NEWS NUGGETS

FORCE MAKES NAME FOR HERSELF WITH WIN IN ATLANTA: Like the pages of a Hollywood screenplay, the rain delayed final round of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals in Commerce, Ga. was filled with high drama and intrigue. In a race that pitted father against daughter, NHRA legend against NHRA sophomore, John and Ashley Force climbed into their 7,000 horsepower vehicles and, perhaps, into the pages of history itself. If John won, it would mark his 1,000th career win, more than any other driver in the history of the sport. If Ashley won, she would become the first woman in NHRA history to win a national event in Funny Car. It seemed only necessary that Force would have to face Force to achieve either of the landmark wins. As the dust and smoke settled on that cloudy day in northern Georgia it was the younger Force that came out victorious, cementing her place in drag racing history and showing that she was a ‘Force’ of her own. “I’m just happy to win an event,” Force told the media after the race. “That was the main thing. Being a female, that’s exciting for the record books and everything, but my team, we just wanted to get our first win.”

In Top Fuel, Antron Brown beat points leader Tony Schumacher, driving his Matco Tools dragster past the defending champ and winning on a holeshot. It was Brown’s second win in three races. Mike Edwards was able to hold off Pro Stock points leader Jason Line, cutting a .009 light and picking up his first win in over two years, while former Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Andrew Hines proved he had the bike to beat all weekend, picking up the No. 1 Qualifier award Saturday, then following it up with a win Sunday against Chip Ellis. It’s Hines’ first win of the season and 14th of his career. Visit NHRA.com for more on the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.

FULL THROTTLE TO BECOME TITLE SPONSOR OF NHRA PRO SERIES IN 2009: Beginning in 2009, the phrase “Go Full Throttle or Go Home!” will be recognized among drag racing fans and drivers alike, as Coca-Cola North America’s Full Throttle energy drink succeeds POWERade as the title sponsor of the NHRA’s professional series. The new series title will be the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The association between Coca-Cola and NHRA, which includes a two-year partnership extension through the 2013 season, represents one of the longest running series sponsorships in motorsports. To learn more about the NHRA Full Throttle Series, visit NHRA.com.

zMAX DRAGWAY @ CONCORD NAMED FOR 2008 INAUGURAL SEASON: After a review that saw 4,365 entries received by fans, the Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s new dragway has been officially named zMAX Dragway @ Concord. Fans had the opportunity to submit entries for the name of the dragway and it was Wanda Exum of Greensboro, N.C., and Carl Hackley, of Charlotte who won, each receiving two VIP tickets for the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals Sept. 11-14. To learn more about the naming of the track, visit NHRA.com.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

O’REILLY NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS, GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, MAY 2–4: Traveling back to Madison, Ill., which sits just outside of St. Louis in view of the archway, drivers from the NHRA POWERade Series will look to gain some advantage in the Countdown to the Championship just before the start of the summer months. Defending event champions include: Melanie Troxel (Top Fuel); Ron Capps (Funny Car); Dave Connolly (Pro Stock); and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

O’REILLY NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS, BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY, MAY 16–18: The NHRA POWERade Series heads back to the Thunder Valley of Bristol, Tenn. for the eighth running of the event. Defending event winners include Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel); John Force (Funny Car); and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock).  

O’REILLY NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS, HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA, MAY 30–JUNE 1: Entering the ninth race of the NHRA POWERade Series, drivers will look to gain precious points in their quest to qualify for the Countdown to 1. Defending event winners include: Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel); Mike Ashley (Funny Car); and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock).

HE SAID, SHE SAID

AN EMOTIONAL WIN IN ATLANTA FOR ANOTHER DRIVER: It had been nearly two years (St. Louis 2006) since Pro Stock driver Mike Edwards had last visited the winner’s circle. During those two years he had only been to the final round once. But all that waiting, all that preparing seemed evident in Edwards’ words as he visited with the media in Atlanta following his win Sunday. “You just can’t describe the feeling of winning one of these races in this class,” said Edwards. “There are so many good teams and it’s been so long since I last won, and I was wondering if I was ever going to do it again to be honest with you. It’s just an unbelievable feeling to win one of these races.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

59: The point lead Ashley Force has over the Funny Car competition heading into this weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals.

DID YOU KNOW…

…that NHRA top drivers Cruz Pedregon, Gary Scelzi, Ron Capps, Allen Johnson, Doug Kalitta, Dave Grubnic, Antron Brown, and Alan Bradshaw will compete in the U.M.P. DIRTcar Pro Late Models at Tri-City Speedway this Thursday, May 1, in Pontoon Beach, Ill.? Additional NHRA drivers are also expected to participate in the event.

