Filler for eNews

Vehicle technologies continue to shape the specialty-equipment industry with the breakthrough of advanced products. SEMA’s most recent completed webinar, “Telematics: Vehicle Technology That Will Impact Your Business,” presented by Derek Kaufman, president of C3 Network Inc., explores telematics and how it could affect the way your business moves forward in a technologically advancing industry.

“Derek walks us through the robust applications in vehicle Wi-Fi, green driving and planning, advanced GPS and how telematics could change the way we buy and own cars and, ultimately, how this new technology is going to impact your business,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA senior director of member services.

Kaufman defines telematics in automotive terms—the ability to establish two-way connection with a moving vehicle. Telematics is applied in GPS tracking, GPS navigation, GPS stolen vehicle tracking, green commuting, DSRC traffic and road conditions, entertainment, vehicle-to-vehicle communication and a number of additional applications.

The presentation identifies the following tips and trends regarding telematics in the near future:

• Smart OEMs will offer a “wired-for-telematics” option
• Connect your product to a vehicle’s value
• Connect to rising fuel prices
• Meet a hacker
• Think partnership, not empire
• Go open source
• Expand the notion of CSI

SEMA's Next Webinar

The automotive industry is undergoing one of the most rapid and significant structural changes in decades. "The Specialty Equipment Supplier of the Future," the final report for Phase I of the SEMA Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Research Program, highlights several important insights expected to shape the specialty-equipment industry in the next three to seven years, including body and chassis electronics integration, OEM-aftermarket collaboration and new customization opportunities with more models produced from fewer platforms.

Tune into the "Specialty Equipment Automotive Company of the Future: Guideposts for Strategic Planning (Phase I)" webinar to learn more about the trends, challenges and solutions facing your industry.

When: Thursday, January 15, 2009, 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. (PST)

Presenter: Brett Smith, CAR Assistant Director, Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology, and Richard Wallace, CAR Senior Project Manager.

Moderator: John Waraniak, SEMA Vice President of Vehicle Technology

To register: Click Here

The automotive industry is undergoing one of the most rapid and significant structural changes in decades. "The Specialty Equipment Supplier of the Future," the final report for Phase I of the SEMA Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Research Program, highlights several important insights expected to shape the specialty-equipment industry in the next three to seven years, including body and chassis electronics integration, OEM-aftermarket collaboration and new customization opportunities with more models produced from fewer platforms.

Tune into the "Specialty Equipment Automotive Company of the Future: Guideposts for Strategic Planning (Phase I)" webinar to learn more about the trends, challenges and solutions facing your industry.
 
When: Thursday, January 15, 2009, 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. (PST)
Presenter: Brett Smith, Assistant Director, Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology, Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and Richard Wallace, Senior Project Manager, CAR
Moderator: John Waraniak, SEMA Vice President, Vehicle Technology
To register: Click Here

Also, don't forget to mark your calendar for SEMA's upcoming webinar, “Social Media: A New Way to Take Your Business to the Top,” Thursday, January 22, 2009.

Learn several ways that the right marketing plan can increase your company's website traffic. Presenter Aaron Kahlow, chairman and founder of Online Marketing Summit and Managing Partner of Business Online, will show you the best practices in search engine optimization (SEO), web analytics and social media (Web 2.0) to build a winning online marketing plan.

Kahlow has delivered more than 170 seminars nationwide and is frequently quoted by online marketing publications.

Brenda Priddy & Co. photographer Brian Williams recently caught the forthcoming Ford Taurus shuttling between Ford buildings. Unlike past photos that showed the Taurus wrapped in yards of vinyl, these photos finally show all the sheetmetal, marred only by the funky mitochondrial wrap job.

Officially the new Taurus—a revival of the best-selling car in the United States in the early '90s and a nameplate silent since late 2006 (although its DNA showed up in the Ford Five Hundred)—will debut in Detroit next week at the North American International Auto Show.

Brenda Priddy & Co. photographer Brian Williams recently caught the forthcoming Ford Taurus shuttling between Ford buildings. Unlike past photos that showed the Taurus wrapped in yards of vinyl, these photos finally show all the sheetmetal, marred only by the funky mitochondrial wrap job.

Officially the new Taurus—a revival of the best-selling car in the United States in the early '90s and a nameplate silent since late 2006 (although its DNA showed up in the Ford Five Hundred)—will debut in Detroit next week at the North American International Auto Show.

Filler for eNews

The 2010 Mustang is one of several vehicles available in Ford's Project Vehicle Program.

