By SEMA Editors

U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan M. Selig has announced that SEMA will receive $300,000 from the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) to help the automotive specialty-equipment industry to generate exports to Russia. These funds are expected to bring an estimated $40 million in exports during the next three years by companies across the United States.
 
“Nearly one-third of America’s economic growth since mid-2009 has been driven by exports. More and more industry groups, like SEMA, are recognizing the importance of exporting,” Selig said. “Since 2009, the number of jobs supported by exports has grown by 1.6 million to more than 11.3 million—the highest in 20 years. Our Market Development Cooperator Program awards to organizations like SEMA are part of President Obama’s government-wide strategy to strengthen America’s economy by increasing exports.”
 
SEMA will match the MDCP award with an investment of $929,000 of its own resources. Each MDCP award winner pledges at least two-thirds of the project costs and to sustain its project after the initial MDCP award period ends. The funded project will allow SEMA to expand U.S. exports by:

• Creating a Russia business-development conference.
• Building a CAD/CAM library of popular foreign customizable vehicles.
• Sharing information on market prospects, regulation and distribution networks.

Each MDCP award includes financial and technical assistance from ITA to support well-defined business plans aimed at strengthening an industry by increasing exports. MDCP partnerships between ITA and nonprofit industry groups help to create U.S. jobs through exports.
 
This year, eight non-profit industry groups are receiving MDCP awards. In total, these projects are expected to generate more than $3.3 billion in U.S. exports in the next three years in return for the one-time $2.2 million Federal investment.
 
Since the Market Development Cooperator Program’s inception in 1993, the program has issued 136 awards to 106 organizations in 32 states. The program has helped to generate more than $9 billion in exports. In an average year, Market Development Cooperator Program projects generate $572 million in U.S. exports.
 
For more information about the Market Development Cooperator Program, visit www.trade.gov/mdcp.

	SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is designed to show SEMA-member companies how advanced vehicle technologies impact their products and businesses.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum will help leading SEMA-member companies customize with confidence by showing how advanced vehicle technologies impact products and businesses. Showgoers can attend this forum to ensure that suspension products, systems and modifications can successfully integrate with the latest vehicle dynamics and comply with federal motor-vehicle safety regulations.

Participating member companies in SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Program have made significant achievements during the past five years to understand how performance products, such as suspension, brakes, wheels, tires and steering, as well as engine modifications, interact with electronic stability control and other active safety systems.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is scheduled for Monday, November 3, from 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. in rooms N258–N260 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendance is free but registration is required.

	SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is designed to show SEMA-member companies how advanced vehicle technologies impact their products and businesses.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum will help leading SEMA-member companies customize with confidence by showing how advanced vehicle technologies impact products and businesses. Showgoers can attend this forum to ensure that suspension products, systems and modifications can successfully integrate with the latest vehicle dynamics and comply with federal motor-vehicle safety regulations.

Participating member companies in SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Program have made significant achievements during the past five years to understand how performance products, such as suspension, brakes, wheels, tires and steering, as well as engine modifications, interact with electronic stability control and other active safety systems.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is scheduled for Monday, November 3, from 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. in rooms N258–N260 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendance is free but registration is required.

	SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is designed to show SEMA-member companies how advanced vehicle technologies impact their products and businesses.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum will help leading SEMA-member companies customize with confidence by showing how advanced vehicle technologies impact products and businesses. Showgoers can attend this forum to ensure that suspension products, systems and modifications can successfully integrate with the latest vehicle dynamics and comply with federal motor-vehicle safety regulations.

Participating member companies in SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Program have made significant achievements during the past five years to understand how performance products, such as suspension, brakes, wheels, tires and steering, as well as engine modifications, interact with electronic stability control and other active safety systems.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is scheduled for Monday, November 3, from 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. in rooms N258–N260 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendance is free but registration is required.

By Jason Catullo

	Online registration enables attendees to register quickly and have their badges mailed, allowing more time to prepare for business when the SEMA Show opens on November 4. Register at www.SEMAShow.com/register.

