courses for individuals, private companies and government agencies. Courses offer educational and recreational experiences appropriate for all abilities, which takes a toll on the school’s fleet of rally vehicles. The Team O’Neil Rally School facility sits on 585 acres with more than six miles of stage-rally roads, and miles of OHRV and four-wheel-drive trails. Students include automotive enthusiasts and racers, members of every branch of the military and celebrities. As Official Oil, AMSOIL will provide synthetic lubricants for Team O’Neil Rally School’s fleet of rally vehicles and support vehicles.

Oracle Lighting’s staff at its Metairie, Louisiana, headquarters.

Oracle Lighting Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Oracle Lighting has announced it is celebrating its 20th anniversary as a market leader in creating lighting products and LED solutions for the automotive/12-volt, powersports, motorcycle and marine markets. Oracle Lighting has received accolades from numerous organizations for its business practices, including being listed on the Inc. 500 list of the Fastest Growing Businesses in the USA for the past eight years consecutively, winning the 2012 Bronze Stevie Award for Consumer Products Company of the Year, and most recently being named the Small Business Administration's Exporter of the Year and a Small Business Champion by the U.S. Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Oracle has also won numerous local awards.

The team at Rossi Machinery Services (L–R): Mike Rossi, founder; Christine Baker Rossi, majority owner/president; and Trent Hitchcock, sales and service manager.

Takumi USA Names Rossi Machinery Services Distributor Exclusive for North Central and Northeast Ohio

Takumi USA has named Rossi Machinery Services of Ashland, Ohio, as its exclusive full-service distributor for North Central Ohio and Northeast Ohio, effective immediately. Mike Rossi, founder of Rossi Machinery Services, established the company in 1986 as a part-time service venture to provide machine maintenance and repair. New customers included TLT Babcock, JM Smuckers and Eaton Corp., along with a variety of regional manufacturing companies. As the company’s reputation for high-quality service and support became well known, Rossi was able to take the company full time in 1995 with the hope of becoming a “one-stop shop” for new and old machine tools. Rossi Machinery Services will offer sales, service, parts, training and applications support for Takumi USA customers in North Central and Northeast Ohio.

Advanced Tire & Auto Center Changes Name to Reflect Growing Focus on Safety-Enhancing Driving Technologies

Advanced Tire & Auto Center has changed its name to Advanced ADAS Calibration Centers (AACC) in a move that reflects its growing focus on the next-generation technologies known as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Demand continues to grow for the specialized ADAS training, expertise and diagnostic technology that has become the dominant focus of the Keyport, New Jersey, business over the past five years. AACC opened its second location in Old Bridge, New Jersey, to exclusively serve its insurance industry and body shop clients precisely because of this growing demand for ADAS services. As part of the name change, Advanced ADAS Calibration Centers launched a new website at www.advancedadas.com.

Mark Donnelly

Mark Donnelly Joins COMP Performance Group

Mark Donnelly has been named the new West Coast territory manager for the COMP Performance Group and will be based in Seattle. He has worked in all aspects of the automotive aftermarket for 23 years, including shop work as a teenager, warehouse picker/packer, WD sales, retail, repair/service and manufacturer sales. With extensive knowledge in fuel injection and drivetrain/powertrain upgrades, Donnelly’s most recent position was with Vision X Global Lighting Systems.

Kathi Cover Joins Directed as General Counsel

Directed, a provider of remote start and security, connected car and ignition interlock devices, has announced that Kathi Cover has joined the company as general counsel. She will join the executive team and report to Bob Struble, Directed CEO. Prior to joining Directed, Cover worked for 11 years as vice president, intellectual property and assistant general counsel at iBiquity Digital Corp. There, she was instrumental in building the HD Radio intellectual property portfolio and contributing to the successful licensing and litigation strategy of the business. She also worked for more than a decade at Sidley Austin LLP, focusing primarily on patent infringement litigation and appellate work.

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.

The annual SEMA Installation & Gala serves as the event where we thank our association’s outgoing board members and welcome those who have been newly elected. It’s also the place where we celebrate our newest SEMA Hall of Fame inductees. It’s a networking event like no other—where guests have the opportunity to connect with our industry’s leaders and legends. Join us for a very special evening of celebration.

The annual SEMA Installation & Gala serves as the event where we thank our association’s outgoing board members and welcome those who have been newly elected. It’s also the place where we celebrate our newest SEMA Hall of Fame inductees. It’s a networking event like no other—where guests have the opportunity to connect with our industry’s leaders and legends. Join us for a very special evening of celebration.

Here’s a first look at the ’20 Nissan Titan PRO-4X testing in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Nissan will give the Titan fullsize pickup a modest facelift for 2020, three years after the half-ton models were introduced and four years after the slightly larger XD models went on sale. The PRO-4X model is expected to continue as the more off-road-oriented model to rival vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado Z71. Changes on the outside, however, will be limited to a revised grille, lights and tailgate design.