Looking for a 2010 Mustang to build for next year’s SEMA Show? Take note: Ford is now accepting project proposals for its 2009 Ford/Lincoln/Mercury Project Vehicle Program.

Proposals need to be submitted in two parts: a one-page preliminary project summary due by February 23 (January 5 if you want a Mustang), and a more detailed proposal by March 1 (January 5 for Mustang). Companies requesting vehicles should be a manufacturer or restyler dedicated to new-product development, able to promote and market the vehicle, and a SEMA member.

This year, a limited number of vehicles will be awarded for modifications that result in significant fuel-economy gains and/or reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Projects that go beyond bio-fuel conversion will be given greater consideration.

For additional details, click here to download the PDF file (if you’re having trouble downloading the file, e-mail semainfo@ford.com).

SETTLEMENT: NASCAR reached a settlement with former series official Mauricia Grant in her discrimination lawsuit against the sanctioning body. The arrangements of the December 18 settlement were not released.

NO GO: The Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix has been canceled for the 2009 season because of the Michigan economy. The event featuring the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series was scheduled for Labor Day weekend.

CLOSED: Mansfield Motorsports Park has closed its gates and the NASCAR Camping World Series race at the track has been moved to Iowa Speedway. The half-mile asphalt oval originally opened as a three-eighths-mile dirt track in 1959.

INDOOR ACES: Lou Cicconi, Tony Stewart, Jerry Coons Jr., Bryan Clauson, Billy Wease and Jon Stanbrough each won indoor midget races during the holiday season.

NEW EVENT: The NASCAR Whelen Modified Series, the sanctioning body’s oldest division, will make its debut at Bristol (Tennessee) Motor Speedway August 19.

AN OLD ROOKIE: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Brendan Gaughan will race for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season, driving for team owner Rusty Wallace.

CONFIRMATION: Just before the Christmas holiday, NHRA Top Fuel team owner Alan Johnson confirmed that two-time Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon will drive for his new Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Racing team in 2009.

SOLD: Bill Davis Racing has been sold to Triad Racing Development, which is a partnership between Mike Held and Marty Gaunt.

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NEWS NUGGETS

DIXON TO DRIVE ALAN JOHNSON TOP FUEL DRAGSTER IN 2009: Two-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Larry Dixon will climb into the seat as the driver of the Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle season, with Jason McCulloch as the team’s crew chief. Dixon, who won world championships in 2002 and 2003, will make the move to the new team after a 20-year career with Don Prudhomme Racing, which saw Dixon start out as a crewmember in 1988 and work his way into the cockpit in 1995.

“I’m very excited and looking forward to this opportunity and new chapter in my career,” Dixon said. “It’s a new team, and everybody will be in a new position. It could take us a while to jell as a team, but everyone on this team has won at least one championship in previous ventures, so I’d like to think we can hit the ground running.”

After more than five years with Don Schumacher Racing, legendary NHRA crew chief Johnson announced plans to return to team ownership in 2009 with Alan Johnson Al-Anabi Racing with a two-car, Top Fuel and Funny Car, entry. In September, Del Worsham and Aaron Brooks were named the team’s Funny Car driver and crew chief, respectively.

NHRA DRIVERS FAIR WELL AT BOBSLED CHALLENGE: Top Fuel pilot Morgan Lucas won the NHRA vs. NASCAR portion of the fourth annual Whelen Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge when his Team USA competition Bo-Dyn bobsled turned in a time of 47.78 seconds—just enough to get past final-round competitor and NASCAR driver Todd Bodine after Bodine flipped his sled on the final run. NHRA drivers J.R. Todd, Jeg Coughlin and Bob Vandergriff also competed in the annual event at Lake Placid, New York.

The charity event created by NASCAR veteran Bodine raises money for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, which designs and makes bobsleds exclusively for Team USA. For more information on the fourth annual Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge or to see how all NHRA drivers finished at the event, visit www.nhra.com.

WILL WINS SCOTT KALITTA MEMORIAL TROPHY IN SYDNEY: Top Fuel pilot Hillary Will claimed the inaugural Scott Kalitta Memorial Trophy during the Shannons USA vs. Australia Top Fuel Showdown at Western Sydney International Dragway in Sydney, Australia. Led by crew chief Jim Oberhofer and her Ken Black racing team, Will was able to overcome many mechanical problems throughout the event and post the quickest lap in the final round when she defeated Aussie Terry Sainty and posted a 4.743-second run at 303.16 mph.

“This means so much to me and this team,” Will said. “To get this trophy and take it back to the States is such an honor for us. Scott was my mentor, and he was like a brother to me. We miss him so much, but we are so happy to win this trophy for Connie, Doug, Scott’s wife, Kathy, and his boys, Corey and Colin, and the entire Kalitta family.”

