Compiled by SEMA Editors

Formula DRIFT at the Texas Motor Speedway has been rescheduled for the weekend of October 30–November 1.

Formula DRIFT Announces Unavoidable Date Change for Texas Motor Speedway Event in October

On August 28, Texas Motor Speedway announced that all events scheduled prior to its NASCAR Cup Race on October 25 are cancelled or postponed due to continuing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. Formula DRIFT was scheduled to visit Texas Motor Speedway October 16–18, for Rounds 5 and 6 of its PRO Championship, as well as Round 3 of the Link ECU PRO2 Championship. After discussions with the track management team, Formula DRIFT has announced its event will be rescheduled to the end of the month. FD TX will now take place over the weekend of October 30–November 1. To accommodate the new schedule, Formula DRIFT will move its operations to utilize the venue’s permanent grandstands, creating a new track layout for the competition. The event is limited to 50% capacity, and fans who have already purchased tickets for the previous date will automatically have their ticket transferred to the new dates. Those who cannot attend the rescheduled event may request a full refund.

NBA Legend Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin Form Cup Series Team

Basketball legend Michael Jordan has agreed to purchase a NASCAR Cup Series Charter. Bubba Wallace will be the driver for Jordan and his partner Denny Hamlin when the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season begins. Jordan, widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time and current owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, will be the majority owner of a NASCAR Cup Series team. Wallace, the series’ only black driver, previously announced earlier this month that he would not return to Richard Petty Motorsports. Hamlin will be a minority owner of the single-car team and is expected to remain a driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. The organization’s name, manufacturer affiliation, car number, sponsors and other details would be announced later. The group is reported to have entered an agreement to acquire the team charter from Germain Racing, which currently fields the No. 13 with driver Ty Dillon.

NHRA Inks Multi-Year Extension With Fox Sports

The National Hot Rod Association and FOX Sports have announced a multi-year extension of their agreement to telecast all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series competitions across FOX, FS1 and FS2 well into this decade. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The NHRA and FOX relationship began in 2016. The updated deal will see NHRA and FOX Sports continue collaboration in the production and telecasting of NHRA competition in the United States and Canada, including expanded coverage on the FOX broadcast network and FS1, an NFL adjacent event, and five hours of Finals coverage at the NHRA U.S. Nationals over Labor Day Weekend each year. The multi-year extension continues FOX carriage of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Lucas Oil Sportsman, and E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Series on FS1 and FS2 and multiple encore telecasts of all events designed to enable motorsports fans to watch the NHRA at their convenience. The NHRA and FOX will each market advertisements in NHRA programming to NHRA national sponsors, race sponsors and other advertisers.

The NMCA All-American Nationals is returning to Summit Motorsports Park (Norwalk, Ohio) in 2021.

NMCA All-American Nationals Returns to Summit Motorsports Park in 2021

The NMCA Muscle Car Nationals has announced the NMCA All-American Nationals is returning to Summit Motorsports Park (Norwalk, Ohio) in 2021 with a five-year contract extension. The national event moves back to its regular weekend of August 26-29, 2021. The NMCA All-American Nationals was moved to an alternate location in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s returning to its home for 2021 through 2025 and will also include the Chevrolet Performance COPO Camaro Shootout Presented by COPO Parts Direct and the Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown Presented by Watson Racing.

The NMCA Muscle Car Nationals begins its season in March at Bradenton Motorsports Park (Bradenton, Florida) with a date to be revealed soon. The tour moves north to Commerce, Georgia, at Atlanta Dragway for the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals, April 8-11, 2021. The traveling musclecar festival makes its way to the border of the West as it stops in Madison, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis, and under the shadow of the Gateway Arch for the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing May 13-16, 2021. A soon-to-be announced stop takes place in July before the tour’s return to Summit Motorsports Park with the All-American Nationals August 26-29, 2021. The season finale will happen at Lucas Oil Raceway, just outside Indianapolis in September.

FIA WEC Reveals Provisional 2021 Calendar

Officials have released the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship provisional calendar. Six races across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, are on the calendar. The races will vary in length between six and 24 hours. The calendar, subject to further change according to the evolution of the current pandemic, or contingent to the calendars of other FIA World Championships, opens with preseason tests at Sebring, March 13-14, followed by the 1000 Miles of Sebring on March 19.

