Compiled by SEMA Editors

NEWS NUGGETS

FREE NHRA DRIVER AUTOGRAPH SESSION TO KICK OFF LAS VEGAS EVENT: A free NHRA driver autograph session and fanfest, Thursday, April 4, at the New York New York Hotel & Casino will kick off the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The autograph session will take place from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. in the Staten Island Room, near the Sporting House Bar & Grill. The first 200 fans in line will receive a free Summit Racing hat. The event also will include driver question-and-answer sessions, music and door prizes. NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series drivers scheduled to participate include defending Top Fuel champion and points leader Antron Brown, 2012 Funny Car titleholder Jack Beckman, Tony Schumacher, Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, 2012 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Top Fuel winner Spencer Massey, Johnny Gray, Khalid alBalooshi, Shawn Langdon, Alexis DeJoria, Todd Lesenko, Terry McMillen, Tony Pedregon, David Grubnic, Del Worsham, Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Shane Gray, Terry Haddock, Jeff Arend, and Allen Johnson, who swept both 2012 Las Vegas national events in the Pro Stock category.

The SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals will be held April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series delivers the biggest names in professional drag racing twice each year to the facility. Pro (Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock) qualifying will take place Friday and Saturday, and eliminations will be held Sunday. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free. For tickets and information, call Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 800-644-4444, or log on to www.lvms.com.

TASCA SEEKING YOUNG ARTIST TO CREATE SPECIAL RACE CAR DESIGN: Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III has taken part in a very special program in each of his five years as a professional NHRA competitor. The program reaches above and beyond the reward of competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series for the established driver and his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford team, and the group hopes to bring a little joy to the lives of young individuals coping with the effects of juvenile diabetes while bringing attention to an important cause created to aid in research of the disease. The program invites children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to create a design for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Funny Car. Thanks to Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and its Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands, the young artist with the winning design will be awarded a trip to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, June 27–30, where he or she will have the opportunity to see his or her design in person and in action on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)-themed Ford Shelby Mustang.

“The designs these kids come up with are just incredible,” said Tasca, who recently participated in a T1D for a Day challenge to see what it’s like to live with T1D. “It really is an honor to help spread the word about JDRF and tell the story of what these kids live with every day. Their strength is amazing.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

COMING ATTRACTIONS



SUMMITRACING.COM NHRA NATIONALS, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 5–7: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fourth of 24 races on the circuit. Drivers in the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock classes will earn points toward the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com.

DOLLAR GENERAL NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS, zMAX Dragway, April 19–21: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Bellagio of Dragstrips in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the fifth of 24 events. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will compete in a four-wide configuration and earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season points standings. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-455-FANS or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

O'REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS, Royal Purple Raceway, April 26–28: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Lone Star State for the sixth of 24 events of the 2013 season. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

FRESH OFF A VICTORY, PRO STOCK'S JOHNSON READY TO GO FOR TWO IN A ROW: After a tough start to the 2013 season, Defending NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson returned to his winning ways with a victory at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. This was the first win at this track for the Tennessee native, and he looks to continue riding this momentum as the Mello Yello Series heads to Las Vegas.

“I think we’re one of the premier teams in Pro Stock now, and I think anyone would tell you that," Johnson said. "We’ve got a crew that makes great decisions based on scientific methods and data, and we keep improving those decision-making tools. We’ll be right there again [for the championship].”




INSIDE THE NUMBERS

$12,025: AMOUNT NHRA DRIVERS HELPED SONOMA RACEWAY RAISE FOR CHARITY: Lucas Oil Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Hector Arana Jr. and Adam Arana and Funny Car driver Josh Crawford helped raise more than $12,000 for charity last Saturday as part of Sonoma Raceway's NHRA Tour de Charity. The Arana brothers and Crawford raced against fans at the Sonoma Raceway Karting Center in the sold-out event that raised $12,025 for Speedway Children's Charities. The event has raised more than $122,000 in its 11 years.

"I've never really done an event like this, and I loved it," Arana Jr. said. "It's great interacting with the fans and having the time to really talk to them. Plus, I had a really good time racing with my brother, even though he beat me."

For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com.




DID YOU KNOW…

COUGHLIN NAMED FAN-VOTE WINNER IN K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR: NHRA Pro Stock fans have spoken, and their choice for the No. 8 starting spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge for the second year in a row is Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger. Coughlin will go for his fourth victory in the bonus event for qualified Pro Stock teams starting with a first-round meeting with event top seed Allen Johnson, driver of the Team Mopar Dodge Avenger.

The 29th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge will be conducted during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, Saturday, April 6, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event will be televised by ESPN2HD. Coughlin won the fan vote by a wide margin, receiving roughly one-third of the total votes cast by NHRA fans since voting began in February. Coughlin has scored victories in the K&N Horsepower Challenge in 2009, 2000 and 1999.

“It’s an honor to win the final spot for the K&N Horsepower Challenge,” Coughlin said. “A big thank you to all of our fans and friends that propelled us to this position. We look forward to answering the effort with a big win in Vegas.”

