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Making sound business choices is more important than ever in a shaky economic environment. SEMA's webinar, "Taking Positive Control of Your Company: How to Save Your Business When the Economic News Is Negative," aims to show you steps to save your company. This real-time, real-life business program is designed exclusively for owner/operators, CEOs, presidents and executive-level decision-makers who must act now to save their companies.

This peer-group program will provide an opportunity to get help with the serious problems that could force you to close your company. Richard Jones will share his experience about how savvy owners and executives stay in business and avoid bankruptcy.

When: Thursday, February 26, 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m. (PST)
Presenter: Richard Jones, Chairman and CEO, Management 2000 Inc.

This is the first session of the 2009 SEMA Recession Survival Series, a set of workshops that address today’s urgent business issues facing many SEMA-member companies. The seminars—mostly 30-minute presentations followed by a Q&A period—span six weeks. Participation is free of charge to SEMA members.

The association also offers members free market reports, access to previous webinar presentations, cost-saving programs and business tools specific to the automotive specialty-equipment industry. For complete details, visit www.sema.org/survivalseries or call 909/396-0289.

SEMA's Webinar Program: The SEMA webinar program brings the world-class business seminars featured during the SEMA Show right to your desktop. Different business-building sessions are constantly added to the program, offering members the latest insight and practices from today’s leading speakers.

All SEMA webinars are conducted live and are open to all employees of SEMA-member companies free of charge. To participate, all you need is a computer with Internet access and a telephone. All previous SEMA webinars are available for download by clicking here. To view upcoming presentations that you can attend via telephone and Internet, click here.

Spotted during winter testing by Brenda Priddy's spy photographer network, the new MINI Crossman represents a new angle for the automaker. The high-riding Crossman (previously called the Colorado within BMW) will feature all-wheel-drive, making it a candidate for active individuals needing a small car that can get them to the slopes.

The Crossman also marks the first time that a MINI will be assembled outside of the United Kingdom; instead it will be built in Austria by Magna Steyr. Look for a 2010 release.

Photos copyright Brenda Priddy & Company. Reuse or reproduction without copyright holder's consent is prohibited.

Spotted during winter testing by Brenda Priddy's spy photographer network, the new MINI Crossman represents a new angle for the automaker. The high-riding Crossman (previously called the Colorado within BMW) will feature all-wheel-drive, making it a candidate for active individuals needing a small car that can get them to the slopes.

The Crossman also marks the first time that a MINI will be assembled outside of the United Kingdom; instead it will be built in Austria by Magna Steyr. Look for a 2010 release.

Photos copyright Brenda Priddy & Company. Reuse or reproduction without copyright holder's consent is prohibited.

Governor Deval Patrick “pocket vetoed” SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles after he failed to sign the bill within 10 days of receiving it. SEMA has pledged to work to resolve concerns raised by the governor and his administration so that the bill may be revived in 2009.

The Massachusetts bill defined a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. The bill allowed kit cars and replica vehicles to be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model-year designation as the production vehicles they most closely resemble.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

Montana legislation to repeal a SEMA-sponsored law enacted in 2007 that permits vehicles with modified exhaust systems that do not emit an excess of 95 decibels was tabled in committee. Under the repeal legislation, all exhaust system modifications that were subjectively determined by law enforcement to increase noise would have been illegal.

Under the current law, exhaust noise emissions are measured in accordance with SAE test standard J1169. Under the SAE standard, a sound meter is placed 20 inches from the exhaust outlet at a 45-degree angle, and the engine is revved to three-quarters of maximum rated horsepower. The highest decibel reading is then recorded.

Similar legislation to restrict exhaust system noise has been introduced this year in Connecticut and New Jersey. The Montana bill is effectively dead for the year.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

Legislation that seeks to require the development of a statewide program to mandate that replacement tires for passenger cars and light trucks be as energy efficient as tires sold as original equipment was reintroduced in the New York State Legislature. SEMA has defeated previous versions of this bill. 

While the measure contains a SEMA-drafted exemption for some hobbyist tires, including limited-production and off-road tires, SEMA has consistently recommended that the bill be rejected since the replacement tire-efficiency program conflicts with federal law by regulating fuel economy; imposes substantial redesign costs on tire manufacturers; competes with federal consumer information requirements; and essentially sets a 50-state standard.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

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The sponsor for SEMA-opposed legislation to allow the city of Newport News to adopt a more restrictive inoperable vehicle ordinance has withdrawn the bill from consideration by the Virginia Legislature. Under the bill, the city could have adopted an ordinance prohibiting any person from keeping more than one inoperable motor vehicle on private property except within a fully enclosed building.

Further, the bill required that the one vehicle now be shielded from view by the “installation of an opaque fence.” In 2004, Virginia signed into law a SEMA-negotiated bill to exempt at least two inoperable vehicles being actively repaired or restored on private property from any local ordinance if shielded or screened from public view.

The law defines “shielded or screened from view” as not visible by someone standing at ground level from outside of the property on which the inoperable vehicles are located. This measure would have changed the rules of this fairly negotiated compromise.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

DEMO DERBY: Crashing was the name of the game at Daytona International Speedway as the NASCAR Sprint Cup and ARCA RE/MAX Series took the stage Saturday at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Fourteen of the 28 cars in the Budweiser Shootout Sprint Cup race were eliminated by crashes, with 21 of the 43 in the ARCA race retiring because of accidents while another dozen rode around the track nursing crash damage. Fabricators will be busy this week.

THE POLE: Martin Truex Jr. won the pole for the Daytona 500 driving a Chevrolet to a lap of 188.001 mph.

ARPY: Joe and Walt Doellefeld, promoters of Stateline Stadium and Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho, were named the 33rd Auto Racing Promoter of the Year by Racing Promotion Monthly.

A U.S. F1 TEAM?: Plans are in place for a U.S.-based Formula One team that would be headed by American Ken Anderson and Brit Peter Windsor. The team, which would debut in 2010, would be headquartered near the Wind Shear wind tunnel in Concord, North Carolina.

STILL A BULL: Four-time Champ Car World Series titlist Sebastien Bourdais has been confirmed as one of the drivers for the Toro Rosso Formula One team. It will be his second year with the team.

TOP DOG: After four victories in six races to start the season, three-time defending World of Outlaws sprint-car series champion Donny Schatz opened the weekly National Speed Sport News Power Rankings in first spot. The rankings appear weekly in America’s Motorsports Authority.

SUBSCRIBE: National Speed Sport News has been published weekly since 1934. To subscribe to National Speed Sport News, click on the following link for a special industry rate: www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/subscribe.html?pid=NQ%2BVfhkepT4%3D.