SEMA Show exhibitors, your badge and badgeholder for the 2007 SEMA Show could be on its way to you as early as the second week of August. 
That's right!  If you're a SEMA Show alumnus, registered and approved, your badge and badgeholder will be sent to you before the Show. No waiting in line! Simply step off the monorail or shuttle bus, wear your badge and badgeholder and walk directly into the Show. It's our thank you for being an important part of the Show's success through your consistent attendance.

How do you know if you are an alumnus? If you attended the SEMA Show in either 2005 or 2006, you should have already received several e-mails and postcards with your personal and company alumni numbers on them. Included on the e-mails and postcards are the few simple steps to register for 2007. You can also find all your registration needs at www.SEMAShow.com, just click on "Attendee Registration." If you don't know your number, just type in your e-mail address as it was listed in 2006 and your number will be sent directly to you. It's that easy!

Haven't been to the SEMA Show before? Simply register online, and then bring a personal I.D. (driver's license) and a business I.D. (paycheck stub) to any of the registration areas surrounding the Las Vegas Convention Center. Your badge will be printed and you'll be on your way to new products, new resources and new marketing ideas.

Questions? Contact Show Management at SEMA-Reg@ConvExx.com or call 702/450-7662, ext. 118. 

According to a federal government ruling, 100% of new motor vehicles will need to have a tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) by 2008. While tire-pressure monitoring systems represent an important development in car safety, they also pose challenges for our industry. Improper dismounting, for example, can break sensors, costing you time and money.

Servicing the tires on vehicles equipped with TPMS can result in an expensive lesson when the proper procedures are not followed. The Tire Industry Association (TIA) has trained thousands of technicians in North America on guidelines for handling the tires, as well as the vehicles, and will present an overview of how TPMS technology affects the replacement-tire market. This webinar will focus on the service-related issues that have been occurring and the steps that service providers can take to prevent broken sensors and disabled systems.

To tune into the webinar, click on www.sema.org/webinar and scroll down to “How to Participate.”

And don’t forget, on August 7 SEMA will present a webinar about how to maximize your SEMA Show experience.

Entitled “Don't Say ‘Next Year I’ll Do the Show Better.’ Just Do It Now—We’ll Show You How,” this webinar features speaker Chuck Schwartz of ConvExx sharing case studies of SEMA Show exhibitors that have found success, and how you can capitalize on their winning strategies.

Because a large portion of your annual marketing budget is allocated to the SEMA Show, it's important to capitalize on your investment. Discover how to accomplish your goals and receive overwhelming success on August 7, at 10 a.m. (PST). Prepare yourself for the 2007 SEMA Show. Start by creating a winning game plan today.

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With the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-class sedan to appear in U.S. showrooms later this summer, the online market for C-class parts and accessories is nearly $2 million per month strong, despite a recent leveling off in sales.

Since January, C-class parts and accessory sales via online auction have averaged $1,795,00 a month, peaking in March at $1,908,000 total sales (numbers rounded to nearest hundred) according to data from Terapeak, a developer of market-focused research software that monitors online sales and auctions.

The most popular categories were exterior goods, primarily grilles and car covers, followed by headlamps and taillights, then interior items like switches, knobs, floor mats and shift knobs. Exterior item sales between June 6-July 5 totaled $274,000, while lighting and lamps accounted for $276,700 and interior goods comprising $160,200 of total sales.

Total sales have leveled off some since a June 12th peak of $88,947, a slowdown perhaps an indicator of consumers waiting on the new model, available in 228- and 268-hp versions. 

Wheels and tires were not surprisingly the most profitable category, averaging $632,000 a month since April. The best day for wheel sellers was May 7th, when $35,100 worth of wheels, tires and assorted wheel/tire accessories were sold.

How prevalent is Internet purchasing among specialty-equipment enthusiasts?

"The past two years, SEMA research has shown that the highest percentage of automotive enthusiasts indicate they purchased their performance parts and accessories over the Internet," says SEMA research analyst Ty Michael.

"Interestingly, roughly the same percentage of enthusiasts indicated that they purchased their parts at traditional brick and mortar shops. Thirty-nine percent of enthusiasts said they purchased on the Internet, compared to 31% who indicated they went to a physical location to make their purchases."

Terapeak's Motors P&A Research provides sellers with access to comprehensive research on the past year of online auction data and allows users to get in-depth research reports on the competition and themselves. More at www.terapeak.com/motors.