The K&N Horsepower Challenge is a race within a race, showcasing the top drivers in NHRA Pro Stock competition, for which the winner receives $50,000. The runner-up will receive $10,000, the two semifinalists will each receive $3,000 and the four first-round finishers will each receive $2,500. As part of the program, a $3,000 bonus is awarded to the No. 1 qualifier at each NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event. In addition, eight fans were selected in an online drawing on the K&N website as part of the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes. Those eight winners will receive a trip for two to the race, where each fan will be paired with a driver in the K&N Horsepower Challenge. The fan paired with the winning driver will leave the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in a ’13 K&N Horsepower Challenge special-edition Toyota Tacoma—a midsize pickup created by Toyota Racing Development and K&N Filters for this event with modifications that include a supercharger, custom wheel and tire package, shocks and springs.

For tickets for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, log on to www.lvms.com or call 800-644-4444.

SEMA News—March 2013

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Recruiting With Social Media

For Many Businesses, Better Candidates at Reduced Cost

Social media is now a serious player in employee recruitment, in many cases significantly reducing the cost per hire for companies while simultaneously bringing in higher-quality talent, according to many recruiters.

“Underneath the iceberg of vacant jobs advertised on job boards and newspapers, a strong, invisible current of talent is ingeniously using social media to identify and strategize their next career moves,” said Charles Van Heerden, general manager at WaveBox Consulting.

Jill Erickson agreed. She is the chief revenue officer at Gild, a recruiting agency specializing in computer programmer hires.

“Digital and social media are completely remodeling the way organizations identify, engage and recruit today’s best candidates,” she said.

A full 75% of recruiter respondents to the “2012 Talent Acquisition/Recruiting Survey” by Staffing Industry Analysts thought that the use of social media in recruiting was a wise move. And a Jobvite survey of more than 1,000 recruiting pros found that 49% of those who use social media to recruit reported that the tool brought in higher-quality job candidates.

Of course, not everyone is convinced. More than half (55%) of 200 human resources directors surveyed in the United Kingdom during the spring of 2012 saw social media as an ineffective recruitment tool. And an additional 15% of that group remained unconvinced that social media was worth the investment.

“While professional networking sites such as LinkedIn continue to connect business professionals, our research shows that hiring managers still prefer more traditional recruitment methods, such as using online job boards, employee referrals and recruitment consultancies,” said Phil Sheridan, a U.K.-based managing director at Robert Half, the recruiting consulting firm that conducted the survey. “It seems most employers still believe this to be the most effective approach for screening candidates and assessing competencies.”

But while there are plenty of naysayers, proponents countered that the disenchanted just may be doing it wrong. Too many businesses, they said, make the mistake of simply broadcasting job openings on the social networks and hoping for the applicants to roll in. (If you tweet it, they will come.)

While that method generally yields marginal results, businesses experiencing the greatest success using social media for recruiting realized that their presence on communities such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter must be a credible, ongoing, two-way conversation.

“The importance of reputation management cannot be overemphasized,” said WaveBox’s Van Heerden, “and a high level of authenticity needs to exist.”

	At Facebook, staffers make it easy for employers and job candidates to connect.

Moreover, many human resources departments overlook the fact that all those social interactions company employees are engaging in on the networks every day can easily be transformed into recruiting opportunities with just a little ingenuity.

Bottom line: If you’re considering adding social media to your web recruiting mix, experts such as Van Heerden and others suggest that you incorporate these best practices into your strategy:

Think Long-Term: Generally, social-media recruiting is an ongoing investment centered on building and nurturing relationships. If you’re looking for a quick hit, you’ll have only marginal results.

Cultivate Two-Way Conversations: Companies that see social media as just another broadcasting medium are doomed. Social media is by its nature a two-way conversation. So you’ll want someone on staff continually interacting with prospective job candidates on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networks where your candidates congregate.

Create a Social-Media Talent Pool: As you monitor the conversations your company is engaging in with prospective candidates, top talent will naturally emerge. Once you’ve identified these individuals, filling your next position can be as easy as cherry picking from la crème de la crème.

Enlist Employees as Company Emissaries: Employees encouraged to participate beyond company walls on social media naturally gravitate toward those of like minds and skills. Chances are, they’ll also have a very good idea about who the best candidates are based on those interactions. Offer a commission for successful employee recommendations arising from those conversations, and you’ll soon have a reliable, new source for future employees.

Develop a Company Alumni Network: Employees who leave your business on friendly terms can become excellent scouts for future hires. Actively create and nurture an alumni network of these former employees, and encourage them to socialize freely on the social networks with your current employees. The next time you have a position to fill, your alumni will be a great go-to source.

Go Graphic: Pinterest, one of the fastest-growing social networks on the web, got popular by inviting people to post image collections of the things and thoughts that move them. Many businesses are leveraging this environment to create vibrant image collections of what it’s like to work at their companies.

Consider Human Resources Software That Is Driven by Social Media: Human resources packages, such as those from Jobvite, make the most of social media in the prospecting and hiring process. Find a package that’s right for your business, and commit to it.

Closely Integrate Mobile Into Any Effort: The world—along with social media and web recruiting—is quickly embracing mobile as the primary device for computing. Stay ahead of the trend. Ensure that every facet of your social-media recruiting is easily accessible via mobile.

