By Jason  Catullo

The halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center are nearly full of exhibits, but booth space is still being reserved, and more exhibitors are expected to secure space until the Show opens on November 2.

Attendees planning on joining the industry at the 2021 SEMA Show can see who's exhibiting and where through the updated floorplan. If you have not yet registered for the SEMA Show, taking place Tuesday-Friday, November 2-5, visit www.SEMAShow.com/attendee to register.

For 2021, the Show will include exhibit space in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s newly constructed West Hall, a 1.4-million-sq.-ft. facility completed in January. The new facility includes exhibitors from the Restyling & Car Care Accessories, Powersports & Utility Vehicles, and Truck, SUV & Off-Road sections.

Earlier in June, the visitors of the World of Concrete convention were the first to use the new hall, and the event marked the first large-scale convention and tradeshow to be held in Las Vegas in 15 months.

In addition to the new hall, the newly constructed Loop—a high-speed, people-mover system that runs 40 feet under the LVCC—will transport visitors between South, Central and West Halls. The World of Concrete successfully used the system to shuttle visitors through the 200-acre convention center.

For more information on the 2021 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

SEMA eNews highlights new products from industry companies each week. To have your product considered for upcoming issues, send product press releases to editors@sema.org.

Axxess by Metra
Interfaces Designed for Ford SUVs, Vans and Trucks

Axxess by Metra Electronics has two new data interfaces designed to fit Ford’s ’20-up EcoSport, Escape, Transit, Transit Connect, and F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 trucks. The interfaces also fit Ford’s ’21-up E-Series van, also known as the Econoline. Both of the interfaces, the AXTC-FD3 and AXVI-FD3, retain key features and are used when replacing the factory radio. Both provide NAV outputs, accessory power, and a 12-volt illumination output, in addition to retaining R.A.P., balance and fade. The main difference is that the AXTC-FD3 has a built-in AXSWC steering wheel control interface while the AXVI-FD3 does not (it has a pre-wired harness for the AXSWC, which is sold separately). This makes the AXVI-FD3 an ideal choice for models that do not have audio controls on the steering wheel.

AXTC-FD3 Interface
The Total Control Series combines a data interface with all of the features of the patented Axxess steering wheel control interface (AXSWC) for one convenient solution. When replacing a radio, the interface utilizes patented Auto-Detect technology that automatically detects the vehicle type, radio connection and preset controls, while allowing the ability to dual assign steering-wheel controls. This interface is designed to work with all major radio brands and both amplified and non-amplified audio systems. In addition to Auto-Detect, it can be manually programmed for most vehicles and will retain settings even after battery disconnection or interface removal. Vehicle-specific harnessing makes installation even easier.

Brass Knuckle
SmartShell

Brass Knuckle released the SmartShell cross-functional gloves, engineered to provide protection on multiple fronts and offer excellent flexibility through its ergonomic design.

SmartShell BKCR4499 gloves are machine knit and made of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, with ANSI cut level A5 protection on the palms. The  thermoplastic rubber (TPR) padding is sonically welded to the back of the glove for protection from contusions, smash injuries, object strikes, pinch-point injuries to the tips of each finger and other impact hazards. The black nitrile palm coating offers excellent wet grip and the bright lime green shell color meets the requirements of American National Standard (ANSI/ISEA 107-2010) for high-visibility safety apparel.

SmartShell naturally shapes to the contours of the hand and flex points, helping to ensure maximum comfort and increased compliance. For extra durability, SmartShell is double-stitched in high-wear areas, including fingertips, index finger and palm.

CURT
30K 5th Wheel Hitch

CURT announced the launch of its new PowerRide 30K 5th wheel hitch. The hitch enters the market as part of CURT’s extensive line of top-quality 5th wheel hitches.

PowerRide equips hardworking truck with a professional-grade solution for 5th wheel towing. It is ideal for towing the largest RV trailers, campers and other 5th wheel trailers. It features a 30,000-lb. fully tested rating and a number of distinct features, including a cast head with multi-directional tilt, an easy-to-use self-resetting handle, enhanced portability, and no welding or fabricating required for installation. With its 30,000-lb. gross trailer weight rating and 7,500-lb. vertical load limit, this CURT 5th wheel offers exceptional towing power and is constructed with a cast steel main body for dependable strength.

The construction and technology of the PowerRide are what make it superior in its class. The hitch uses two interlocking jaws to fully wrap the kingpin for less chucking, and its cast yoke head tilts in multiple directions—not just forward and backward—to promote a smooth ride. The self-resetting handle resets the jaws to the ready-to-couple position after uncoupling, saving an extra step in the hookup process.