As a commitment to provide a valuable exhibitor experience, SEMA Show management screens all attendees to ensure that the highest-quality buyers are on the Show floor. To help attendees register in minutes and get to business, here are some things to remember when registering for the Show, November 4–7, in Las Vegas.

Attendees who register for the 2014 SEMA Show online by October 17 will pay the advance rate of $25. After the deadline, registration can only be done on-site at the Show, and the price increases to $50.  

3 Tips to Speed Through Registration

1. Proof of working for an auto-related company (two forms of qualifying materials are required and include: tax registration certificate or business registration; a business license; two recent paycheck stubs; business card (company name and address must correspond with information on registration form, and must include job title); business photo ID (must include company name, photo and full name); invoices from automotive companies doing business with your company.
2. Register by October 17 to have badges mailed for domestic attendees (international attendees must register by September 19 to have badges mailed). In addition, media (including exhibiting media) and non-exhibiting manufacturer badges are not mailed and must to be picked up on-site.
3. Once registration is complete and submitted, the information will be processed. Attendees will receive a confirmation e-mail that MUST be clicked on in order to complete the registration process. Note: Activating the link in the confirmation e-mail is an important step that is often overlooked by attendees, which will delay the badge-mailing process.  

For more information on the 2014 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

By Jason Catullo

	Online registration enables attendees to register quickly and have their badges mailed, allowing more time to prepare for business when the SEMA Show opens on November 4. Register at www.SEMAShow.com/register.

As a commitment to provide a valuable exhibitor experience, SEMA Show management screens all attendees to ensure that the highest-quality buyers are on the Show floor. To help attendees register in minutes and get to business, here are some things to remember when registering for the Show, November 4–7, in Las Vegas.

Attendees who register for the 2014 SEMA Show online by October 17 will pay the advance rate of $25. After the deadline, registration can only be done on-site at the Show, and the price increases to $50.  

3 Tips to Speed Through Registration

1. Proof of working for an auto-related company (two forms of qualifying materials are required and include: tax registration certificate or business registration; a business license; two recent paycheck stubs; business card (company name and address must correspond with information on registration form, and must include job title); business photo ID (must include company name, photo and full name); invoices from automotive companies doing business with your company.
2. Register by October 17 to have badges mailed for domestic attendees (international attendees must register by September 19 to have badges mailed). In addition, media (including exhibiting media) and non-exhibiting manufacturer badges are not mailed and must to be picked up on-site.
3. Once registration is complete and submitted, the information will be processed. Attendees will receive a confirmation e-mail that MUST be clicked on in order to complete the registration process. Note: Activating the link in the confirmation e-mail is an important step that is often overlooked by attendees, which will delay the badge-mailing process.  

For more information on the 2014 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	All brands of American muscle hit the Bradenton Motorsports Park quarter-mile when the NMCA arrives on the third weekend of March.

ProMedia Announces 2015 Season Openers for NMRA & NMCA in Bradenton, Florida
The 2015 season for both the NMRA and the NMCA will kick off at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida. The 21st NMRA Spring Break Shootout is scheduled for March 5–8, 2015, and the 13th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals will take over Bradenton March 20–22, 2015.

All brands of American muscle hit the Bradenton Motorsports Park quarter-mile when the NMCA arrives on the third weekend of March. Super-fast Pro Mods reaching speeds of 250+ mph and Ford vs. Chevy vs. Mopar match-ups mark the grassroots-style drag-racing series. An all-brands car show will take place both Saturday and Sunday, and will feature an all-inclusive manufacturer's midway with top aftermarket industry representatives.

Rhino Linings Corp. Sponsors NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Rhino Linings Corp. has signed a multi-year agreement as the title sponsor of the annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Rhino Linings 350, on the high-banked, 1.5-mile superspeedway, will be nationally televised September 27. Rhino Linings signed on for a two-year sponsorship of the race, but no financial terms of the agreement were released. The 2014 Rhino Linings 350 will be the 18th time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tickets for the race are available at www.LVMS.com or by calling 702-644-4444.