Evaluate Targeted Facebook Advertising: Facebook enables you to advertise job openings using highly specific search criteria, including age, sex, location and specific keywords related to the position. Once you’ve tweaked the optimum combination of variables, Facebook calculates how many of its members fit your search parameters and allows you to advertise on a pay-per-click or pay-per-impression basis. You can also pre-set the maximum budget you’re willing to spend, and you can run your ad on Facebook continuously or during a certain period.

Work Those Twitter Hashtags: You can bring in a highly specific group of job applicants on Twitter using well-thought-out hashtags. One example: Tweeting #secretarialjob will trigger a torrent of interest, most of it unwanted. By comparison, #secretarialjobKansasCity is a bull’s-eye.

Create a Social-Media Recruiting Position: Not every business can afford the luxury. But those with deeper pockets should have a full-time staff position dedicated to leveraging social media in web recruiting. Technology, culture and perceived cool morph at a blistering pace on the social networks. You’ll get the most bang for the buck with someone who knows what’s what—and what’s so yesterday.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.
For more information: 646-233-4089; joe@joedysart.com
visit www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—March 2013

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

Considering Mexico

Strong Growth and Fatter Pocketbooks Warrant a Closer Look at the Potential in Latin America’s Second-Largest Economy

	The SEMA Show is an excellent venue to connect with buyers from more than 100 countries. Pictured here is the annual International Happy Hour bringing together U.S. exhibitors and international retailers and distributors.

Automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers might want to take a look at selling into Mexico, the second-largest export market for the United States.

According to the International Monetary Fund, 85% of the world’s growth—and new customers—over the next five years are located outside the United States, and our neighbor to the South is an increasingly interesting market.

Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, has a population of 116 million and is enjoying healthy economic growth. It also has a growing middle class and is finally witnessing a reduction in the mostly drug-related violence that peaked over the past five years.

Among the positive indicators:

• Economy Strong, Middle Class Growing: In sharp contrast to the economic woes of 2007–2008, when Mexico’s economy shrank by 6%, its economy grew 4% last year—quicker than even Brazil’s. Credit is increasingly available, inflation is under control and more of the population is joining the middle class, according to a new study put out by the Wilson Center based in Washington, D.C.
• Sizable Passenger Vehicle Market and Healthy Annual Sales: Mexico has 20 million motor vehicles in circulation, with strong annual sales of about 1 million.
• Mexicans Love Trucks: Mexican motorists enjoy and use light trucks. Between 2005–2011, 40% of all vehicles sold in Mexico were pickups and SUVs.
• Similar Vehicle Demographics: Many of the vehicles sold in Mexico are the same models that sell well in the United States. Between 2005–2011, the best-selling pickups in Mexico were Ford’s F-150 and F-250, with 232,810 units sold. The Chevrolet Silverado was also a top model, with 164,928 sold during that period. Jeep sales were also strong, with 145,397 sold between 2005–2011, and Ford also sold 13,511 Mustangs between those same years.

• 	Mexicans are big fans of musclecars, both classic and more current models. Between 2005–2011, 13,511 Mustangs were sold in Mexico.
  	The Automechanika show attracts buyers from throughout Latin America.

  Mexico as an Entryway: The country is an increasingly important gateway to the rest of Latin America. Mexico has free-trade agreements with 44 countries—more than any other country in the world—including the 2004 North American Free Trade Agreement, which eliminated most tariffs between Mexico, Canada and the United States.
• No Argentinian or Brazilian Tariffs: Among the many trade deals negotiated by Mexico is its most recently modified pact with Argentina, which allows Mexico to export up to $600 million in Mexican vehicles to that country without tariffs. Mexico also has a free-trade deal with Brazil. Both Brazil and Argentina are notorious for their high tariffs, but their agreements with Mexico allow vehicles and parts—up to a certain limit—to be shipped to those countries tariff free.
• OEM Production: There are nine manufacturers producing vehicles in Mexico, including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and others. These days, Marcos Alvarez, business director of Big Country America, is quite optimistic about sales opportunities in Mexico and indirectly to the rest of Latin America. Alvarez notes, “International eyes are on Mexico now under what has been called MEMO [Mexican Moment], as quality, lead times, trust and currency and political stability are bringing back manufacturing from Asia to Mexico.” By selling to the vehicle manufacturers’ Mexican operations, SEMA members can find an additional route to reach South and Central American markets.

There are two excellent upcoming opportunities to explore the Mexican market. For the first, you don’t even need to leave the United States.

The annual SEMA Show, held each year in early November, draws more than 130,000 visitors, and 25% of all buyers attending the trade-only event come from outside the United States, including large numbers from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Another first-rate automotive event where companies should consider exhibiting is the annual PAACE Automechanika show, which will be held July 10–12, 2013, at Centro Banamex in Mexico City. The 2012 event boasted 14% growth, with 541 exhibiting companies from 20 countries and 19,763 visits by specialized buyers from more than 33 countries.

This year, PAACE Automechanika will feature a specialized vehicle area where the cars will be categorized as “Import,” “Euro,” “Racing” and “Classic.”

For more information about SEMA’s international programs, both year-round and at the SEMA Show, contact SEMA Director of International Relations Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

For more information about PAACE Automechanika, contact paminfo@usa.messefrankfurt.com.