Edge Products
Amp’d 2.0 Throttle Booster for Subaru

We are excited to announce the all new 68860-2 SKU for Subaru applications! Taking throttle sensitivity control to an all-new level with Amp’d 2.0, the industry’s first wireless switch and the all-new downloadable app, instantly puts you in control of your driving experience. No bulky modules to mount on the dash and no switch wiring to hassle with. Pre-loaded with five preset throttle curves and the ability to create thousands of custom curves, your options are endless. Take total control of your driving experience with Amp’d 2.0!

• Fits WRX, Impreza, Outback, Legacy, Crosstrek, Forester and Tribeca
• Various model coverage ranging from ’05–’21
• Drastically improves overall drivability
• Removes factory pedal lag feeling
• Sleek wireless control switch
• All-new app for total control of your driving experience
• Simple plug-n-play installation
• Improves turbocharger spool-up
• App is Android/IOS compatible
• 5 pre-set levels
• Create and save your own pedal map curves

Air Lift
1000 Kits for GM Midsize SUVs

Air Lift Company announced the release the Air Lift 1000 for the Chevrolet Equinox/Blazer/Trailblazer, GMC Terrain/Acadia, Buick Envision/Encore GX and Cadillac XT5. By working with the vehicle’s existing suspension, Air Lift 1000 properly levels loads, eliminates squat, improves braking and helps the vehicle return to a level and stable state.

The system is air adjustable from five to 35 PSI for calibration to the weight of the load.

Installation requires no drilling and can be completed with common mechanic’s tools. The system also comes with an easy-to-follow, full illustrated instruction manual for easy installation.

The SEMA Data Excellence designation recognizes the companies that have worked with SEMA Data to recreate and relaunch industry-leading product data sets. Here are products from current SEMA Data members that have achieved data excellence.

Fluidampr
Performance Diesel dampers for Duramax L5P

Fluidampr has released two new Performance Diesel dampers for the GM/Chevy Duramax L5P. Part number 830141 fits ’17–’19 model years. Part number 830151 with dual pulley for ’20-present model years.

Product ACES/PIES details are available now on SEMA Data. Digital Assests contains a 360 product image set, features video, and high-res images for both new dampers. Fluidampr is available through quality performance parts distributors. Made in the United States.

www.fluidampr.com
PN: 830151 – angle-r/830151 – angle-l

Oracle Lighting
Infiniti Q50 ColorSHIFT Headlight DRL Upgrade Kit

Oracle Lighting announced that the new ColorSHIFT RGB+W Headlight DRL Upgrade for the Infiniti Q50 is now available. With an MSRP of $95.95, the new kit fits model years ’14–’21.

“Featuring our high-performance RGB+W chips, this kit allows you to use the existing DRL feature on your Infiniti Q50 headlights and easily convert it to color-changing DRLs while maintaining a true white DRL function,” explained Justin Hartenstein, Oracle Lighting director of product development. “Upgrade your lights to any color imaginable and instantly switch over to a crisp white OEM DRL color. The Headlight DRL boards can make hundreds of different colors, dozens of patterns, control the brightness, and even the speed of the functions using one of our ColorSHIFT controllers.”

Additional features and specifications include:

• Direct OE factory fitment
• True White DRL + ColorSHIFT technology
• one-year warranty

www.oraclelights.com

Sportz
Truck Tent With Rainfly & Awning

The Sportz Truck Tent was built with adventure in mind. Featuring more than 5.7-ft. of headroom and a full sewn-in floor to keep you warmer and drier, the 57 Series Sportz Truck Tent takes minutes to assemble in the back of your open-bed pickup truck, creating a comfortable sleeping area for two adults.
This durable tent comes with a full rainfly, two side vents large windows for optimal ventilation, and a rear access panel for easy accessibility to the truck’s cab. The extendable 4x4-ft. awning provides ample shade and extra space for relaxation! When the day is done, the Sportz Truck Tent 57 Series easily packs into an expandable and lightweight carrying bag.

www.napieroutdoors.com
PN: 57011

By Ashley Reyes

Mark your calendars for the following upcoming webinars and stay tuned to SEMA eNews as additional sessions are announced throughout the year. For a comprehensive library of upcoming and on-demand sessions that members can access anytime, visit www.sema.org/virtual-education.

Tuesday, June 22 – Everything But the Kitchen Sink of Job Hunting
Series: Perfecting Your Job Search Series, Powered by SBN
Track: Industry Segments, Powered by SEMA Councils and Networks

Learn how to stand out as a well-rounded candidate beyond your resume and interview. Featuring Maru Trevizo, SEMA vice president of human resources, this webinar will cover how to successfully leverage attire, follow up, recommendations and networking to land a desired job position. Participants will have the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned through interactive breakouts.

Register here.