2021 FIA WEC Provisional Calendar*

• March 13-14: Pre-Season Tests Sebring (USA)
• March 19: 1000 Miles of Sebring (USA)
• May 1: TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
• June 12-13: 24 Hours of Le Mans (France)
• July 18: 6 Hours of Monza (Italy)
• September 26: 6 Hours of Fuji (Japan)
• November 20: 6 Hours of Bahrain (Bahrain)

*Subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council

The 35th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals will once again offer members of the active or retired military, government employees and first responders a variety of ticket discounts to the NHRA national event.

Texas Motorplex Honors Military and First Responders

This year during the 35th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, to be held October 14-18, the Texas Motorplex will once again offer members of the active or retired military, government employees and first responders a variety of ticket discounts to the NHRA national event. Military members will be able to save 20% on adult reserved or general admission tickets on any race day. The offer is also redeemable online in advance through a unique purchase link available to verified users on GovX. Additionally, savings will also available at the gate with presentation of professional or Military ID at the ticket window. During race day on Sunday, the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation will host and recognize hundreds of guests, thanks to the generosity of Billy and Steve Torrence, the father-and-son Top Fuel team and owners of Kilgore-based Capco Contractors. For tickets and more information visit www.texasmotorplex.com.

IndyCar Confirms Music City Grand Prix Set for 2021

The Music City Grand Prix announced that the newest NTT IndyCar Series race will debut August 6-8, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. The three-day international festival of speed and sound will be staged on a temporary grand prix circuit in downtown Nashville and around the Nissan Stadium campus. The event will feature live music performances, chef-curated food experiences and entertainment that centers on speed. Nissan Stadium will serve as the paddock for the race, with a 2.17-mile temporary track set across the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge into downtown Nashville and back. The first street course added to INDYCAR since 2013, it features 11 turns and plenty of straightaways for drivers to pass.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.

Buyers: Register Here for SEMA360.

Available to SEMA-member buyers at no cost, SEMA360 is the new B2B online marketplace taking place November 2-6, 2020.

https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=725

Buyers: Register Here for SEMA360.

Available to SEMA-member buyers at no cost, SEMA360 is the new B2B online marketplace taking place November 2-6, 2020.

https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=725

SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities in the Classifieds page of SEMA.org.

By Ashley Reyes

Jerid Suchy of Derive Systems has been named the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) latest spotlight member. Suchy is a new volunteer on the YEN Select Committee, and he has some great advice to share with the industry in his Q&A with SEMA.

SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Jerid Suchy: Apply 100% toward every task you tackle, no matter how small it may seem.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

JS: The passion that everyone working in this space has for the industry. It is exciting to show up to work every day knowing that you are contributing to further the enjoyment that enthusiasts and consumers get from modifying their vehicles.

SEMA: On a Saturday, where can you be found?

JS: I spend much of my weekends with my wife and two daughters, working on various projects in my garage, or taking trips to the lake to go boating or water skiing.

SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?     

JS: I like to take a few minutes ahead of time to clear my mind from any distractions and focusing on being fully present and ready.

SEMA: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who would it be?

JS: Ed Iskenderian.

By Ashley Reyes

Jerid Suchy of Derive Systems has been named the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) latest spotlight member. Suchy is a new volunteer on the YEN Select Committee, and he has some great advice to share with the industry in his Q&A with SEMA.

SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Jerid Suchy: Apply 100% toward every task you tackle, no matter how small it may seem.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

JS: The passion that everyone working in this space has for the industry. It is exciting to show up to work every day knowing that you are contributing to further the enjoyment that enthusiasts and consumers get from modifying their vehicles.

SEMA: On a Saturday, where can you be found?

JS: I spend much of my weekends with my wife and two daughters, working on various projects in my garage, or taking trips to the lake to go boating or water skiing.

SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?     

JS: I like to take a few minutes ahead of time to clear my mind from any distractions and focusing on being fully present and ready.

SEMA: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who would it be?

JS: Ed Iskenderian.

By Ashley Reyes

Justin Bradshaw	Khanjan Desai	Roland Hence
Matt Rafeld	Eric Rivera

After a public online vote, five young business owners and executives have been selected to compete in the final stage of the 2020 SEMA Launch Pad competition. They will now pitch their products and ideas to a panel of industry experts, who will select and announce a winner in SEMA360, Monday, November 2, at 5:00 p.m. (PST).