SEMA News—March 2013

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

Considering Mexico

Strong Growth and Fatter Pocketbooks Warrant a Closer Look at the Potential in Latin America’s Second-Largest Economy

	The SEMA Show is an excellent venue to connect with buyers from more than 100 countries. Pictured here is the annual International Happy Hour bringing together U.S. exhibitors and international retailers and distributors.

Automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers might want to take a look at selling into Mexico, the second-largest export market for the United States.

According to the International Monetary Fund, 85% of the world’s growth—and new customers—over the next five years are located outside the United States, and our neighbor to the South is an increasingly interesting market.

Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, has a population of 116 million and is enjoying healthy economic growth. It also has a growing middle class and is finally witnessing a reduction in the mostly drug-related violence that peaked over the past five years.

Among the positive indicators:

• Economy Strong, Middle Class Growing: In sharp contrast to the economic woes of 2007–2008, when Mexico’s economy shrank by 6%, its economy grew 4% last year—quicker than even Brazil’s. Credit is increasingly available, inflation is under control and more of the population is joining the middle class, according to a new study put out by the Wilson Center based in Washington, D.C.
• Sizable Passenger Vehicle Market and Healthy Annual Sales: Mexico has 20 million motor vehicles in circulation, with strong annual sales of about 1 million.
• Mexicans Love Trucks: Mexican motorists enjoy and use light trucks. Between 2005–2011, 40% of all vehicles sold in Mexico were pickups and SUVs.
• Similar Vehicle Demographics: Many of the vehicles sold in Mexico are the same models that sell well in the United States. Between 2005–2011, the best-selling pickups in Mexico were Ford’s F-150 and F-250, with 232,810 units sold. The Chevrolet Silverado was also a top model, with 164,928 sold during that period. Jeep sales were also strong, with 145,397 sold between 2005–2011, and Ford also sold 13,511 Mustangs between those same years.

• 	Mexicans are big fans of musclecars, both classic and more current models. Between 2005–2011, 13,511 Mustangs were sold in Mexico.
  	The Automechanika show attracts buyers from throughout Latin America.

  Mexico as an Entryway: The country is an increasingly important gateway to the rest of Latin America. Mexico has free-trade agreements with 44 countries—more than any other country in the world—including the 2004 North American Free Trade Agreement, which eliminated most tariffs between Mexico, Canada and the United States.
• No Argentinian or Brazilian Tariffs: Among the many trade deals negotiated by Mexico is its most recently modified pact with Argentina, which allows Mexico to export up to $600 million in Mexican vehicles to that country without tariffs. Mexico also has a free-trade deal with Brazil. Both Brazil and Argentina are notorious for their high tariffs, but their agreements with Mexico allow vehicles and parts—up to a certain limit—to be shipped to those countries tariff free.
• OEM Production: There are nine manufacturers producing vehicles in Mexico, including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and others. These days, Marcos Alvarez, business director of Big Country America, is quite optimistic about sales opportunities in Mexico and indirectly to the rest of Latin America. Alvarez notes, “International eyes are on Mexico now under what has been called MEMO [Mexican Moment], as quality, lead times, trust and currency and political stability are bringing back manufacturing from Asia to Mexico.” By selling to the vehicle manufacturers’ Mexican operations, SEMA members can find an additional route to reach South and Central American markets.

There are two excellent upcoming opportunities to explore the Mexican market. For the first, you don’t even need to leave the United States.

The annual SEMA Show, held each year in early November, draws more than 130,000 visitors, and 25% of all buyers attending the trade-only event come from outside the United States, including large numbers from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Another first-rate automotive event where companies should consider exhibiting is the annual PAACE Automechanika show, which will be held July 10–12, 2013, at Centro Banamex in Mexico City. The 2012 event boasted 14% growth, with 541 exhibiting companies from 20 countries and 19,763 visits by specialized buyers from more than 33 countries.

This year, PAACE Automechanika will feature a specialized vehicle area where the cars will be categorized as “Import,” “Euro,” “Racing” and “Classic.”

For more information about SEMA’s international programs, both year-round and at the SEMA Show, contact SEMA Director of International Relations Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

For more information about PAACE Automechanika, contact paminfo@usa.messefrankfurt.com.

By SEMA Editors

	The online version of the 2012 SEMA News Product & Catalog Showcase is featured in the November 2012 issue of SEMA News.

Generate buzz for your products and services by participating in the 2013 SEMA News Product and Catalog Showcase featured in the June issue of SEMA News.

The Product and Catalog Showcase remains one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise in SEMA News, helping members reach more customers specific to the specialty-equipment market. Only offered twice per year in the June and November issues of SEMA News, guarantee yourself a spot in this highlighted showcase and boost your branding efforts!

Simply provide a four-color image of your new product or your catalog cover, along with about 75 words of text and we'll build a 1/6-page ad for you. The cost is $250. Space is limited, so don't delay. View the online version of the 2012 SEMA News Product & Catalog Showcase, featured in the November 2012 issue of SEMA News.

To get started, contact Brian Paik at 909-978-6677 or Monica Terlouw at 909-978-6695.