Wednesday, June 23 – Wheel Knowledge 301: Did You Know?
Series: Wheel and Tire Industry Insights Series, Powered by WTC
Track: Industry Segments, Powered by SEMA Councils and Networks

Join wheel and tire technical experts as they explain simple yet confusing topics surrounding wheels and tires that are often misunderstood. Participants will engage in a live Q&A and learn everything there is to know about wheel width and its effect handling, contact patch sizes, P-metric vs. LT fitment, DOT codes, slope of road on dualies and wheel evolution.

Register here.

Wednesday, June 30 – ADAS Technologies: Making Sense of Simulation, Testing and Calibration
Series: ADAS Webinar Series

As part 2 of the SEMA ADAS webinar series, this webinar features top service providers in the ADAS simulation, testing and calibration spaces. Participants will learn what resources are available in the marketplace to help SEMA members develop and install parts safely while maintaining OEM functionality of the ADAS system.  

Register here.

Newly Added: Tuesday, July 7 – SBN Live Chat featuring Shannon Welch
Track: Industry Talks

Stop worrying if you are enough, and start focusing on creating value during this Facebook Live Chat hosted by the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network. Shannon Welch, former communications director at ULTRA4 Racing and founder of “Hey Shannon, Quick Question,” will share lessons learned from her entrepreneurial journey that will inspire and motivate others to create more value and attract success.

Location: SBN Facebook page

Wednesday, July 14 – ADAS Technologies: How to Navigate Product Development
Series: ADAS Webinar Series

During the final session of the three-part ADAS Webinar Series, attendees will hear case studies from leading aftermarket manufacturers that have successfully developed and launched products for ADAS-equipped vehicles. Participants will learn the steps they took to understand the systems, design compatible parts, and validate the functionality of all OEM features.

Register here.

By Ashley Reyes

Johnny McKenna is the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) newest spotlight member. McKenna is the client experience director at Feyer Marketing, a digital marketing firm that specializes in growing automotive aftermarket brands. Get to know McKenna in his interview with SEMA below.

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

Johnny McKenna: The best advice I’ve ever received is to be honest, always.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

JM: Relationships, innovative ideas and learning keeps me in the industry.

SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?

JM: You can find me hanging out with my wife and kids, probably racing power wheels or training to become a competitive eater.

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

JM: I would go to lunch with Jonny Mill.

If you are a current YEN member, fill out a YEN member spotlight form. Selected candidates may be featured on YEN’s social media, SEMA eNews and YEN-member updates.

By Ashley Reyes

The final session of the “Wheel and Tire Industry Insights, Powered by WTC” webinar series will conclude with experts taking the confusion out of some of the complex topics related to wheels. Experts will explain and simplify the process of how different parts interact with one another and their relationships to the road. You’ll learn about the factors that can affect driver safety and discover how customers can best maximize their wheel and tire wear and performance.

Sign up for the “Wheel Knowledge 301: Did You Know?” webinar, June 23, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).

As the final session of the “Wheel and Tire Industry Insights, Powered by WTC” webinar series, the event will feature wheel and tire industry experts Matthew Lippert, Tyler Crotts and Todd Steen of Jackson Marketing Group addressing specific topics such as:

• Wheel width and its effect handling.
• Contact patch sizes.
• P-metric vs. LT fitment.
• DOT codes.
• Slope of road on dualies.
• Wheel evolution.

Attendees will benefit from attending this event live and have the opportunity to get their questions answered from the speakers.

Register today.

By Ashley Reyes

Because most ADAS products rely on sensors that are very precise, aftermarket products for vehicles equipped with ADAS must be tested. Depending on the ADAS on the vehicle and the aftermarket product involved, different tests are available. ADAS systems may also require calibration and sensors that need to be realigned.

Hear from experts and leading service providers about how to test and calibrate vehicles with ADAS technologies during Part 2 of a three-part ADAS webinar series presented by the SEMA Garage.

Taking place June 30, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT), the webinar will feature industry experts sharing resources that SEMA members can utilize to develop and install parts safely while maintaining OEM functionality of the ADAS system.  

While Part 1 of the three-part series focused on ADAS systems’ function, technology and trends, Part 2 will further increase the understanding of how ADAS systems work, how they are affected by various vehicle modifications or repairs and what resources are available.

Register for “ADAS Technologies: Making Sense of Simulation, Testing and Calibration.”  

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) named Haley Keelin as this week’s #SheIsSEMA Spotlight Member. Keelin is a customer service representative at The Retrofit Source, an automotive aftermarket supplier of high-performance lighting upgrades for cars and trucks.

Nominated for #SheIsSEMA by a colleague, Keelin is admired for her willingness to learn and adapt, as it shows how great of a leader she can be in the future.

Q: How has Haley contributed to the company?

A: Haley goes above and beyond to meet the demands of customers and provides excellent service to those around her. Her go-getter attitude is a great attribute to our industry.

Q: How has Haley shown leadership in the industry or business?

