All products entered in the showcase are featured in the SEMA News magazine, which is mailed to 18,000 industry professionals.
Seasoned journalists Perry Mack of Suncruiser Media and Jef White of The Shop magazine have confirmed their participation at this year’s SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit to be held Wednesday–Friday, July 28–30, in Las Vegas.
The two journalists will join the SEMA PR team at the Exhibitor Summit—an event where exhibitors hear from SEMA Show organizers and learn how to increase ROI and reach their goals during the November 2–5 SEMA Show.
During the PR breakout session featuring Mack and White, exhibitors will discover tips on how to work with media before, during and after the SEMA Show. Participating exhibitors are also invited to bring their pitches and new product announcements for critique from the media panel. The panel will provide feedback and best practices to help exhibitors share information that will generate maximum media exposure and coverage.
Media resources that will be discussed during the panel include:
Online Media Center – Editors from SEMA publications and outside publications use the releases from the SEMA Show Online Media Center to fill their publications with Show-related news.
New Product Showcase – All products entered in the showcase are featured in the SEMA News magazine, which is mailed to 18,000 industry professionals.
Celebrity Appearances – Promote your celebrity appearance at your booth by being included on the official Celebrity Appearance Schedule that is promoted online and in SEMA’s print publications.
Press Conferences – Press conferences are ideal for announcements that appeal to a large number of media.
To learn more about PR resources available to exhibitors, contact pr@sema.org.
The “2021 SEMA Market Report” includes data collected
from consumers and others on how much was spent, and
where, on specialty automotive parts and accessories in
2020, and examines how consumers and businesses
adapted to the pandemic.
As aftermarket businesses and the economy begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, they must stay informed about trends that have changed and where the most opportunities can be found for various aftermarket segments.
During a live webinar on July 20, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT), attendees will hear from the SEMA Market Research team as they present highlights from the recently released “2021 SEMA Market Report.” The report includes data collected from consumers and others on how much was spent, and where, on specialty automotive parts and accessories in 2020, and examines how consumers and businesses adapted to the pandemic.
Presented by SEMA Market Research Director Gavin Knapp and Market Research Manager Matt Kennedy, the webinar will feature key trends and insights from SEMA’s flagship research report, along with how easing restrictions and continued economic recovery may affect the industry over the next couple of years and where the current opportunities are.
Truck and off-road vehicle builders still have time to apply for the SEMA Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) Feature Vehicle program. Selected members will be able to showcase their project vehicles in a premier spot at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Feature vehicle space at the SEMA Show is typically reserved for exhibitors. Through the TORA Feature Vehicle Program, TORA members have a rare opportunity to obtain added exposure and generate awareness for their company, as well as showcase the builders and manufacturers whose parts are installed on each vehicle.
Six vehicles will be selected, with one vehicle displayed in the TORA booth, and the other five in premium locations outside of the new West Hall.
Vehicles in the following categories will be given preference, with a special interest in side-by-side and off-road submissions:
SEMA members are invited to join entrepreneur and co-founder of Formula DRIFT Jim Liaw as he answers live questions about how he brought the drifting culture from Japan to the United States in 2003, how he’s established the organization as the global leader of drifting and why he is so passionate about supporting the “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act” (RPM Act), during the SEMA Young Executives Network (YEN) Facebook Live Chat, Wednesday, July 21, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).
The live interactive event allows participants to ask questions and engage directly with Liaw, whose passion for motorsports has evolved into a successful career that has introduced and launched some of the hottest youth culture programs in America. You’ll learn about the evolution of his career and what his current initiatives are.
Melanie White of Hellwig Products was named 2018 SEMA Person of
the Year.
It takes dedication, hard work and drive to build and grow an automotive specialty-equipment business. Even more so to grow an entire industry.
The SEMA Industry Awards are among the trade association’s highest honors and recognize the recipient’s outstanding contributions to the specialty-equipment industry over a year-long period. Nominations are open now in the following categories:
Person of the Year
Manufacturer of the Year
Warehouse Distributor of the Year
Gen-III Innovator of the Year
For consideration, an honoree must exhibit professionalism, service, integrity and ethics that help propel the industry forward. To nominate an honoree and learn more about the criteria for each award, visit www.sema.org/awards or contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org.
The Industry Cup Challenge makes it possible for SEMA-
member companies to compete against other members,
while raising money for charity.