By SEMA Editors

	The online version of the 2012 SEMA News Product & Catalog Showcase is featured in the November 2012 issue of SEMA News.

Generate buzz for your products and services by participating in the 2013 SEMA News Product and Catalog Showcase featured in the June issue of SEMA News.

The Product and Catalog Showcase remains one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise in SEMA News, helping members reach more customers specific to the specialty-equipment market. Only offered twice per year in the June and November issues of SEMA News, guarantee yourself a spot in this highlighted showcase and boost your branding efforts!

Simply provide a four-color image of your new product or your catalog cover, along with about 75 words of text and we'll build a 1/6-page ad for you. The cost is $250. Space is limited, so don't delay. View the online version of the 2012 SEMA News Product & Catalog Showcase, featured in the November 2012 issue of SEMA News.

To get started, contact Brian Paik at 909-978-6677 or Monica Terlouw at 909-978-6695.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NASCAR Racing Returns to Irwindale
On January 4, 2013, after a year when there was no NASCAR Home Track racing at Irwindale Speedway, the new on-site management team announced that short-track stock-car racing would return to Southern California, and to the track that has the reputation for producing some of the most competitive, three-wide plus oval track racing on the planet.

Opening night 2013—the first of 14 nights of renewed NASCAR Whelen All-American action—is set for April 6, with a full card of racing divisions. First-night fans will find a great line-up of NASCAR divisions: Super Late Models, Late Models, Super Stocks and Mini Stocks will all go on the oval tracks, and a Demolition Derby will close out the night.

On April 6, fan gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the On-Track Autograph Session will start at 5:45 p.m. Veteran drivers and rookies alike will all be on hand at Irwindale Speedway. Tickets are now available for opening night and the 2013 season on the track's website.

	Falken Tire has expanded its Falken Tire Cup contingency program for 2013 Formula Drift privateer competitors.

Falken Tire Cup Expands Contingency Program for 2013 Formula Drift Entrants
Falken Tire has expanded its Falken Tire Cup contingency program for 2013 Formula Drift privateer competitors.
 
Now in its second year, the Falken Tire Cup was established to give Formula D private entrants the opportunity to earn significant contingency funds by awarding $5,000 to the highest finishing driver participating in the program. Last year, Privateer Kenneth Moen took home the Cup and $5,000 prize among 25 drivers who took part. Participants in the Falken Tire Cup will also be able to take advantage of a special Falken Tire discount purchase program. Additional requirements for involvement in the Falken Tire Cup include:

• Drivers will be required to run Falken Tires on all four positions of their vehicle at all Formula D events. The minimum signage requirements include one 20-in. Falken Tire decal on the front bumper or hood position as well as at least one 24-in. decal on both sides of the vehicle. Falken Tire Cup drivers must also wear a Falken Tire patch (or embroidery) on their driver suit as well as a Falken Tire banner in their team’s pit space.
• Teams must participate in at least four rounds of the 2013 Formula D championship series.

Round 1 of the 2013 Formula Drift Championship is in Southern California as teams will again compete on the Long Beach Grand Prix street course, April 12–13. View this year's event schedule.

Carroll Shelby has been inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame.

Automotive Legend and American Icon Carroll Shelby Inducted into SCCA Hall of Fame
Carroll Shelby has been inducted into the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the SCCA’s Annual Meeting on March 2, 2013, at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. The award will reside with the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and eventually the Carroll Shelby Foundation, established by the automotive legend in 1991 after his successful heart transplant.

Carroll Shelby was involved with the SCCA for more than 50 years and his impact on the club continues today. As a driver, he took home the SCCA National Championship in 1956. When Shelby turned professional, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 and competed in eight Formula One races before his career was cut short with a heart ailment.

Shelby’s involvement with the SCCA continued in the ’60s through his Cobra sports car and then his efforts turned the Ford GT40 into a winner that defeated Ferrari.

	FOX athletes took 16 podium positions in the first two rounds of racing at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) season opener in Phoenix.

FOX Athletes Take 16 Podiums at LOORRS Season Opener
FOX athletes took 16 podium positions in the first two rounds of racing at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) season opener in Phoenix.

Marty Hart got the ball rolling with a Pro 2 win in round one. Hart backed up his win with a second-place finish last Sunday, leaving Firebird International Raceway as the Pro 2 points leader.

Rob MacCachren had a solid weekend with a third-place finish in both Pro 2 and his brand-new Pro 4. Eric Barron and Jeff Geiser also finished on the podium in Pro 4 and Pro 2.

The Pro Lite class exploded with 27 trucks competing for the top spots. A race filled with crashes and caution flags did not deter FOX athlete Brian Deegan from taking the win. Deegan was back on the podium with a third place in round two finishing just behind Sheldon Creed, who earned his first podium of the season in second.

Pro Buggy is more about finesse than power. In round one, Bradley Morris took the victory in the ex-Cameron Steele car, Geoffrey Cooley took second and Dave Mason Jr., was third. In round two, it was Cooley who battled his way past Morris, Mason and defending champion Steve Greinke for the victory. Greinke was second and Mason took another third.

	Behind the wheel of the BKR #19 Ford will be a rotating team of drivers, including Brad Keselowski, Joey Lagano and Ross Chastain.