For more information, visit www.nhra.com.

Dynamic Control announced that Mike Toney has joined the Dynamat team as western sales manager for the company. Toney will work closely with manufacturer’s representatives and direct with dealers to help them grow the Dynamic Control product lines, which include the market-leading Dynamat brand. Toney will work to expand the company’s ever-growing dealer base and help existing dealers maximize their profits.

George Alan Case was named vice president, drag racing operations for Moroso Motorsports Park. Case, a longtime motorsports executive and industry insider, brings more than 25 years of racing and business experience to the well-known facility.  Case will oversee the day-to-day operations at the dragstrip and the many exciting events held each season.

Advanstar Communications consolidated its Automotive Aftermarket and Off-Road Groups into a single business unit. The combined Automotive Group will be headed by Jim Savas, vice president, automotive. Savas was previously vice president of the Automotive Aftermarket Group. The properties in the new Automotive Group include Off-Road.com, Dirt Sports, Styling & Performance, Aftermarket Business, Automotive Body Repair News, Hot Auto Products, Search-Autoparts.com and the Off-Road Expo.

SmartDrive Systems Inc. announced that Greg Drew joined the company as chairman and CEO. Most recently, Drew was president and CEO of WebTrends, driving the organization's strategy to become a premier provider of digital marketing solutions, which has resulted in record performance nearly every quarter since. Drew will help guide SmartDrive in the continued growth of its product and service offerings.

Stäubli Corporation – Connectors Division hired Doug Syer as motorsports engineer responsible for covering the Circle Track market, which includes NASCAR and Dirt Track racing series. Syer has great knowledge and understanding of application engineering and complete customer knowledge and support. He will relocate from the Chicago area to the Charlotte, North Carolina, suburbs where he will be centrally located to manage all Stäubli business activities within the NASCAR and Circle Track markets.

Royal Purple Synthetic Lubricants is the title sponsor of the third annual Powder Puff Race for the Cure, created by M.O.R.E (Mohave Off-Road Enthusiast) & DAMZL Inc. Benefits and donations acquired from this year’s event will support Cedar Sinai Women’s’ Breast Cancer Research Center.  This year’s event will take place in Barstow, California, October 10–11. The Powder Puff Race for the Cure is the largest all-women driver event. For more on the Powder Puff Race for the Cure log onto: http://moreracing.net/powerpuff/index.html.

OEM Components and U.S.A. Switch Inc. acquired Rostra Precision Controls Inc., a leading supplier of transmission components, cruise control systems, rear obstacle sensing systems and electronic controls for the automotive and heavy-truck aftermarkets, as well as OEMs. Thomas Petrillo, founder of OEM Components and U.S.A. Switch Inc., teamed with the private equity firm Superior Capital to form Aftermarket Controls Corp. and purchase Rostra Precision Controls. Aftermarket Controls Corp. will be the parent company of OEM Components, U.S.A. Switch Inc. and Rostra Precision Controls. For more information, visit www.usaswitch.com or www.rostra.com.

 
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Filler for eNews

Dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows and activities have been announced. Details are:

>> SEMA Washington Rally, May 14–15, 2008, Washington, D.C.
>> PAACE Automechanika Mexico, July, 9–11, 2008, Mexico City
>> 2008 Aftermarket eForum, July 14–16, 2008, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, Chicago
>> SEMA Internet Symposium, July 25, Irvine, California
>> SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala Fundraiser, Friday, July 25, Irvine, California
>> SEMA Show 2008, November 4–7, 2008, Las Vegas  

SEMA market data shows that the average car owned by enthusiasts, based on those who responded to SEMA's Automotive Lifestyles survey, was just over 20 years old. Although the highest percentage of enthusiasts surveyed are modifying vehicles made between 2000–2005, many of these same enthusiasts also own much older cars, creating an opportunity for specialty-equipment companies.

As enthusiasts and consumers keep their vehicles longer, they need more parts to keep them running. Keeping the body panels free of defects and repainting a fading and failing factory paint job has always been a good way to make an older car look good.

PPG, one of the largest companies in the automotive paint industry, is reporting record sales of $3.7 billion for the first quarter of 2008. Genuine Parts Company meanwhile is reporting a 3% increase in sales over last year's first quarter.