The industry loves friendly competition—it’s what SEMA was built on. The Industry Cup Challenge makes it possible for SEMA-member companies to compete against other members, while raising money for charity.
As part of the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drags, the Industry Cup Challenge allows SEMA members to sponsor a pinewood car that will race on the track during the Installation Gala, July 30 in Las Vegas. Cars will compete against other companies in one of five divisions, based on their business category:
Warehouse Distributors
Manufacturers
Media Groups
Rep Agencies
Service Providers
Winners in each division will have bragging rights for an entire year, during which time they can display the trophy with their company name engraved among the winners. The trophy is returned, in a Stanley Cup-style tradition, after the one-year period and is available for winners to defend their title.
Money raised allows SEMA Cares to support pediatric cancer through the Austin Hatcher Foundation, child abuse through Childhelp and children with serious medical conditions and serious illnesses through Victory Junction.
The SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) has named Brittany Shiaffino as this week’s #SheIsSEMA spotlight member. Shiaffino works in customer relations at Oracle Lighting, a manufacturer of designer lighting products and technologies for the automotive powersports, motorcycle and marine markets.
Nominated for #SheIsSEMA by a colleague, Shiaffino is admired for her empathy and positive demeanor, and for speaking to customers with a true desire to assist them.
Q: How has Brittany contributed to the company?
A: Brittany brings the sunshine with her. She assists her customers in a rare, genuine fashion and always with a big, bright smile.
Q: How has Brittany shown leadership in the industry or business?
A: Brittany has shown the desire to grow and learn more about our industry after only being with us for a year and a half. She recently joined the communications committee within the SBN in an effort to learn about the automotive aftermarket in a deeper way.
Brittany is also part of our Oracle Lighting Foundation Task Force where she volunteers her time to assist when our non-profit has resources to provide to the community.
Q: Tell us a success story that you can share about Brittany.
A: Brittany was recently peer selected for Employee of the Month and is in the running for our Employee of the Year. This award is given to team members who embody all of our company's values and guiding principles. Judging by her nominations, it is clear her peers sense her value as well.
We also receive many customer reviews sharing their praise for the help that Brittany provided them. She is representing our brand in a positive light and we are all lucky to have her as part of our team.
Q: Why do you think Brittany is a role model in this industry?
A: In a male-dominated industry, Brittany is a role model to other aspiring women. She is a great example to show that anyone can learn and be successful in the automotive industry with the right drive.
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.
Lucas Bacso is the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) newest spotlight member. Bacso is a fabricator at Rxn Motorsports Ltd., an automotive restoration and performance shop for the automotive specialty-equipment market. Get to know what keeps him in the industry in his interview with SEMA below.
SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received?
Lucas Bacso: The best advice I have received was from my dad. From a young age, he would always tell me that if I wanted something, I needed to work hard for it. I think this advice has helped me immensely in both my professional and personal life. It made me set goals, develop good work ethic, and throughout my life it has shown me that my hard work has paid off, allowing me to provide for my family.
SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?
LB: I am relatively new to the industry. I have been doing builds part-time for more than 10 years when not at my full-time fabricating position. I recently decided to follow my passion and pursue builds full-time with Rxn Motorsports. What drives me to stay is that every day is different, every vehicle, every project is a new challenge and increases my skill set.
SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?
LB: On a Saturday you can find me mountain biking, with my dogs and family, or in my garage working on my project truck.
SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?
LB: When preparing for an important meeting, I always create a list of topics or concerns that I want to bring up and address, along with my solutions, ideas and questions about a particular topic. I also think it’s important to leave time in the meeting for hearing everyone’s thoughts and contributions.
SEMA: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who it would be?
LB: There are so many industry leaders I would want to meet, but if I had to choose one it would be Jesse James. As a kid I would watch “Monster Garage,” and was so amazed at his ability to form sheetmetal. Watching him made me pursue metal fabrication school, which has now led me to the automotive industry.
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.
SCORE Releases 2022 World Desert Champion Schedule
Mexico’s Baja California peninsula will host the four-race schedule for the 2022 SCORE World Desert Championship released by SCORE International. Featuring all four races in Baja California, Mexico, for the seventh time in the history of the series, the race coverage will air domestically and be syndicated internationally. In addition, SCORE will celebrate its 49th desert-racing season in 2022 with the expected return to pre-pandemic race operations. As in years past, the season opener will be held in San Felipe. The three additional events will start and finish in Ensenada, considered the off-road capital of the world.