Cequent Continues Partnership with Brad Keselowski Racing for 2013
Cequent Performance Products will continue its partnership with Brad Keselowski Racing for the 2013 season. Draw-Tite will sponsor seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races beginning in Charlotte, May 17. Bulldog will make its debut at the Texas Motor Speedway, June 7, in its first race ever. Behind the wheel of the BKR #19 Ford will be a rotating team of drivers, including Keselowski, Joey Lagano and Ross Chastain.

Sellout Crowd Honors 11 Drag-Racing Legends
The drag-racing world honored 11 of its heroes and contributors to the sport at the recent International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner presented by the NHRA, Summit Racing Equipment and Lucas Oil Products Inc., March 14, in the ballroom of the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites in Gainesville, Florida. The room was filled with more than 500 current and former racers, sanctioning body officials, sponsors and fans, paying tribute to the inductees whose accomplishments, both on and off the track, helped build the sport.

The Class of 2013 included Dave Boertman, Wally Booth, Bernie Fedderly, Harry Hibler, the Top Fuel race team of Kenny Hirata, Phil Hobbs and Bobby Vodnik, the late K.S. “Tiger” Pittman, the late Dick Rosberg and Louis Senter. Also honored with the Founders Award was Dr. Robert Post, PhD., whose book, High Performance – The Culture and Technology of Drag Racing, 1950-2000 is recognized worldwide as a definitive reference work about the people and machines that developed the sport of drag racing.

For the first time, World Champions were a major part of the evening’s program—from current NHRA/Mello Yello Drag Racing Series World Champions Allen Johnson (Pro Stock – presenting Boertman), Antron Brown (Top Fuel – presenting Senter) and Jack Beckman (Funny Car – presenting the Hirata, Hobbs & Vodnik team) to former Funny Car World Champion John Force and Top Fuel pilot Terry Capps presenting their colleague and former crew chief Fedderly.

Other presenters included drag-racing historian/artist and Senior Editor of National Dragster John Jodauga presenting Booth, Greg Sharp, curator of the Wally Parks/NHRA Museum, introducing the family of Pitman, Rockingham Dragway President Steve Earwood introducing the family of Rosberg and 2012 Hall of Fame inductee and veteran engine builder Ed Pink presenting his best friend Hibler. Dr. Post, who could not attend the dinner, was represented by noted drag-racing historian and editor of Hot Rod DeLuxe magazine, Dave Wallace, who accepted the award from Hall of Fame member and Funny Car driver Bruce Larson—a friend of Dr. Post.

	This year, the Great Race starts in St. Paul, Minnesota, and finishes in Mobile, Alabama.

Champion “Classic & Muscle Motor Oil” to Participate in 2013 Great Race
Champion Oil is participating with three teams of drivers in a vintage and collector car competitive rally that follows North to South along the Mississippi River. The winner of the Great Race receives $50,000 and total prize money for the event is $150,000. This year, the Great Race starts in St. Paul, Minnesota. From there, it will run South with overnights in Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi toward its finish line in Mobile, Alabama. In all, the race will cover 2,100 miles, cross into 10 states in nine days, and afford numerous sights and crossings over the Mississippi River.

The Great Race, presented by Hemmings Motor News and Coker Tire, is an automotive competition based on precision driving and navigational skills in classic, antique and vintage automobiles. The competition, which was founded in 1983, contains numerous timed endurance rally stages. Vehicle entries must have been manufactured in ’69 or earlier with a competition crew of a driver and navigator in each competing vehicle.

Team Falken Tire's third-place finish in the final American Le Mans Series 12 Hours of Sebring puts the team in third place in the championship heading into Round Two.

Team Falken Tire Earns Podium Finish at Sebring 12 Hour
Team Falken Tire raced from a 12th-place starting position to be a top contender for a majority of the 61st Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida before earning the final step on the victory podium. All race long, the 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR pushed forward, fighting through one of the most competitive GT classes the American Le Mans Series has seen.
 
Wolf Henzler started the endurance event in 12th and in the first lap, the Falken Tire Porsche had gained six positions. Henzler and co-drivers Bryan Sellers and Nick Tandy each completed single stints for the first driver rotation, fighting their way up the GT class and holding on to their positions. Team Falken Tire was able to make consistent lap times, race clean and stay in the top five for a majority of the 12-hour race. Finishing in third place in the final American Le Mans Series 12 Hours of Sebring puts the team in third place in the championship heading into Round Two.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NASCAR Racing Returns to Irwindale
On January 4, 2013, after a year when there was no NASCAR Home Track racing at Irwindale Speedway, the new on-site management team announced that short-track stock-car racing would return to Southern California, and to the track that has the reputation for producing some of the most competitive, three-wide plus oval track racing on the planet.

Opening night 2013—the first of 14 nights of renewed NASCAR Whelen All-American action—is set for April 6, with a full card of racing divisions. First-night fans will find a great line-up of NASCAR divisions: Super Late Models, Late Models, Super Stocks and Mini Stocks will all go on the oval tracks, and a Demolition Derby will close out the night.

On April 6, fan gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the On-Track Autograph Session will start at 5:45 p.m. Veteran drivers and rookies alike will all be on hand at Irwindale Speedway. Tickets are now available for opening night and the 2013 season on the track's website.