From seeing these companies picking up on sales, speculation shows that people are becoming more inclined to repair their vehicles over buying new ones. This could be a huge opportunity for the specialty-equipment industry. Marketing parts as longer-lasting, increasing fuel economy, improving performance or any of the other myriad of wants that mass consumers desire for their vehicles could help the specialty-equipment industry dive into a niche of "performance replacement" parts that outperform stock replacement.

This could steal market share from another industry and be really beneficial to ours.

For more industry insight, visit the SEMA Research and Information Center online at www.sema.org/research.

Discretionary income and a tightening economy is hitting close to home for many specialty-equipment companies. SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting addressed the issue at the SEMA National Education Conference, April 10–11, in Nashville.

"With the economic downturn, our industry, like many other industries, is having a tough year,” Kersting said. “I am in a unique position to hear from a lot of different niches within the industry and I am pleased to say that we have some niches that are doing quite well. And even within some of the spaces where there are challenges right now, you have companies that are figuring a way to make sure that when we come out of this downturn, they will be well-positioned."

Despite the economic uncertainty, SEMA research shows that the overwhelming majority of enthusiasts have household incomes well above the national average. The latest SEMA Automotive Lifestyles study shows that the average income of enthusiasts that modified their car had a household income in excess of $96,000—more than 2.5 times the national per capita income.

Technometrica's March Economic Optimism Index showed some negative feeling about the future of the economy, although among the demographic group of most concern to the specialty-equipment industry there are optimistic opinions.

The Economic Optimism Index is a rating of Optimism/Pessimism on a scale of 1–100. Ratings below 50 are pessimistic and ratings above 50 are optimistic. The latest index showed that those with annual household incomes in excess of $75,000 were optimistic with a rating of 51.0. Men were also optimistic with a rating of 50.1. The SEMA Annual Automotive Lifestyles Survey reveals an overwhelming majority of respondents that are male and have a household income averaging $96,000.
 
Younger consumers appear more optimistic about their economic future, as well. The Economic Optimism index showed that consumers between the ages of 18–24 had an optimistic rating of 59.9, the highest of any group polled by Technometrica's TIPP Economic Index. During economic slowdown, the youth market may represent an opportunity for specialty-equipment markets to tap into for future sales growth.

For more industry insight, visit the SEMA Research and Information Center online at www.sema.org/research.

A version of SEMA model legislation to create a vehicle registration and titling classification for custom vehicles was approved by the Tennessee State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Phil Bredesen. The new law defines a custom-built car as a vehicle that is built for private use and is not constructed by a licensed manufacturer or remanufacturer. Under the law, kit cars and replica vehicles will be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation as the production vehicle it most closely resembles. 

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

Working with California old-car hobbyists, SEMA convinced California Senate legislators to amend legislation that sought repeal of the state’s current emissions test exemption for pre-1976 vehicles registered by new owners in the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. The District includes eight counties in California’s Central Valley. 

Under the original bill, after Jan. 1, 2009, new owners seeking to register a pre-1976 vehicle in these eight counties would have been subject to emissions tests for the life of the vehicle. Under the amendment, the repeal language was removed and the bill instead now requires the DMV to study the state’s special license plate programs and recommend improvements.

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

With all of the political issues in Washington, D.C., it is vital that SEMA members demonstrate to lawmakers the importance of the $38-billion specialty-equipment industry. You can join in this effort by attending the SEMA Washington Rally on May 14–15 and connect face-to-face with your legislators on Capitol Hill. The deadline to register is next week, Thursday, May 1.

Scheduled events include:

• Opening Reception and Briefing Session. U.S. Senator Jon Tester of Montana, an avid auto enthusiast, will be the featured guest at the opening reception of the 2008 SEMA Washington Rally.

• One-on-One Meetings With Your Legislators. Meet face-to-face with your legislators to educate them on the issues that matter most to your business.

• Political Insider Session. Renowned Washington commentators Fred Barnes and Eleanor Clift will be the headliners for a lively debate on timely political issues, including the 2008 presidential election.

• Capitol Hill Reception. Businessman, philanthropist and respected NASCAR driver Kyle Petty will be the featured guest at a Congressional reception in Washington, D.C., celebrating the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the American motorsports industry.

• Tour of the U.S. Capitol and other opportunities to visit attractions in the nation’s capital.

The SEMA Washington Rally is exclusively for SEMA members and there is no charge to participate. For travel arrangements and room reservations, contact Manya Petropaki at the Travel Store at 949/930-9268.

To register, or for more information, visit www.sema.org/dcrally or contact Jason Tolleson at 909/396-0289, ext 168, or jasont@sema.org.