The BFGoodrich Tires 54th SCORE Baja 500 presented by 4 Wheel Parts will be held June 1–5, in Ensenada, and the season-ending BFGoodrich Tires 55th SCORE Baja 1000 presented by 4Wheel Parts will be held November 15–20, in Ensenada. After being postponed due to the pandemic, the SCORE Baja 400 will be held September 13–18, in Baja California. The 2022 schedule marks the third time the newest SCORE Baja race will take place.
2022 SCORE World Desert Championship Schedule
35th SCORE San Felipe 250—March 29-April 3, San Felipe, Mexico
Dodge//SRT Ready to Rumble in the Rockies at Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil
Dodge//SRT and Mopar brands will return for a 32nd season as title sponsors of the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series event held at Thunder Mountain, otherwise known as Bandimere Speedway, near Denver. The brands’ partnership with Bandimere Speedway began in 1989 after a major track renovation and, following an extension announcement earlier this year, continues to be the longest active event title sponsorship in all of motorsports. This 2021 installment is the second of five national events with Mopar and Dodge//SRT headline support for the NHRA’s 70th anniversary season.
Following May’s Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil in Houston and this weekend’s activities, three more national events remain on the schedule this year:
September 1–5: Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis)
September 10–12: Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil (Reading, Pennsylvania)
October 29–November 1: Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil (Las Vegas)
While on-track action at Bandimere Speedway will be livestreamed via NHRA.TV throughout the weekend, FS1 will provide television highlights of qualifying on Saturday, July 17, from 2:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT), and Sunday, July 18, from 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (EDT). Coverage of Sunday’s Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil elimination rounds will air on FS1 from 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. (EDT). The Denver-area stop kicks off the NHRA’s three-race western swing, which includes Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, and Pacific Raceways in Seattle over consecutive weeks.
Pace Rush Sprint Cars at Perris Auto Speedway Postpones Until 2022
The Pace RUSH Sprint Car Series scheduled to launch in the West Coast Region at Perris Auto Speedway on July 17, 2021, has been postponed until the 2022 racing season.
Both RUSH Directors and the Perris Auto Speedway were anticipating a successful launch of the series from their announcement on March 24, 2021. With the impacts of coming out of the pandemic and vendor supply issues, the Series will have to wait until next year according to Don Kazarian the longtime promoter at the Perris Auto Speedway.
The RUSH Sprint Cars were launched in 2018 as a true "cost containment" non-wing division featuring the Chevrolet Performance RUSH 602 sealed crate engine sold direct from Pace Performance. RUSH directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone plan to visit Southern California in November to meet with the prospective Promoters interested in the new Series along with interested participants. For anyone interested in participating in the Q&A with the RUSH directors, please follow our Social Media for further information.
Even though the Rush Series has been postponed, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars and PAS Senior Sprints will still be in action this Saturday night, July 17. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first race will be at 7:00.
the Global Time Attack Pro Championship will run at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, September 24–26.
Global Time Attack Added to Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Weekend
SCCA Pro Racing’s Global Time Attack (GTA) and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach officials have announced that the Global Time Attack Pro Championship will run at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, set for September 24–26. The GTA event, which will take place with competition laps on all three days, will feature 20 cars in three different divisions trying to set the fastest lap of the 11-turn, 1.97-mile race circuit in the streets of Long Beach, California. This year marks the first time GTA will run at the iconic event. The race will feature Unlimited, Limited and Street classes with mass-produced street cars modified to GTA specs. Cars will be sent out five to 10 seconds apart so each can complete flying laps (laps with no race traffic) to secure the fastest time.
In addition to GTA, the 2021 Acura Grand Prix will be headlined by the NTT IndyCar Series along with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, plus doubleheader action from the Formula D Super Drift Challenge, Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks, and the also new-for-2021 Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge. For more information, visit globaltimeattack.com or gplb.com.
Australian F1 Race Canceled for 2021
Formula 1 officials have announced the Australian Grand Prix will not take place in 2021. The race, which was scheduled for November 19–21, at Albert Park in Melbourne, was set to be round 21 of 23. The 2021 schedule can be found on the Formula 1 website.