Kalitta, a teammate of Will’s and the 2005 and 2006 champion of the USA vs. Australia Top Fuel Showdown, died June 21, 2008, from injuries he suffered in a Funny Car racing accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway park in Englishtown, New Jersey. The trophy was named in honor of the two-time Showdown champion.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

KRAGEN O’REILLY NHRA WINTERNATIONALS, AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, FEBRUARY 5–8: The 2009 NHRA Full Throttle season gets underway in sunny Southern California as drivers in three professional categories begin their bid for the NHRA Full Throttle world championship. Defending event winners include Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Robert Hight (Funny Car); and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock).  

NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS, FIREBIRD RACEWAY, FEBRUARY 20–22: From palm trees to cactus, the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle series makes its second stop of the season in the warm desert of Phoenix, Arizona. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Jack Beckman (Funny Car); and V Gaines (Pro Stock).

ACDELCO NHRA GATORNATIONALS, GAINESVILLE RACEWAY, MARCH 12–15: The Pro Stock Motorcycle category opens its 2009 season at the Gatornationals, annually one of the most popular stops on the NHRA Full Throttle Series tour. Defending event winners include Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Tony Pedregon (Funny Car); Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock); and Matt Guidera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

HE SAID, SHE SAID

WINNING ONE FOR THE TEAM: Top Fuel pilot Morgan Lucas on his winning run during the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge: “We finally got the win light for the NHRA,” Lucas said. “It took us straight-liners a few years but we got it done, and I feel great. The Team USA guys decided to let us drive the real bobsleds in the final round, and they are completely different than the ones we’ve been driving. It was like going from a Yugo to a Ferrari; a totally different feeling of speed.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

31: Days until the official start of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle season, the Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

DID YOU KNOW…

…that Funny Car sensation Ashley Force and longtime fiancé Daniel Hood tied the knot in beautiful Lake Tahoe Saturday, December 13. Force officially became Ashley Force Hood in a reception attended by such NHRA guests as Brandon and Tracey Bernstein, Del and Connie Worsham and the Tim Wilkerson family.

For more information, visit www.nhra.com.

Have you moved on? Up? Know someone who has? Let us know: editors@sema.org.

The Yokohama Tire Corp. named Jim MacMaster as its COO. In addition to the responsibility of Yokohama’s daily business operations, MacMaster will also retain his current title of executive vice president, business division. The company also promoted Jim Quinn from director of operations to vice president of operations.

Jim MacMaster

Six-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher was voted the Al Holbert Memorial Eastern Motorsports Press Association (EMPA) National Driver of the Year. Also, Hoosier Tire Mr. DIRTcar Modified Champion Billy Decker was named the Richie Evans EMPA Northeast Driver of the Year. Both racers will be honored during the 41st annual EMPA Convention, January 23–25, at the Radisson Hotel & Convention Center in Trevose, Pennsylvania.

Toyo Tires promoted corporate officials in both Toyo Tire Holdings of America Inc. (TTHA) and its subsidiary, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. Carlos (Shozo) Kibata, current president and CEO of TTHA, was named TTHA chairman. Masaharu Yoshimoto, current president and CEO of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp., was promoted to president and CEO of TTHA. Yasushi Takagi, who was appointed executive vice president and COO of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. in September 2008, was promoted to president and CEO of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp.

Hella Inc., the North American aftermarket subsidiary of Hella, is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a U.S.-based lighting and electronics supplier. The company was founded in 1983 when Hella opened its first American distribution center in Cranford, New Jersey.

J.R. Thompson Company opened a new satellite office in Marina Del Rey, California, to expand its service offerings to the West Coast. The company named Rachel (Moreen) Richards as its California-based liaison to operate out of the new location.

Advantage Truck Accessories added a unique feature to its website: a fuel-savings calculator that helps customers determine the cost savings of the company’s tonneau covers based on driving habits and fuel price.

Several U.S. battery and advanced materials companies, including 3M, ActaCell, All Cell Technologies, Altair Nanotechnologies, Dontech Global, EaglePicher Corp., Enersys, Envia Systems, FMC, MicroSun Technologies, Mobius Power, SiLyte, Superior Graphite and Townsend Advanced Energy have formed the National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Battery Cell Manufacture.

The group will manufacture advanced lithium ion battery cells for transportation applications in the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has served in an advisory role to the Alliance. 

Have you moved on? Up? Know someone who has? Let us know: editors@sema.org.