	Falken Tire has expanded its Falken Tire Cup contingency program for 2013 Formula Drift privateer competitors.

Falken Tire Cup Expands Contingency Program for 2013 Formula Drift Entrants
Falken Tire has expanded its Falken Tire Cup contingency program for 2013 Formula Drift privateer competitors.
 
Now in its second year, the Falken Tire Cup was established to give Formula D private entrants the opportunity to earn significant contingency funds by awarding $5,000 to the highest finishing driver participating in the program. Last year, Privateer Kenneth Moen took home the Cup and $5,000 prize among 25 drivers who took part. Participants in the Falken Tire Cup will also be able to take advantage of a special Falken Tire discount purchase program. Additional requirements for involvement in the Falken Tire Cup include:

• Drivers will be required to run Falken Tires on all four positions of their vehicle at all Formula D events. The minimum signage requirements include one 20-in. Falken Tire decal on the front bumper or hood position as well as at least one 24-in. decal on both sides of the vehicle. Falken Tire Cup drivers must also wear a Falken Tire patch (or embroidery) on their driver suit as well as a Falken Tire banner in their team’s pit space.
• Teams must participate in at least four rounds of the 2013 Formula D championship series.

Round 1 of the 2013 Formula Drift Championship is in Southern California as teams will again compete on the Long Beach Grand Prix street course, April 12–13. View this year's event schedule.

Carroll Shelby has been inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame.

Automotive Legend and American Icon Carroll Shelby Inducted into SCCA Hall of Fame
Carroll Shelby has been inducted into the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the SCCA’s Annual Meeting on March 2, 2013, at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. The award will reside with the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust and eventually the Carroll Shelby Foundation, established by the automotive legend in 1991 after his successful heart transplant.

Carroll Shelby was involved with the SCCA for more than 50 years and his impact on the club continues today. As a driver, he took home the SCCA National Championship in 1956. When Shelby turned professional, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 and competed in eight Formula One races before his career was cut short with a heart ailment.

Shelby’s involvement with the SCCA continued in the ’60s through his Cobra sports car and then his efforts turned the Ford GT40 into a winner that defeated Ferrari.

	FOX athletes took 16 podium positions in the first two rounds of racing at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) season opener in Phoenix.

FOX Athletes Take 16 Podiums at LOORRS Season Opener
FOX athletes took 16 podium positions in the first two rounds of racing at the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) season opener in Phoenix.

Marty Hart got the ball rolling with a Pro 2 win in round one. Hart backed up his win with a second-place finish last Sunday, leaving Firebird International Raceway as the Pro 2 points leader.

Rob MacCachren had a solid weekend with a third-place finish in both Pro 2 and his brand-new Pro 4. Eric Barron and Jeff Geiser also finished on the podium in Pro 4 and Pro 2.

The Pro Lite class exploded with 27 trucks competing for the top spots. A race filled with crashes and caution flags did not deter FOX athlete Brian Deegan from taking the win. Deegan was back on the podium with a third place in round two finishing just behind Sheldon Creed, who earned his first podium of the season in second.

Pro Buggy is more about finesse than power. In round one, Bradley Morris took the victory in the ex-Cameron Steele car, Geoffrey Cooley took second and Dave Mason Jr., was third. In round two, it was Cooley who battled his way past Morris, Mason and defending champion Steve Greinke for the victory. Greinke was second and Mason took another third.

	Behind the wheel of the BKR #19 Ford will be a rotating team of drivers, including Brad Keselowski, Joey Lagano and Ross Chastain.

Cequent Continues Partnership with Brad Keselowski Racing for 2013
Cequent Performance Products will continue its partnership with Brad Keselowski Racing for the 2013 season. Draw-Tite will sponsor seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races beginning in Charlotte, May 17. Bulldog will make its debut at the Texas Motor Speedway, June 7, in its first race ever. Behind the wheel of the BKR #19 Ford will be a rotating team of drivers, including Keselowski, Joey Lagano and Ross Chastain.

Sellout Crowd Honors 11 Drag-Racing Legends
The drag-racing world honored 11 of its heroes and contributors to the sport at the recent International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner presented by the NHRA, Summit Racing Equipment and Lucas Oil Products Inc., March 14, in the ballroom of the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites in Gainesville, Florida. The room was filled with more than 500 current and former racers, sanctioning body officials, sponsors and fans, paying tribute to the inductees whose accomplishments, both on and off the track, helped build the sport.

The Class of 2013 included Dave Boertman, Wally Booth, Bernie Fedderly, Harry Hibler, the Top Fuel race team of Kenny Hirata, Phil Hobbs and Bobby Vodnik, the late K.S. “Tiger” Pittman, the late Dick Rosberg and Louis Senter. Also honored with the Founders Award was Dr. Robert Post, PhD., whose book, High Performance – The Culture and Technology of Drag Racing, 1950-2000 is recognized worldwide as a definitive reference work about the people and machines that developed the sport of drag racing.