Houston Raceway Park to End 35-Year Legacy After 2022 NHRA National Event; NHRA Looks to Add New Track in 2023
NHRA and Houston Raceway Park have teamed up to announce the final NHRA SpringNationals as the historic track will close following the 2022 event. As NHRA looks to the future, the leadership team continues its conversations with Tulsa Raceway Park and other venues not currently on the circuit to fill the spot of the Houston event in future NHRA seasons. The final running of 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil will be held April 22–24 at Houston Raceway Park.
Permatexis sponsoring the StarCom Racing Team and driver Quin Houffas they look for a top finish at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 event of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series.
Permatex to Challenge “The Magic Mile” with NASCAR Racing Team at Foxwoods Resort Casino 301
Permatex is sponsoring the StarCom Racing Team and driver Quin Houff as they look for a top finish at the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 event of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. The race is scheduled to take place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, July 18. The Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 will serve as a momentous race in the track’s history, as it marks the 50th time that NASCAR has hosted a premier Cup Series event at the track dubbed “The Magic Mile.” The checkered flag for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 drops at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) on July 18, and will broadcast on NBCSN and PRN Radio.
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James to Be Honored With Argetsinger Award
Lyn St. James will be honored with the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports during a ceremony on September 11. A pioneer for women in motorsports, St. James is equally recognized for her numerous firsts and records for speed as she is for her many contributions off the track. As a result, a committee of auto-racing professionals selected her as the seventh honoree and recipient of the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award presented by the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC).
The Award honors a person in motorsports recognized for having advanced and improved the sport in roles that may include driver, team owner, sponsor, race promoter, journalist or sponsor sanctioning official. It memorializes Cameron R. Argetsinger, often referred to as the father of American road racing. Established in 2014, previous award recipients include Chip Ganassi, Richard Petty, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, Jim France, Lesa France Kennedy, Ben Kennedy, and Bobby Rahal.
After a hiatus in 2020, the Argetsinger Award returns to a new location at the Jack Daniel’s Club at Watkins Glen International during the Hillard US Vintage Grand Prix weekend. Fans may secure tickets to the award ceremony here.
President Biden issued a sweeping Executive Order directing the federal government to increase antitrust enforcement and regulation. The order includes a directive encouraging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to “limit powerful equipment manufacturers from restricting people’s ability to use independent repair shops or do DIY repairs.”
The FTC recently issued a “Nixing the Fix” report to Congress that identifies anti-competitive repair restrictions employed by manufacturers for a wide-range of products from automobiles and mobile phones to printers and computers. SEMA and other aftermarket organizations have praised the report and are supporting FTC efforts to consider ways to implement report recommendations.
“Competition keeps the economy moving and keeps it growing. Fair competition is why capitalism has been the world’s greatest force for prosperity and growth,” said President Biden as he signed the Executive Order. “Let me be very clear, capitalism without competition isn’t capitalism. It’s exploitation.”
The order includes 72 actions and recommendations that involve more than a dozen federal agencies with jurisdiction over antitrust, corporate mergers and competition laws. The broad scope of the order covers high-tech industries, healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing, and is intended to promote competitive markets and limit large corporate dominance and consolidation that could lead to higher prices and fewer product choices. A wide variety of products and services could be impacted—from protecting the consumer’s right to independently maintain, repair and modify their motor vehicle to reducing airline-baggage fees and hearing aid costs. The FTC has also been encouraged to ban or limit non-compete agreements and to ban unnecessary occupational licensing restrictions.
The Executive Order does not itself impose new requirements. Rather, it directs and challenges federal government agencies to pursue regulatory and policy initiatives—a process that could take months or years to implement. Regulatory actions would be subject to public comment and judicial review.
For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.
Truck and off-road vehicle builders still have time to apply for the SEMA Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) Feature Vehicle program. Selected members will be able to showcase their project vehicles in a premier spot at the upcoming SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
SEMA members are invited to join entrepreneur and co-founder of Formula DRIFT Jim Liaw as he answers live questions about how he brought the drifting culture from Japan to the United States in 2003, how he’s established the organization as the global leader of drifting and why he is so passionate about supporting the “Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act” (RPM Act), during the SEMA Young Executives Network (YEN) Facebook Live Chat, Wednesday, July 21, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT).
The 
Lucas Bacso is the SEMA 
SCORE Releases 2022 World Desert Champion Schedule