Available to business owners, executives and entrepreneurs under the age of 40 who are launching new automotive products, the SEMA Launch Pad supports young innovators and encourages future industry growth. This year’s finalists will pitch products that improve a vehicle owner’s safety, convenience and overall driving experience.

“We are excited to support to our young industry innovators by providing a platform to showcase their new ideas and products,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA vice president of councils and membership. “This year’s finalists represent a diverse group of products. We continue to be amazed and inspired by the ingenuity, talent and skills that the younger generation possesses.”

The finalists who will compete and pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts and leaders on Monday, November 2, in SEMA360 include:

• Justin Bradshaw, Director of REVER
  Product: Mobile App
  REVER is a mobile app and website for powersports enthusiasts to discover, track and share routes. The company has thousands of recommended roads for sports cars and off-highway users, as well as offline maps, turn-by-turn directions, friend tracker to view other people in your group in real-time, weather alerts and the first CarPlay compatible app of its kind for this specific audience.
• Khanjan Desai, Director of Alchemy
  Product: ExoShield
  ExoShield is a thin, transparent film that stops rock chips by increasing the impact resistance of the windshield by six. The advanced safety features in most modern cars use sensors that sit behind the windshield, which has driven up windshield replacement costs by three to five times, even for mid-level vehicles. ExoShield is powered by Alchemy’s proprietary nanocoatings, which allows it to be both impact and scratch resistant and prevents expensive windshield replacements for vehicle owners.
• Roland Hence, Director of FrontLane Inc.
  Product: Impulse – Emergency Brake Light
  The Impulse is a wireless, battery-powered emergency brake light that reduces rear-end collisions by pulsing eight ultra-bright LEDs under extreme braking situations to alert the following driver up to 50% quicker. Impulse can be installed on any passenger vehicle with a standard back windshield in seconds and has a four-year battery life.
• Matt Rafeld, Director of Beachcomber Offroad
  Product: Stowaway Door
  The Stowaway Door is designed for Jeep owners to enjoy door-free days without worrying about rain, cold or a little mud on the seats. When not in use, the soft-door folds to fit under the rear seat or anywhere you could store a small tent.
• Eric Rivera, Director of Dirt Dynamix
  Product: Truck Accessories
  Established August 2019, Dirt Dynamix designed and brought to market its Universal Truck Bed Mount—a simple and cost-effective way to offer shade via umbrella and/or mount any flag pole in the bed of any truck. Work, race or play—utilize your truck bed in any truck manner and one could benefit from this mount.

Industry professionals can watch as the five finalists compete on Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm (PST) by registering for SEMA360. Taking place 100% online, SEMA360 is the industry’s new event that was created to fill the void of the in-person SEMA Show not happening this year in Las Vegas.

To learn more about the competition and finalists, visit www.sema.org/launchpad. To register for SEMA360 and watch the finalists compete, apply at www.sema360.com.

By Ashley Reyes

Justin Bradshaw	Khanjan Desai	Roland Hence
Matt Rafeld	Eric Rivera

After a public online vote, five young business owners and executives have been selected to compete in the final stage of the 2020 SEMA Launch Pad competition. They will now pitch their products and ideas to a panel of industry experts, who will select and announce a winner in SEMA360, Monday, November 2, at 5:00 p.m. (PST).

Available to business owners, executives and entrepreneurs under the age of 40 who are launching new automotive products, the SEMA Launch Pad supports young innovators and encourages future industry growth. This year’s finalists will pitch products that improve a vehicle owner’s safety, convenience and overall driving experience.

“We are excited to support to our young industry innovators by providing a platform to showcase their new ideas and products,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA vice president of councils and membership. “This year’s finalists represent a diverse group of products. We continue to be amazed and inspired by the ingenuity, talent and skills that the younger generation possesses.”