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John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of vehicle technology, will join Brett Smith, assistant director of manufacturing, engineering and technology for the Center for Automotive Research; Nancy Philippart, executive director of GM Accessories Business Channel of General Motors Corp.; Michael Chetcuti, CEO of Quality Metalcraft Inc. and principal for Streetcar USA; Mike O’Brien, corporate manager product planning for Toyota Motor Sales USA; Beau Boeckmann, president for Galpin Auto Sports and vice president for Galpin Motors; and George Dettloff, CEO and president for SKF North America, to present “Designing for Customization” during the 2007 Management Briefing Seminars, set for August 6–10, in Traverse City, Michigan.

The session, “Designing for Customization,” organized by Waraniak and supported by SEMA, will provide insight about how leading companies are applying design for customization and accessorization (DFC/A) to meet the increasing demand for differentiation, while maintaining high-volume profitability.

As OEMs are looking for products, processes and partners to help them create and launch the most accessory-friendly vehicles for fragmenting markets—in order to drive increased profits—the future of aftermarket suppliers is all about the micro-niche delivering, fully integrated customization while significantly reducing capital investment for tooling and time to profit. However, it takes a new manufacturing, marketing and production mind-set to make it work.

“Designing for Customization,” will include presentations from OEMs and SEMA suppliers that highlight how successful programs achieve this balance and will present a forum for the OEMs to showcase some of their more creative programs to the traditional supplier and automotive press community. SEMA-member companies participating in the session include Kicker, Quality Metalcraft Inc., Skyjacker and SKF; OEMs include Toyota and General Motors.

Key points that will be included and reinforced with examples from presenters are:

• Speed to market and profit with the right formula is essential to successfully delivering high-demand vehicles, modules and systems.
  
  
• Leveraging the creativity of suppliers with strong brands and authentically sharing brand equity and identity as the vehicles come to market is critical.

This session and others will be featured in the 2007 Management Briefing Seminars, a week of educational sessions and networking with high-level executives from the automotive industry. For complete information and a list of additional confirmed participants, visit http://www.cargroup.org/mbs2006/index.html.

The following photos and information are courtesy of the spy shooters at Brenda Priddy & Company 

Spies were in force at the Nurburgring while Lexus once again pulled out its V10-powered 500-plus-horsepower supercar. This time, the LF-A was wearing less camouflage and likely more production-like styling details than ever before.

We expect to see even more of the LF-A at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

NEWS NUGGETS

TEAM MOPAR DRIVERS TO KICK OFF DENVER EVENT IN RUBBER RAFT RACE: According to Team Mopar, Gary Scelzi, Richie Stevens Jr., Allen Johnson and Ron Capps will trade in their Hemi power for hydro power in a four-way rubber raft competition down Clear Creek in Golden, Colorado, in what’s bound to become a historic quest for the Clear Creek Cup. The “Mopar Rumble in the Rapids” begins at 6:30 p.m. during the Mopar Block Party on July 12, held annually in the streets of Golden, Colorado, to preview the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado. The event also features a live band, an autograph session and a car show.

PARKS HEADLINES ‘LEGENDS OF THUNDER VALLEY’ INDUCTEES IN BRISTOL, TENNESSEE: NHRA founder Wally Parks; Larry Carrier, builder of Bristol Dragway; “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, a drag racing legend; and Rickie Smith, the winningest driver in Bristol, were selected as the inaugural class of inductees into the Legends of Thunder Valley during the O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals last weekend.

FORMER OLYMPIAN, BAZEMORE BACK ‘LARRY RIDES AMERICA’ CANCER RIDE: Gold and silver Olympic medalist Marty Nothstein, driver of the Texas Roadhouse Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Whit Bazemore, pilot of the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster, have signed on to support former COO of O’Reilly Auto Parts Larry O’Reilly’s 4,500-mile ride from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia that he began April 30. His goal is to raise $250,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks. Bazemore and Nothstein each pledged $250 to O’Reilly.

