By Douglas McColloch

The four class winners of this year’s SEMA Battle of the Builders competition will be highlighted along with other featured builders in a new TV special, “SEMA: Battle of the Builders, Presented by Mothers High Performance Car Care” scheduled to debut on A+E Networks’ FYI and History’s Drive block Saturday, January 28, at 9:00 a.m. (EST). Check your local station listings for additional broadcast details.

The Ringbrothers celebrated their win at 2022 Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polishes.

For 2022, the Battle of the Builders competition was fine-tuned to reflect changes in the customization space and to encourage greater diversity in the field of entrants. The Hot Rod category was modified to include street trucks for the first time, and the Truck/Off-Road category was altered to Four-Wheel Drive/Off-Road. The Sport-Compact category was expanded to include Import Performance, Luxury and Exotic vehicles, and the age limit for the The Young Guns competition was bumped up from 27 to 29 years old.

A panel of industry experts assessed all the entrants and narrowed down the field of more than 200 entries to a Top 40 (10 in each category) before selecting the top 12 builds overall.

The top 12 finalists are listed below.

BOTB finalists’ vehicles were on display throughout SEMA Show week inside North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Top 12 Finalists:

Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck

• Mike Ring/Ringbrothers–’48 Chevrolet Loadmaster pickup
• Tim Devlin–’34 Chevrolet roadster
• Tyler Nelson–’58 Ford F100

Sport Compact, Import Performance, Luxury and Exotic

• CJ Pullman–’77 Ford Pinto
• Shawn Bassett–’91 Nissan Skyline GT-R
• TJ Russell–’91 Porsche 911 Baja

4-Wheel Drive/Off-Road

• Cody Dabney–’70 Ford F-250
• Greg Ward–’71 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser
• Jim Ring/Ringbrothers–’72 Chevrolet K5 Blazer

Young Guns

• Austin Phipps–’66 Chevrolet Nova
• Cameron Cocalis–’15 Scion FR-S
• Josh Michels–’66 Chevrolet Corvette

The Top 12 finalists for the 2022 Battle of the Builders prepared to make their presentations on the competition’s concluding day. The competition will be aired on A+E Network’s FYI and History Channel’s Drive block in January 2023.

The 12 finalists themselves then took over judging duties for the competition and named Ringbrothers the overall winner. Besides the Ringbrothers, whose vehicles were both class winners, other notables include TJ Russell, who captured the Sport Compact class with his ’91 Porsche 911 Baja, and 21-year-old Josh Michels, who took the Young Guns category with his ’66 Chevy Corvette.

We’ll have full-length features on each of the Top 12 BOTB finalists in the March issue of SEMA News.

For more information about the 2022 competition or the SEMA Young Guns program, visit www.semashow.com/botb, www.semayoungguns.com or SEMA’s YouTube channel.

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA is planning its 2023 education program and has issued a call for speakers for its annual SEMA Show—taking place in Las Vegas, October 31–November 3—and its year-round virtual education program. Dynamic and entertaining presenters now have until February 10 to apply to share new skills and ideas targeted to the automotive aftermarket at www.sema.org/speakers.

Organizers are seeking experts who can facilitate thought-provoking, forward-thinking seminars that will help industry members take their businesses and careers to the next level.

SEMA’s year-round virtual program provides relevant, engaging and inspiring information on the industry’s complex issues and topics through online events and informational webinars. Likewise, the educational seminars make up one of the key pillars of the SEMA Show, where thousands of industry professionals come to learn new business strategies.

Topics of focus for 2023 include:

• Aftermarket updates and future trends
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Electric vehicles
• Emerging and executive leadership
• Legal and regulatory
• Sales and marketing
• Small-business strategy
• Vehicle technology
• Specific industry segments

Speaker proposals for the 2023 SEMA Show must be submitted by February 10. Virtual education proposals can be submitted at any time throughout the year. Submit proposals at www.sema.org/speakers.

For more details, contact Gary Vigil, senior manager of professional development, at garyv@sema.org or 909-978-6738.

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest jobs posted to the website.

Latest Jobs Added to SEMA Career Center

Product Manager
Vivid Racing

Vivid Racing is hiring a product manager to review product depth; expand product mix and application coverage; analyze all aspects of a product category; scout vendors/manufacturers; look for newly released products or products to add to the website. Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree and advanced computer skills.

Technical Support Engineer
Radical Motorsports

Radical Motorsports is hiring a technical support engineer to provide global technical product support on all aspects of Radical vehicles, manage customer technical issues log and resolution plan, attend international race events to support regional dealers and teams, attend U.S. track events to support customers and teams and provide reports on support events to engineering and development teams. Candidates must have motorsports industry experience.