The finalists who will compete and pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts and leaders on Monday, November 2, in SEMA360 include:

• Justin Bradshaw, Director of REVER
  Product: Mobile App
  REVER is a mobile app and website for powersports enthusiasts to discover, track and share routes. The company has thousands of recommended roads for sports cars and off-highway users, as well as offline maps, turn-by-turn directions, friend tracker to view other people in your group in real-time, weather alerts and the first CarPlay compatible app of its kind for this specific audience.
• Khanjan Desai, Director of Alchemy
  Product: ExoShield
  ExoShield is a thin, transparent film that stops rock chips by increasing the impact resistance of the windshield by six. The advanced safety features in most modern cars use sensors that sit behind the windshield, which has driven up windshield replacement costs by three to five times, even for mid-level vehicles. ExoShield is powered by Alchemy’s proprietary nanocoatings, which allows it to be both impact and scratch resistant and prevents expensive windshield replacements for vehicle owners.
• Roland Hence, Director of FrontLane Inc.
  Product: Impulse – Emergency Brake Light
  The Impulse is a wireless, battery-powered emergency brake light that reduces rear-end collisions by pulsing eight ultra-bright LEDs under extreme braking situations to alert the following driver up to 50% quicker. Impulse can be installed on any passenger vehicle with a standard back windshield in seconds and has a four-year battery life.
• Matt Rafeld, Director of Beachcomber Offroad
  Product: Stowaway Door
  The Stowaway Door is designed for Jeep owners to enjoy door-free days without worrying about rain, cold or a little mud on the seats. When not in use, the soft-door folds to fit under the rear seat or anywhere you could store a small tent.
• Eric Rivera, Director of Dirt Dynamix
  Product: Truck Accessories
  Established August 2019, Dirt Dynamix designed and brought to market its Universal Truck Bed Mount—a simple and cost-effective way to offer shade via umbrella and/or mount any flag pole in the bed of any truck. Work, race or play—utilize your truck bed in any truck manner and one could benefit from this mount.

Industry professionals can watch as the five finalists compete on Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm (PST) by registering for SEMA360. Taking place 100% online, SEMA360 is the industry’s new event that was created to fill the void of the in-person SEMA Show not happening this year in Las Vegas.

To learn more about the competition and finalists, visit www.sema.org/launchpad. To register for SEMA360 and watch the finalists compete, apply at www.sema360.com.

By Ashley Reyes

Justin Bradshaw	Khanjan Desai	Roland Hence
Matt Rafeld	Eric Rivera

After a public online vote, five young business owners and executives have been selected to compete in the final stage of the 2020 SEMA Launch Pad competition. They will now pitch their products and ideas to a panel of industry experts, who will select and announce a winner in SEMA360, Monday, November 2, at 5:00 p.m. (PST).

Available to business owners, executives and entrepreneurs under the age of 40 who are launching new automotive products, the SEMA Launch Pad supports young innovators and encourages future industry growth. This year’s finalists will pitch products that improve a vehicle owner’s safety, convenience and overall driving experience.

“We are excited to support to our young industry innovators by providing a platform to showcase their new ideas and products,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA vice president of councils and membership. “This year’s finalists represent a diverse group of products. We continue to be amazed and inspired by the ingenuity, talent and skills that the younger generation possesses.”

The finalists who will compete and pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts and leaders on Monday, November 2, in SEMA360 include:

• Justin Bradshaw, Director of REVER
  Product: Mobile App
  REVER is a mobile app and website for powersports enthusiasts to discover, track and share routes. The company has thousands of recommended roads for sports cars and off-highway users, as well as offline maps, turn-by-turn directions, friend tracker to view other people in your group in real-time, weather alerts and the first CarPlay compatible app of its kind for this specific audience.
• Khanjan Desai, Director of Alchemy
  Product: ExoShield
  ExoShield is a thin, transparent film that stops rock chips by increasing the impact resistance of the windshield by six. The advanced safety features in most modern cars use sensors that sit behind the windshield, which has driven up windshield replacement costs by three to five times, even for mid-level vehicles. ExoShield is powered by Alchemy’s proprietary nanocoatings, which allows it to be both impact and scratch resistant and prevents expensive windshield replacements for vehicle owners.
• Roland Hence, Director of FrontLane Inc.
  Product: Impulse – Emergency Brake Light
  The Impulse is a wireless, battery-powered emergency brake light that reduces rear-end collisions by pulsing eight ultra-bright LEDs under extreme braking situations to alert the following driver up to 50% quicker. Impulse can be installed on any passenger vehicle with a standard back windshield in seconds and has a four-year battery life.
• Matt Rafeld, Director of Beachcomber Offroad
  Product: Stowaway Door
  The Stowaway Door is designed for Jeep owners to enjoy door-free days without worrying about rain, cold or a little mud on the seats. When not in use, the soft-door folds to fit under the rear seat or anywhere you could store a small tent.
• Eric Rivera, Director of Dirt Dynamix
  Product: Truck Accessories
  Established August 2019, Dirt Dynamix designed and brought to market its Universal Truck Bed Mount—a simple and cost-effective way to offer shade via umbrella and/or mount any flag pole in the bed of any truck. Work, race or play—utilize your truck bed in any truck manner and one could benefit from this mount.