More significant changes will be found inside, where the old Nissan infotainment system finally gives way to what looks to be a large infotainment system, possibly as large as 10 in. Modern connectivity features are also expected as the company upgrades its infotainment systems across its lineup, but the Titan’s looks to be the largest system offered on a North American Nissan model yet. Other interior changes concern revised switches and materials that look to be more upscale than what’s currently on the Titan, even if they aren’t as radically styled as those found on rivals, such as the RAM 1500.

It’s unclear if these changes will extend to the Titan XD, or what powertrain changes are in store for 2020. Rumors surround a V6 finally being added to the half-ton model and the XD diesel being dropped for the ’20 or ’21 MY. Details have not been revealed for the V6 engine, though it could be a 3.8L DOHC 24v V6 that is expected to find a home in the next Frontier as the uplevel engine.

Expect an official debut later this year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Here’s a first look at the ’20 Nissan Titan PRO-4X testing in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Nissan will give the Titan fullsize pickup a modest facelift for 2020, three years after the half-ton models were introduced and four years after the slightly larger XD models went on sale. The PRO-4X model is expected to continue as the more off-road-oriented model to rival vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado Z71. Changes on the outside, however, will be limited to a revised grille, lights and tailgate design.

More significant changes will be found inside, where the old Nissan infotainment system finally gives way to what looks to be a large infotainment system, possibly as large as 10 in. Modern connectivity features are also expected as the company upgrades its infotainment systems across its lineup, but the Titan’s looks to be the largest system offered on a North American Nissan model yet. Other interior changes concern revised switches and materials that look to be more upscale than what’s currently on the Titan, even if they aren’t as radically styled as those found on rivals, such as the RAM 1500.

It’s unclear if these changes will extend to the Titan XD, or what powertrain changes are in store for 2020. Rumors surround a V6 finally being added to the half-ton model and the XD diesel being dropped for the ’20 or ’21 MY. Details have not been revealed for the V6 engine, though it could be a 3.8L DOHC 24v V6 that is expected to find a home in the next Frontier as the uplevel engine.

Expect an official debut later this year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Here’s a first look at the ’20 Nissan Titan PRO-4X testing in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Nissan will give the Titan fullsize pickup a modest facelift for 2020, three years after the half-ton models were introduced and four years after the slightly larger XD models went on sale. The PRO-4X model is expected to continue as the more off-road-oriented model to rival vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado Z71. Changes on the outside, however, will be limited to a revised grille, lights and tailgate design.

More significant changes will be found inside, where the old Nissan infotainment system finally gives way to what looks to be a large infotainment system, possibly as large as 10 in. Modern connectivity features are also expected as the company upgrades its infotainment systems across its lineup, but the Titan’s looks to be the largest system offered on a North American Nissan model yet. Other interior changes concern revised switches and materials that look to be more upscale than what’s currently on the Titan, even if they aren’t as radically styled as those found on rivals, such as the RAM 1500.

It’s unclear if these changes will extend to the Titan XD, or what powertrain changes are in store for 2020. Rumors surround a V6 finally being added to the half-ton model and the XD diesel being dropped for the ’20 or ’21 MY. Details have not been revealed for the V6 engine, though it could be a 3.8L DOHC 24v V6 that is expected to find a home in the next Frontier as the uplevel engine.

Expect an official debut later this year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Here’s a first look at the ’20 Nissan Titan PRO-4X testing in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Nissan will give the Titan fullsize pickup a modest facelift for 2020, three years after the half-ton models were introduced and four years after the slightly larger XD models went on sale. The PRO-4X model is expected to continue as the more off-road-oriented model to rival vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado Z71. Changes on the outside, however, will be limited to a revised grille, lights and tailgate design.

More significant changes will be found inside, where the old Nissan infotainment system finally gives way to what looks to be a large infotainment system, possibly as large as 10 in. Modern connectivity features are also expected as the company upgrades its infotainment systems across its lineup, but the Titan’s looks to be the largest system offered on a North American Nissan model yet. Other interior changes concern revised switches and materials that look to be more upscale than what’s currently on the Titan, even if they aren’t as radically styled as those found on rivals, such as the RAM 1500.

It’s unclear if these changes will extend to the Titan XD, or what powertrain changes are in store for 2020. Rumors surround a V6 finally being added to the half-ton model and the XD diesel being dropped for the ’20 or ’21 MY. Details have not been revealed for the V6 engine, though it could be a 3.8L DOHC 24v V6 that is expected to find a home in the next Frontier as the uplevel engine.