FANS INVITED TO ICE CREAM SOCIAL, MEDLEN TRIBUTE DINNER IN SAN FRANCISCO: Infineon Raceway will host the inaugural “Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social” courtesy of Dreyer’s Ice Cream, after the final round of the Fram-Autolite NHRA Nationals on July 29. Race fans will be invited onto the Raceway’s road-course surface for the social, a celebration of Medlen’s life and many contributions. They will be encouraged to make donations to the Infineon Raceway Eric Medlen Scholarship Fund which will be awarded annually to an Infineon Raceway high school bracket drag racer. Race fans are also invited to meet four of the top drivers of the NHRA POWERade Series while the sport and Infineon Raceway pay tribute to one of their own at the ‘Eric Medlen Nitro Night at the Fior’ in San Francisco’s North Beach. The event, featuring host Bob Frey and drivers Ron Capps, Robert Hight, Gary Scelzi and Cory McClenathan, begins at 6:30 p.m. on July 26 at Fior d’Italia Restaurant. Cost is $125 per person, with proceeds benefiting Speedway Children’s Charities. Seating is limited.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS, DENVER, BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY, JULY 13–15: The 13th stop on the 23-race schedule, Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle drivers will head to the “Mile-High” city to compete in the fourth of a “six races, six weeks” schedule. Defending event winners include J.R. Todd, Gary Scelzi, Dave Connolly and Andrew Hines.

LAS VEGAS NHRA SPORT-COMPACT NATIONALS, THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, JULY 13–14: The mid-season race in Las Vegas for the NHRA Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series is sure to provide some exciting night racing when the drivers race The Strip.

SCHUCK’S AUTO SUPPLY NHRA NATIONALS, PACIFIC RACEWAYS, JULY 20–22: This fifth race in the string of six-in-six-weeks was traditionally the second stop of the legendary Western Swing. It’s sure to be an emotional one for Brandon Bernstein, who shared the winner’s circle with his friend, the late Eric Medlen, here in 2005.

FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS, INFINEON RACEWAY, JULY 27–29: A favorite with the POWERade Series for its scenic local and Northern California weather, this event will be the last in the six-in-six-weeks stretch, the anchor of the longest stretch of back-to-back races in NHRA history.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

5: Number of races left in the regular season before the first cutoff for the “Countdown to the Championship.” After the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania, the top eight in each professional category will be set and only those drivers will vie for 2007 POWERade Series world championships.

DRIVERS TELL ALL

JOHN FORCE, on his first win of the season: “At the beginning of the day, I did a bunch of apologizing to all my guys for being such a jerk. I told them I was just sorry for the way I’ve been. Then I said to Eric, ‘Eric, it’s time to forgive me and let’s get our stuff together and win you a race.’ I mean, the greatest kid in the world was Eric Medlen. Heart as big as Tennessee. I didn’t think I ever was gonna get the win for him, but this trophy is going to go to his dad and it’s gonna go to a place for Eric Medlen because he was our heart and he still is.”

For more information, www.nhra.com.

FAILED: Mario Andretti said, “I almost cried,” when he learned that the meeting he had arranged between Indy Racing League head Tony George and Champ Car’s  Kevin Kalkhoven was cancelled at the last minute. Andretti says both Champ Car and IRL leaders “are in denial” of the challenges facing their respective series.

NEW NAME: For the third time in six years NASCAR’s premier stock-car series will undergo a name change. The change comes as the result of the merger between Sprint and Nextel. The Nextel Cup Series will be known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2008.

ON TOP: Jamie McMurray defeated Kyle Busch by mere inches to win his first NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race in 166 starts Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.

BIGGER AUDIENCE: The Rolex Grand American Road Racing Championship reports a 10% increase in attendance at its events this season.

A CLUB: In part to help ensure the future of the historic road course, Lime Rock Park officials have created The Club at Lime Rock Park, offering memberships for $100,000 each. The membership will offer individuals exclusive track time, while the funds will be used to preserve and improve the 50-year-old facility.

NEW SITE: National Speed Sport News will debut its redesigned website on July 25. While the site will still offer the same password-protected information for subscribers that is offered in the hard copy of the nation’s oldest auto-racing publication, it will also offer daily news stories and features, along with reader interaction.

TOP RUNG: Indy Racing League IndyCar Series point leader Dario Franchitti remained at the top of the National Speed Sport News Power Rankings. Franchitti finished third at Watkins Glen International. World of Outlaws point leader Donny Schatz jumped to second in the standings after a victory and a runner-up finish in two races over the weekend.

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: http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.com/subscribe.html?pid=NQ%2BVfhkepT4%3D.