A: Haley has gone above and beyond to assist in managing ongoing tasks within the office. She’s also shown great leadership in helping her team meet monthly goals.

Q: Tell us a success story that you can share about Haley.

A: Haley took a phone call with a very irate customer who was ready to never give our company a chance again. She managed to talk this customer off a ledge and provide him with a bulb upgrade and detailed instructions on how to install it. The customer changed his perception of not only her, but the company as well.

Q: Why do you think Haley is a role model in this industry?

A: She’s a female who loves to work on cars in her free time and takes pride in handling business with class. She’s someone that anyone would be lucky to work with.

Do you know, or are you, a woman with a career in the automotive industry? Fill out a #SheIsSEMA spotlight form to submit a self-nomination or nominate a colleague and highlight how you or she is contributing to the specialty-equipment industry. Selected candidates are automatically eligible to be considered for SBN’s #SheIsSEMA Woman of the Year award, featured on SBN’s social media, SEMA eNews and recognized on the www.sema.org/she-is-sema website.

By Ashley Reyes

Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) members and those involved in the auto restoration industry are invited to join in on a virtual panel discussion on “Recruiting and Keeping Talented Employees”—a top challenge recently reported by ARMO-member companies.

Taking place in conjunction with the ARMO general membership meeting on June 25, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), participants will discover protocols that auto restoration professionals have used or are currently using to find quality employees for their organization.

“The virtual panel discussions are a great way for ARMO members to stay updated on challenges facing this segment of the automotive aftermarket,” said Jim Skelly, ARMO council director. “By keeping our members informed of important issues, we can work together to create solutions through open dialogue while advancing and promoting awareness of the restoration hobby.”

Updates on existing ARMO programs designed to help members grow their business and promote their brands to consumers will also be discussed.

View the full meeting agenda and register.

By Juan Torres

Businesses throughout the country are taking a stand against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) claim that it is illegal to modify street vehicles and convert them into dedicated race cars. The $2 billion racing industry is pushing back by seeking passage of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports (RPM) Act of 2021 (H.R. 3281), a bipartisan bill which clarifies the motorsports-parts industry’s ability to sell products that enable racers to compete, and protects Americans’ right to convert street vehicles into dedicated race cars.

“The inconsistency of the EPA’s stance around converting street cars to purpose-built track vehicles has not only constrained long-term investment in the industry but it is creating added complexity/concern for our customers,” said Chris Douglas of Edelbrock Group, a company that has been manufacturing performance parts since 1938. “The RPM Act is the first step in protecting and preserving our industry for future generations—now is the time for action."       

In 2015, the EPA endangered the motorsports industry when it introduced a proposal that would have put an end to racers’ ability to modify street vehicles into dedicated race cars, a practice that has taken place for 45 years since the Clean Air Act was introduced. Although the EPA formally withdrew the proposal, the agency has since maintained that street vehicles cannot be converted into race cars—an assertion that has left the motorsports industry in a state of flux. Passage of the RPM Act will make clear that the Clean Air Act does not apply to street vehicles that have been converted into race cars used exclusively in competition, giving the industry the confidence and clarity that it needs.

As advocates for the motorsports industry, Performance Racing Industry (PRI) is also pushing for the RPM Act. “Businesses are at risk,” said Dr. Jamie Meyer, PRI president. “Racers and businesses deserve a law that clarifies that it is legal to convert a street vehicle into a dedicated race car. PRI will continue to fight to preserve what is an American tradition until the RPM Act is passed.”

Introduced by U.S. Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA), the RPM Act currently has the support of 65 cosponsors, including 19 Democrats and 46 Republicans. Dedicated race cars, which represent 0.07% of vehicles in operation, are trailered to and from the racetrack and have little effect on the environment. Yet for thousands of amateur racers, starting with a street-legal vehicle and using race products to convert it into a dedicated race car is the only affordable way to get into the sport. In order to protect racers and ensure that racers can continue to legally modify their vehicles into race cars, the RPM Act—which was introduced to Congress last month—must be passed into law.

“Many of our customers and employees are avid racers who build dedicated vehicles for competition,” says Al Noe, Summit Racing Equipment’s chief marketing officer. “Our customers trust us to deliver the parts they need so they are ready to race; they can also trust us to fight for their right to build and race these vehicles. The RPM Act is vital to ensuring a vibrant future for motorsports and our industry as a whole.”  

The RPM Act was first introduced as a bill in 2016. Over the years, it received strong legislative support, and although versions of the bill have passed the House Energy & Commerce Committee, it was never fully voted on before the end of any Congressional year. Because the bill has already been subject to committee hearings before the House and the Senate, the 2021 RPM Act is well positioned to become law this legislative year.

The racing community is urged to continue to voice support for the bill by visiting www.saveourracecars.com.