Shop Technician
Cognito Motorsports Inc.

Cognito Motorsports is hiring a performance shop technician to troubleshoot and diagnose mechanical problems. Candidates should have at least two years of experience working in a professional automotive or powersports service and repair shop in the following areas: steering and suspension systems; drivetrain and transmission systems; brake and traction control systems; electrical and electronic systems; fuel and cooling systems; tire and wheel mounting/balancing; internal-combustion engine systems; frame, roll cage and bodywork; and race-car preparation.

By SEMA Editors

Dates and locations have been scheduled for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.

By Ashley Reyes

Five of SEMA’s leading groups—the Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA), Professional Restylers Organization (PRO), Wheel & Tire Council (WTC), SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) and Future Leaders Network (FLN)—will host a cross-council mixer for its members at the 2023 Keystone BIG Show.  

Taking place Friday, February 10, from 3:15 p.m.–4:15 p.m. (MST) at the Ski Village inside the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colorado, the event is the ideal place for members to expand their professional network by making new connections. Attendees also will learn about SEMA’s resources and programs, plans for the year and enjoy complimentary snacks and cold drinks.

Registration is requested so that event coordinators can plan accordingly.

RSVP for the mixer now.

MotorTrend has announced that the Corvette Z06 has been named the 2023 MotorTrend Performance Vehicle of the Year. The Z06 bested 20 other contenders, including the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla. No longer just a bang-for-buck star, Chevy’s 670-hp mid-engine supercar defeated the competition thanks to performance that rivaled or topped some of the world’s most pedigreed sports cars, such as the Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica and McLaren 765LT Spider. At 2.8 seconds to 60 mph, the Corvette Z06 was the quickest vehicle in this year’s field, while its 1.16-g lateral grip figure and 95-ft. stop from 60 mph were second-best.

“This is the world-beating supercar we have longed for, with the way the engine delivers power until you hit the 8,600-rpm redline and the huge grip levels that encourage ever-higher cornering speeds—this is the best American sports car ever made,” said MotorTrend Group head of editorial Ed Loh. “MotorTrend is honored to name the Corvette Z06 as our Performance Vehicle of the Year.”

The Corvette Z06 was judged the winner from a diverse field of 20 all-new or significantly updated vehicles, and it excelled against the award’s six key criteria: driver confidence and engagement, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence and performance of intended function.

Among the highlights of the Z06 are its value, as well as an era-capping engine, perhaps the last and likely the best naturally aspirated American V-8 ever, according to MotorTrend. Other longtime Corvette strengths have been retained and improved upon, including its suitability for daily driving; when utilizing its Tour drive mode, the Z06’s suspension is all-day comfortable. The Z06 is also genuinely approachable in ways many other cars of this ilk are not. GM’s Performance Traction Management (PTM) system offers precise adjustments to the electronic safety net, and as you grow more comfortable with the car, you can peel away layers of this backup bit by bit, or simply jump in with PTM’s transparent hand keeping you carbon-fiber side up.

The Z06 coupe starts at $110,290. Pile on every performance option you can put on the entry-level 1LZ trim level and the cheapest max-performance Z06 runs $138,175.

For more in-depth analysis on why MotorTrend named the Corvette Z06 its 2023 Performance Vehicle of the Year, visit MotorTrend’s Performance Vehicle of the Year award article.

Smitty Smith, senior technical sales advisor at Edelbrock Group, has passed away.

According to a blog post from Edelbrock, Smitty worked for the company for 30 years and had been using its products for 50. But his car roots went back even further as his parents raced ’30s Ford “Jalopies” at Ascot in the early ’60s. During his lifetime, Smitty owned more than 100 cars, with nine cars being the most he ever owned at one time.

Smitty’s primary function at Edelbrock was to help consumers by responding to their inquiries from Edelbrock’s website and through social media. Smitty was often able to influence consumer perceptions about Edelbrock parts. One example is Edelbrock’s intake manifold for the big-block Chevy, which is frequently used for racing. Smitty said racers did not believe Edelbrock’s parts were good for racing until he convinced them to try Edelbrock’s manifold. Because the manifold increases output by 30 hp more than the competition, his customers started winning more races.

Smitty’s background before coming to Edelbrock was all about enhancing automotive performance with aftermarket parts. This included stints at speed shops as well as performance-enhancing part manufacturers. While Smitty’s specialty became carburetors, his experience covered all aspects of the automobile engine. This came in handy back when Vic Edelbrock would hold his annual Power Tour. Edelbrock’s car kept overheating, but Smitty was able to modify the cooling system, fixing the problem, preventing it from occurring again.