For the first time, World Champions were a major part of the evening’s program—from current NHRA/Mello Yello Drag Racing Series World Champions Allen Johnson (Pro Stock – presenting Boertman), Antron Brown (Top Fuel – presenting Senter) and Jack Beckman (Funny Car – presenting the Hirata, Hobbs & Vodnik team) to former Funny Car World Champion John Force and Top Fuel pilot Terry Capps presenting their colleague and former crew chief Fedderly.

Other presenters included drag-racing historian/artist and Senior Editor of National Dragster John Jodauga presenting Booth, Greg Sharp, curator of the Wally Parks/NHRA Museum, introducing the family of Pitman, Rockingham Dragway President Steve Earwood introducing the family of Rosberg and 2012 Hall of Fame inductee and veteran engine builder Ed Pink presenting his best friend Hibler. Dr. Post, who could not attend the dinner, was represented by noted drag-racing historian and editor of Hot Rod DeLuxe magazine, Dave Wallace, who accepted the award from Hall of Fame member and Funny Car driver Bruce Larson—a friend of Dr. Post.

	This year, the Great Race starts in St. Paul, Minnesota, and finishes in Mobile, Alabama.

Champion “Classic & Muscle Motor Oil” to Participate in 2013 Great Race
Champion Oil is participating with three teams of drivers in a vintage and collector car competitive rally that follows North to South along the Mississippi River. The winner of the Great Race receives $50,000 and total prize money for the event is $150,000. This year, the Great Race starts in St. Paul, Minnesota. From there, it will run South with overnights in Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi toward its finish line in Mobile, Alabama. In all, the race will cover 2,100 miles, cross into 10 states in nine days, and afford numerous sights and crossings over the Mississippi River.

The Great Race, presented by Hemmings Motor News and Coker Tire, is an automotive competition based on precision driving and navigational skills in classic, antique and vintage automobiles. The competition, which was founded in 1983, contains numerous timed endurance rally stages. Vehicle entries must have been manufactured in ’69 or earlier with a competition crew of a driver and navigator in each competing vehicle.

Team Falken Tire's third-place finish in the final American Le Mans Series 12 Hours of Sebring puts the team in third place in the championship heading into Round Two.

Team Falken Tire Earns Podium Finish at Sebring 12 Hour
Team Falken Tire raced from a 12th-place starting position to be a top contender for a majority of the 61st Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida before earning the final step on the victory podium. All race long, the 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR pushed forward, fighting through one of the most competitive GT classes the American Le Mans Series has seen.
 
Wolf Henzler started the endurance event in 12th and in the first lap, the Falken Tire Porsche had gained six positions. Henzler and co-drivers Bryan Sellers and Nick Tandy each completed single stints for the first driver rotation, fighting their way up the GT class and holding on to their positions. Team Falken Tire was able to make consistent lap times, race clean and stay in the top five for a majority of the 12-hour race. Finishing in third place in the final American Le Mans Series 12 Hours of Sebring puts the team in third place in the championship heading into Round Two.

By SEMA Staff

	The deadline for priority booth space selection for the 2013 SEMA Show is April 5.

The deadline for priority booth space selection for the 2013 SEMA Show is April 5. While submissions are accepted anytime before the event takes place from November 5–8, 2013, manufacturers who return their Exhibit Space Rental Agreement (ESRA) with a deposit by April 5 will have greater opportunities to collaborate with Show organizers and participate in the Priority Booth Selection Process.

The selection process is the first opportunity exhibitors have to select the actual location of their SEMA Show booth.

"The Priority Booth Selection Process is the best time for exhibitors to choose their space at the Show," said Tom Gattuso, SEMA director of trade shows. "We highly recommend that exhibitors take part in the space selection process and commit to participating in the SEMA Show as early as possible. This really gives exhibitors the time they need to plan and prepare for the upcoming Show, and it allows our staff to work with and assist as much as possible."

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive trade event, as well as the largest gathering of small businesses in the world. The Show is where specialty-parts manufacturers connect with more than 60,000 quality international and domestic buyers.

To secure a space at the 2013 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth or contact SEMA's Show Management at 702-450-7662 ext. 120 or SalesMgr@ConvExx.com.

By SEMA Staff

	The deadline for priority booth space selection for the 2013 SEMA Show is April 5.

The deadline for priority booth space selection for the 2013 SEMA Show is April 5. While submissions are accepted anytime before the event takes place from November 5–8, 2013, manufacturers who return their Exhibit Space Rental Agreement (ESRA) with a deposit by April 5 will have greater opportunities to collaborate with Show organizers and participate in the Priority Booth Selection Process.

The selection process is the first opportunity exhibitors have to select the actual location of their SEMA Show booth.

"The Priority Booth Selection Process is the best time for exhibitors to choose their space at the Show," said Tom Gattuso, SEMA director of trade shows. "We highly recommend that exhibitors take part in the space selection process and commit to participating in the SEMA Show as early as possible. This really gives exhibitors the time they need to plan and prepare for the upcoming Show, and it allows our staff to work with and assist as much as possible."

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive trade event, as well as the largest gathering of small businesses in the world. The Show is where specialty-parts manufacturers connect with more than 60,000 quality international and domestic buyers.

To secure a space at the 2013 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth or contact SEMA's Show Management at 702-450-7662 ext. 120 or SalesMgr@ConvExx.com.