	In last Saturday's race at the Nürburgring, Sven Barth and David Jahn got their first win of the season in the No. 13 Corvette Z06.R GT3.

Callaway Victorious at Nürburgring
Callaway Competition arrived at the Nürburgring last weekend for the 2014 title fight in the ADAC GT Masters and, in Saturday's race, Sven Barth and David Jahn got their first win of the season in the No. 13 Corvette Z06.R GT3. In Sunday's Race 2, Andreas Wirth and Daniel Keilwitz got the win driving the No. 1 Corvette Z06.R GT3. Wirth secured his fifth Nürburgring victory in the ADAC GT Masters with a lead of 0.6 seconds, and Keilwitz got his fourth win in the last six races in 2014.

Top Sportsman and Chevrolet Performance Stock Added to 2015 NMCA Class List
As the 2014 NMCA Flowmaster Drag Racing Series season nears completion, with the World Finals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis ready to go, October 9-12, NMCA is already planning for 2015. NMCA has announced the addition of Top Sportsman to the list of classes for next year, as the sanctioning body enters its 23rd year of competition. The class line-up will also include the recently introduced Chevrolet Performance (CP) Stock class utilizing the new Chevrolet Performance DR525 sealed engine. Several new cars in this class are nearing completion for exhibition at the NMCA Finals this coming October.

The Top Sportsman category features fast door-slammers using nitrous, turbo and supercharged combinations to achieve times in the low six- and seven-second zones with speeds in the 200-mph range. The racers qualify on a ladder and use a dial-in for eliminations. The category will compete at all NMCA races in 2015. Competing for an NMCA Championship, Top Sportsman Champions and Top 10 in points will be crowned at the season-ending banquet in Indianapolis during the PRI show.

The entire 2015 NMCA class line-up will include: Pro Mod, Radial Wars, Street Outlaw, Nitrous Pro Street, Xtreme Street, N/A 10.5, Top Sportsman, Chevrolet Performance Stock, Nostalgia Super Stock, Nostalgia Muscle Car, Open Comp and True Street.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	All brands of American muscle hit the Bradenton Motorsports Park quarter-mile when the NMCA arrives on the third weekend of March.

ProMedia Announces 2015 Season Openers for NMRA & NMCA in Bradenton, Florida
The 2015 season for both the NMRA and the NMCA will kick off at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida. The 21st NMRA Spring Break Shootout is scheduled for March 5–8, 2015, and the 13th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals will take over Bradenton March 20–22, 2015.

All brands of American muscle hit the Bradenton Motorsports Park quarter-mile when the NMCA arrives on the third weekend of March. Super-fast Pro Mods reaching speeds of 250+ mph and Ford vs. Chevy vs. Mopar match-ups mark the grassroots-style drag-racing series. An all-brands car show will take place both Saturday and Sunday, and will feature an all-inclusive manufacturer's midway with top aftermarket industry representatives.

Rhino Linings Corp. Sponsors NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Rhino Linings Corp. has signed a multi-year agreement as the title sponsor of the annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Rhino Linings 350, on the high-banked, 1.5-mile superspeedway, will be nationally televised September 27. Rhino Linings signed on for a two-year sponsorship of the race, but no financial terms of the agreement were released. The 2014 Rhino Linings 350 will be the 18th time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tickets for the race are available at www.LVMS.com or by calling 702-644-4444.

	In last Saturday's race at the Nürburgring, Sven Barth and David Jahn got their first win of the season in the No. 13 Corvette Z06.R GT3.

Callaway Victorious at Nürburgring
Callaway Competition arrived at the Nürburgring last weekend for the 2014 title fight in the ADAC GT Masters and, in Saturday's race, Sven Barth and David Jahn got their first win of the season in the No. 13 Corvette Z06.R GT3. In Sunday's Race 2, Andreas Wirth and Daniel Keilwitz got the win driving the No. 1 Corvette Z06.R GT3. Wirth secured his fifth Nürburgring victory in the ADAC GT Masters with a lead of 0.6 seconds, and Keilwitz got his fourth win in the last six races in 2014.