As of press time, no funeral arrangements have been announced.

By Evan Cook, Trim Illusion

When I heard about the SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) Professional Development Program (PDP), I jumped at a chance to apply. I was excited to hear SEMA was offering this Dale Carnegie in-person training program to FLN members at a subsidized cost. Previous to the course, I read the best-selling book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. The book focuses on communication, relationships and people skills—the soft skills that I thought I could improve on. Though being a depression-era book, the skills and tools it taught me were timeless. When the applications opened for the FLN Professional Development Program, I went to my employer and asked if the company would be willing to cover some of the cost, knowing that they invest in their team to be successful. I had their full support, and they covered the remaining cost of the program. In applying to the program, I sought to gain confidence, improve my communication skills and learn to develop meaningful relationships and connections in the workplace.

Dale Carnegie trainers Brett Campbell and Jay Eibler were great to work with and brought an exciting energy to the class. Compared to other “sit-and-take-note” courses, they kept us engaged from start to finish with different real-life exercises.

Day one, we were all challenged to step outside of our comfort zone and answer two questions in front of the class: “What is the biggest challenge we face within our organization?” and “What is the greatest strength we bring to our organization?” Personally, this exercise allowed me to shake off the nerves, interact and build real connections with other attendees. We practiced role-playing scenarios, worked through common workplace problems as a group and held in-depth classroom discussions. Many of us found we could relate to one another through common struggles or weaknesses. The FLN Professional Development Program far surpassed what I thought I could get out of a course. I was lucky enough to attend this program with a knowledgeable and motivated group of young professionals who I now call friends.

Since I attended the program, I feel much more confident when speaking. Instead of the often disengaging “small talk,” I now have the skills to turn it into meaningful rapport-building conversation. My role within my organization has expanded and I have been tasked with higher-level responsibilities. The confidence I gained has also granted me the ability to get more involved with SEMA and the Future Leaders Network. At the 2022 SEMA Show, I was humbled to receive the 2022 FLN Professional of the Year award.

I look forward to continuing to improve the skills and tools I took from the PDP. I would highly recommend this program to young professionals in the aftermarket looking to advance their career.

Apply now for the 2023 program, taking place May 11–12 at the SEMA Garage in Detroit, at www.sema.org/fln-pdp.

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA members are invited to connect with Vin Anatra of Hoonigan during the SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) Facebook and Instagram live chat, Wednesday, February 15, at 12:00 p.m. (PST).  

An inexperienced kid from New York with a passion for cars, Anatra helped build one of the most notable and influential brands in the automotive apparel and media space—Hoonigan. He will now go live to share his expertise on the importance of content creation in the automotive aftermarket’s marketing mix and how to turn content into tangible and sellable assets.

Anatra moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to work for the brand as an entry-level marketing coordinator. At 34 years old, he is senior vice president of partnerships and has put together more than $20 million in brand deals with automakers, 10 of the top Fortune 100 companies and a majority of the endemic aftermarket.  

SEMA members will have the opportunity to ask Anatra questions as he discusses the importance of content creation in our industry, and how he’s pivoted and evolved with the ever-changing digital landscape with authenticity as his north star.

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA is planning its 2023 education program and has issued a call for speakers for its annual SEMA Show—taking place in Las Vegas, October 31–November 3—and its year-round virtual education program. Dynamic and entertaining presenters have until January 27 to apply to share new skills and ideas targeted to the automotive aftermarket at www.sema.org/speakers.

Organizers are seeking experts who can facilitate thought-provoking, forward-thinking seminars that will help industry members take their businesses and careers to the next level.

SEMA’s year-round virtual program provides relevant, engaging and inspiring information on the industry’s complex issues and topics through online events and informational webinars. Likewise, the educational seminars make up one of the key pillars of the SEMA Show, where thousands of industry professionals come to learn new business strategies.

Topics of focus for 2023 include:

• Aftermarket updates and future trends
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Electric vehicles
• Emerging and executive leadership
• Legal and regulatory
• Sales and marketing
• Small-business strategy
• Vehicle technology
• Specific industry segments

Speaker proposals for the 2023 SEMA Show must be submitted by January 27. Virtual education proposals can be submitted at any time throughout the year. Submit proposals at www.sema.org/speakers.

For more details, contact Gary Vigil, senior manager of professional development, at garyv@sema.org or 909-978-6738.