Expect an official debut later this year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Here’s a first look at the ’20 Nissan Titan PRO-4X testing in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Nissan will give the Titan fullsize pickup a modest facelift for 2020, three years after the half-ton models were introduced and four years after the slightly larger XD models went on sale. The PRO-4X model is expected to continue as the more off-road-oriented model to rival vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado Z71. Changes on the outside, however, will be limited to a revised grille, lights and tailgate design.

More significant changes will be found inside, where the old Nissan infotainment system finally gives way to what looks to be a large infotainment system, possibly as large as 10 in. Modern connectivity features are also expected as the company upgrades its infotainment systems across its lineup, but the Titan’s looks to be the largest system offered on a North American Nissan model yet. Other interior changes concern revised switches and materials that look to be more upscale than what’s currently on the Titan, even if they aren’t as radically styled as those found on rivals, such as the RAM 1500.

It’s unclear if these changes will extend to the Titan XD, or what powertrain changes are in store for 2020. Rumors surround a V6 finally being added to the half-ton model and the XD diesel being dropped for the ’20 or ’21 MY. Details have not been revealed for the V6 engine, though it could be a 3.8L DOHC 24v V6 that is expected to find a home in the next Frontier as the uplevel engine.

Expect an official debut later this year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Here’s a first look at the ’20 Nissan Titan PRO-4X testing in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Nissan will give the Titan fullsize pickup a modest facelift for 2020, three years after the half-ton models were introduced and four years after the slightly larger XD models went on sale. The PRO-4X model is expected to continue as the more off-road-oriented model to rival vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado Z71. Changes on the outside, however, will be limited to a revised grille, lights and tailgate design.

More significant changes will be found inside, where the old Nissan infotainment system finally gives way to what looks to be a large infotainment system, possibly as large as 10 in. Modern connectivity features are also expected as the company upgrades its infotainment systems across its lineup, but the Titan’s looks to be the largest system offered on a North American Nissan model yet. Other interior changes concern revised switches and materials that look to be more upscale than what’s currently on the Titan, even if they aren’t as radically styled as those found on rivals, such as the RAM 1500.

It’s unclear if these changes will extend to the Titan XD, or what powertrain changes are in store for 2020. Rumors surround a V6 finally being added to the half-ton model and the XD diesel being dropped for the ’20 or ’21 MY. Details have not been revealed for the V6 engine, though it could be a 3.8L DOHC 24v V6 that is expected to find a home in the next Frontier as the uplevel engine.

Expect an official debut later this year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By Chad Simon

All five customized Jeeps will be auctioned through program partner Bring a Trailer during an event called “SEMA Week of Customs.”

Five high-school auto-shop programs across the United States participated in the SEMA High School Vehicle Build Program by customizing five ’96–’06 model-year Jeep Wrangler TJs during the spring semester.

The SEMA High School Vehicle Build Program aims to introduce high-school students to the automotive customization hobby and lifestyle through real-world, hands-on educational experiences. The vehicles were delivered to the participating schools in early February. Students have since learned about automotive customization by working with donated aftermarket products and interacting with 14 industry members who have visited the schools.

“The build helped to enforce what is already taught here—problem-solving skills and schedule management,” said Ed Stevens, automotive instructor at C.D. Hylton High School—one of the participating schools. “The students gained much insight into what it takes to do these sort of projects correctly. The build also helped to create new partnerships that will continue with us, and it also helped strengthen the ones we already had. Every year we take another step up and continue making the program and its impact on the community stronger.”

All five customized Jeeps are now complete and will be auctioned through program partner Bring a Trailer during an event called “SEMA Week of Customs.” The online auction event will launch Monday, July 15, with the release of one vehicle per day for five days. Each Jeep will be live for bidding for seven days following its launch date. Proceeds from the vehicle sales will be reinvested back into the program to fund another round of builds and the overall expansion of the program.

Each Jeep build features between 40–60 products and all of them have custom Katzkin leather interiors. The following are some of the highlights of each build and the names and locations of the participating schools:

Santa Fe ECO, Santa Fe, New Mexico ’05 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport SEMA partnered with Santa Fe ECO in 2018 to pilot the high school vehicle build program in which they built a ’15 Jeep Wrangler that was auctioned off for more than $56,000. The sale of this vehicle allowed the program to expand to five builds in 2019. The students of Santa Fe ECO turned out another awesome build—a ’05 Jeep Wrangler that uniquely features a vented hood, trail doors, a 3.5-in. suspension kit with a 5-in. stretch from Rock Krawler Suspension and has undergone a full body repaint. This Jeep will be auctioned July 15.
Comstock High School, Kalamazoo, Michigan ’04 Jeep Wrangler Sahara The Comstock High School auto-shop class in Kalamazoo Michigan, made excellent use of local resources and connections for their ’04 Jeep Wrangler build, including a program alumnus that is now a local body shop business owner. This is the program’s only hard-top Jeep that even includes a locally sourced donated roof rack from Just Jeep’N Stuff. Other unique features include LED headlights, full carpet replacement, bumpers, tire carrier and rock sliders from JcrOffroad, a 4-in. Skyjacker suspension kit and a fresh coat of paint. This Jeep will be auctioned July 16.
C.D. Hylton High School, Woodbridge, Virginia ’02 Jeep Wrangler Sport The students of C.D. Hylton performed a frame-off restoration on their ’02 Jeep Wrangler; they even painted the vehicle’s chassis. Along with the customization, the students did extensive work under the hood to ensure this Jeep runs with no issues. It has received a full body repaint, brand-new windshield from Safelite, front-door weatherstrip from Steele Rubber Products, a new hood from LQK/Keystone and a Rancho Suspension 3.5-in. short arm suspension kit. This Jeep will be auctioned July 17.
Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez, California ’97 Jeep Wrangler Sport The ’97 Jeep Wrangler from Santa Ynez sits on 37-in. Atturo Off-Road Tires with Black Rock Wheels and topped with an American flag-themed bikini top. This build is fully outfitted with Rugged Ridge products and also features a T-REX grille, Superlift Suspension 4-in. lift kit and LLumar window tint. This Jeep will be auctioned July 18.
R.L. Turner High School, Carrollton, Texas ’04 Jeep Wrangler X The ’04 Jeep Wrangler from the students of R.L. Turner caught the attention of Dennis Collins of Collins Bro’s Jeep, who visited the school and donated the build’s winch and front bumper. The build also features custom seatbelts from Seatbelt Planet, Rolling Big Power wheels and a Painless Performance trail rocker. This Jeep will be auctioned July 19.

The program notably generates support from aftermarket industry companies that sponsor the builds through product donations and scheduled visits to the schools to perform product demos or talk about the industry with the students. The 2019 program’s Jeep Wrangler TJs were sponsored by 32 companies that donated 220 products. They included:

• 4 Wheel Performance
• Advance Auto Parts
• AFE Power
• Atturo Tire
• Bloomfield Manufacturing Company (Hi-Lift)
• BOLT Lock
• Collins Bros Jeeps
• Covercraft
• Diode Dynamics
• Eastman Chemical Company (LLumar)
• Finishmaster
• Husky Liners
• JcrOffroad Inc.
• Just Jeep'N Stuff
• Katzkin Automotive Leather
• LKQ/Keystone
• Omix-ADA (Rugged Ridge)
• Painless Performance Products
• Pilot Automotive (Rolling Big Power)
• QuietRide Solutions
• Rancho Suspension & Shocks
• Rock Krawler Suspension
• Safelite
• Seatbeltplanet.com
• Skyjacker Suspensions
• Steele Rubber Products
• Superlift Suspension
• The Carlstar Group/Cragar Wheels
• T-REX Truck Products Inc.
• Truck’n America
• Twisted Automotive
• Unicorn Tire

Program partners included the following:

Auction

• Bring a Trailer

Photography

• C.D. Hylton- Chris Cervenka, Chris Cervenka Photography
• Comstock High School - Mike Basse, Beam Photography
• R.L. Turner High School - Tyler Pfaffenbach, Collins Bros Jeep and Made Brand Studio
• Santa Fe ECO – Gerry Ruelas Photography

Leather Installation

• C.D. Hylton High School - Car Spa Dealer Services
• Comstock High School - Auto Image
• R.L. Turner High School - Southside Trim
• Santa Fe ECO - Accessories Unlimited
• Santa Ynez Valley Union High School - Dealership Services Direct

Volunteers

• BJ Leanse, Go Rhino
• Carol Walsh, Southside Trim
• Chuck Morrison, Truck'n America
• Daryl Hutson, JcrOffroad
  
• Dave Ludington, Jeep’N Stuff
• Dawson Druesdow, 4 Wheel Performance
• Dennis Collins, Collins Bros Jeep
• Jose Pichardo, Eastman Chemical Company
• Kelli Mallicote, Bodyguard Bumpers
• Kevin Taddeo, Add On Auto
• Matt Moore, Retrax
• Steven Sala, Eastman Chemical Company
• Matt Reasoner, Retrax
• Rory Connell, Advanced Accessory Concepts
• Kathryn Reinhardt, Pilot Automotive
• Tory Hudson, Bob Cook Sales

In its inaugural year, the 2018 student custom Jeep build program between SEMA and the Santa Fe Early College Opportunities (ECO) Auto Shop Program in Santa Fe, New Mexico, raised $56,175 to help fund this year’s project.

Learn more about the program at www.sema.org/student-builds.