Industry professionals can watch as the five finalists compete on Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm (PST) by registering for SEMA360. Taking place 100% online, SEMA360 is the industry’s new event that was created to fill the void of the in-person SEMA Show not happening this year in Las Vegas.

To learn more about the competition and finalists, visit www.sema.org/launchpad. To register for SEMA360 and watch the finalists compete, apply at www.sema360.com.

By Ashley Reyes

Justin Bradshaw	Khanjan Desai	Roland Hence
Matt Rafeld	Eric Rivera

After a public online vote, five young business owners and executives have been selected to compete in the final stage of the 2020 SEMA Launch Pad competition. They will now pitch their products and ideas to a panel of industry experts, who will select and announce a winner in SEMA360, Monday, November 2, at 5:00 p.m. (PST).

Available to business owners, executives and entrepreneurs under the age of 40 who are launching new automotive products, the SEMA Launch Pad supports young innovators and encourages future industry growth. This year’s finalists will pitch products that improve a vehicle owner’s safety, convenience and overall driving experience.

“We are excited to support to our young industry innovators by providing a platform to showcase their new ideas and products,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA vice president of councils and membership. “This year’s finalists represent a diverse group of products. We continue to be amazed and inspired by the ingenuity, talent and skills that the younger generation possesses.”

The finalists who will compete and pitch their ideas to a panel of industry experts and leaders on Monday, November 2, in SEMA360 include:

• Justin Bradshaw, Director of REVER
  Product: Mobile App
  REVER is a mobile app and website for powersports enthusiasts to discover, track and share routes. The company has thousands of recommended roads for sports cars and off-highway users, as well as offline maps, turn-by-turn directions, friend tracker to view other people in your group in real-time, weather alerts and the first CarPlay compatible app of its kind for this specific audience.
• Khanjan Desai, Director of Alchemy
  Product: ExoShield
  ExoShield is a thin, transparent film that stops rock chips by increasing the impact resistance of the windshield by six. The advanced safety features in most modern cars use sensors that sit behind the windshield, which has driven up windshield replacement costs by three to five times, even for mid-level vehicles. ExoShield is powered by Alchemy’s proprietary nanocoatings, which allows it to be both impact and scratch resistant and prevents expensive windshield replacements for vehicle owners.
• Roland Hence, Director of FrontLane Inc.
  Product: Impulse – Emergency Brake Light
  The Impulse is a wireless, battery-powered emergency brake light that reduces rear-end collisions by pulsing eight ultra-bright LEDs under extreme braking situations to alert the following driver up to 50% quicker. Impulse can be installed on any passenger vehicle with a standard back windshield in seconds and has a four-year battery life.
• Matt Rafeld, Director of Beachcomber Offroad
  Product: Stowaway Door
  The Stowaway Door is designed for Jeep owners to enjoy door-free days without worrying about rain, cold or a little mud on the seats. When not in use, the soft-door folds to fit under the rear seat or anywhere you could store a small tent.
• Eric Rivera, Director of Dirt Dynamix
  Product: Truck Accessories
  Established August 2019, Dirt Dynamix designed and brought to market its Universal Truck Bed Mount—a simple and cost-effective way to offer shade via umbrella and/or mount any flag pole in the bed of any truck. Work, race or play—utilize your truck bed in any truck manner and one could benefit from this mount.

Industry professionals can watch as the five finalists compete on Monday, November 2, at 5:00 pm (PST) by registering for SEMA360. Taking place 100% online, SEMA360 is the industry’s new event that was created to fill the void of the in-person SEMA Show not happening this year in Las Vegas.

To learn more about the competition and finalists, visit www.sema.org/launchpad. To register for SEMA360 and watch the finalists compete, apply at www.sema360.com.