Top Sportsman and Chevrolet Performance Stock Added to 2015 NMCA Class List
As the 2014 NMCA Flowmaster Drag Racing Series season nears completion, with the World Finals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis ready to go, October 9-12, NMCA is already planning for 2015. NMCA has announced the addition of Top Sportsman to the list of classes for next year, as the sanctioning body enters its 23rd year of competition. The class line-up will also include the recently introduced Chevrolet Performance (CP) Stock class utilizing the new Chevrolet Performance DR525 sealed engine. Several new cars in this class are nearing completion for exhibition at the NMCA Finals this coming October.

The Top Sportsman category features fast door-slammers using nitrous, turbo and supercharged combinations to achieve times in the low six- and seven-second zones with speeds in the 200-mph range. The racers qualify on a ladder and use a dial-in for eliminations. The category will compete at all NMCA races in 2015. Competing for an NMCA Championship, Top Sportsman Champions and Top 10 in points will be crowned at the season-ending banquet in Indianapolis during the PRI show.

The entire 2015 NMCA class line-up will include: Pro Mod, Radial Wars, Street Outlaw, Nitrous Pro Street, Xtreme Street, N/A 10.5, Top Sportsman, Chevrolet Performance Stock, Nostalgia Super Stock, Nostalgia Muscle Car, Open Comp and True Street.

By Jon Wyly

Having reached a 700-member milestone, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) has recently expanded its staff to effectively serve its expanding membership. The newest additions to the team are: Stephanie Jones, senior manger of eBusiness and data content; Allen Horwitz, membership manager; and Craig Schmutzler, director of member support.

"These three new positions will really shore up our ability to provide great service to our members,” said Jon Wyly, CEO of the SDC, "and they will enable us to execute some exciting plans we have in motion for additional services and features. Each new hire has specific areas of expertise and they are some of the most talented and energetic people in the business."

Jones, who was most recently with Covercraft and previously with Global Accessories, brings many years of data-management expertise to the SDC and is considered a foremost expert on the industry data standards.

Horwitz is the latest addition to the member recruitment and support team, and brings a thoughtful, mentoring style to help new suppliers understand how the SDC can help improve data-management capabilities and increase sales in the process.

Schmutzler, an operations and customer-service professional with past roles at Keystone Automotive and Arrow Speed Warehouse, brings top organizational and customer-support skills to an expanding Help Desk operation.

To learn more about the SEMA Data Co-op, contact Director of Membership Jim Graven at JimG@SemaDataCoop.org or call 888-958-6698, ext. 4.

By Jon Wyly

Having reached a 700-member milestone, the SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) has recently expanded its staff to effectively serve its expanding membership. The newest additions to the team are: Stephanie Jones, senior manger of eBusiness and data content; Allen Horwitz, membership manager; and Craig Schmutzler, director of member support.

"These three new positions will really shore up our ability to provide great service to our members,” said Jon Wyly, CEO of the SDC, "and they will enable us to execute some exciting plans we have in motion for additional services and features. Each new hire has specific areas of expertise and they are some of the most talented and energetic people in the business."

Jones, who was most recently with Covercraft and previously with Global Accessories, brings many years of data-management expertise to the SDC and is considered a foremost expert on the industry data standards.

Horwitz is the latest addition to the member recruitment and support team, and brings a thoughtful, mentoring style to help new suppliers understand how the SDC can help improve data-management capabilities and increase sales in the process.

Schmutzler, an operations and customer-service professional with past roles at Keystone Automotive and Arrow Speed Warehouse, brings top organizational and customer-support skills to an expanding Help Desk operation.

To learn more about the SEMA Data Co-op, contact Director of Membership Jim Graven at JimG@SemaDataCoop.org or call 888-958-6698, ext. 4.