In partnership with Chevrolet, the SEMA Garage has announced a Measuring Session for the ’20 Chevrolet Corvette C8.
This event will allow SEMA members to test-fit prototypes, 3D scan, measure and have a close-up experience with two different trim-level vehicles:
’20 Corvette Stingray Convertible and Coupe:
6.2L V8
Eight-Speed Transmission
Z51 Performance
Please note, this will be an in-person event at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California. In order to comply with state and local health guidelines, this event will take place over two separate weeks with scheduled appointments. Due to high demand, appointments will be time limited.
Week 1: January 19–22
Week 2: January 25–29
All registered attendees will be required to take an initial temperature check, wear face coverings and gloves, as well as practice social distancing during their appointment. The vehicle will be sanitized between each appointment.
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.
Paintless Dent Repair Expert/Writer CarTech Books Inc. is searching for a writer/photographer to author a complete step-by-step instructional book on painless dent repair. This includes assessing whether PDR is an option for the repair, tools of the trade, and step-by-step instruction for a variety of dent repairs. This is a freelance opportunity. Compensation is a percentage of sales in the marketplace, with upfront royalty advances. Ideal candidates would be professional PDR instructors, people who own a PDR business and PDR tool manufacturers.
Graphic Designer Go Rhino is hiring a graphic designer with a passion for automobiles. The right person will have deep expertise in Adobe Creative Cloud and is experienced in print, catalog design, photo compositing, product photography and web skinning. A BFA and five years’ professional experience with Adobe Creative Cloud’s major print production applications on Mac OS are required.
Automotive Aftermarket Technician Speedmaster is hiring an automotive aftermarket technicianwith experience in a workshop and will be the key point of contact for the production team. Responsibilities include coordinating the work orders for each shift and ensuring the production timelines are met so that each order is built to standard and on-time.
SEMA eNews highlights SEMA-member companies’ websites weekly through the Hot Links to Cool Sites section. SEMA members: To be included in Hot Links to Cool Sites, email your company name and website to enews@sema.org. Note: Make sure to include “Hot Links” in the subject line of the email.
SEMA Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) members and those involved in the hot-rod segment of the industry are invited to join the council for its upcoming general membership meeting on February 12, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (PST).
The HRIA Select Committee will share details about the council’s latest programs and resources, and host a virtual panel discussion focused on trends and predictions in the hot rod industry. This event is the ideal opportunity for members to connect directly with council leadership and get questions answered on the state of the hot-rod industry at large.
PRI is now accepting speaker proposals for its education program
at the annual PRI Trade Show in December.
Performance Racing Industry (PRI) is now accepting speaker proposals for its education program at the annual PRI Trade Show in December.
PRI’s education program, which takes place at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis before and during the Show, promotes engagement and connectivity between race teams, retail shops, warehouse distributors, e-commerce sites, engine builders, fabricators, dealers, installers, jobbers and media who attend PRI to learn about emerging industry trends and the latest racing technology.
The series of conferences and seminars provide thought-provoking, forward-thinking sessions that help participants take their businesses and careers to the next level. They are designed to provide best practices in motorsports business and technical education for professionals and grassroots operators alike.
“PRI Education is all about discovering new and innovative ways to enhance your motorsports operation,” said PRI editor and education programming director Dan Schechner. “From tips and takeaways to improve your marketing efforts to cutting-edge tech on the latest race engine developments, our sessions provide best-in-class business, management, and technical know-how for industry professionals.”
Now in its 33rd year, the PRI Show—set for December 9–11, 2021—is the world’s premier racing and performance trade event, attracting upwards of 1,200 exhibitors and 70,000 attendees representing all forms of motorsports from across the US and over 70 countries.
Countless industry experts have shared their knowledge with PRI Show attendees through the years. Recent presenters include Darin Morgan from Mast Motorsports, Bob Morreale from The Tuning School, Jason Enders from RE Suspension, Gary Crooks from Port City Racecars, Lake Speed Jr. from Total Seal, Jeanette DesJardins from Car Chix and Crank It Media, Corey Perlman from Impact Social, Tom Shay from Profits Plus and Brian Lewis from Wolfhound Interactive.
Topics of interest for 2021 include, but are not limited to:
Sales and Marketing
Business Operations
Digital Communications
Race Track Management
Brand Building
Employee Relations
Engine Technology
Suspension/Setup
Machining
Tuning
Speaker proposals for the 2021 PRI Trade Show must be submitted by April 4. Suggestions for topics and/or speakers are also encouraged and can be submitted here. For more details, contact Gary Vigil, senior manager of professional development, at garyv@sema.org or 909-978-6738; or Dan Schechner at dans@performanceracing.com or 949-373-9228.
By SEMA Editors
In response to the impact of COVID-19 on the collision repair industry, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) has announced a series of updated actions, plans and policies to support I-CAR’s 2021 Industry Relief program. The program launched last March and is designed to ensure the health and safety of all, while also allowing individuals and businesses to maintain credentialing status in a viable manner and with program integrity.
Key actions, plans and policy updates effective immediately include:
For individuals and businesses located in states with COVID-19 policies that require I-CAR to cease in-shop delivery, or any individual or business where I-CAR is unable to deliver training due to the pandemic:
Platinum individuals and Gold Class Businesses will have their renewal date extended 6 months from their original renewal date. Note: 2022 renewal dates remain unchanged from the original 2021 date.
Impacted individuals with active welding certifications will have their welding certifications extended 6 months from their original renewal date.
Please note: Impacted shops will be informed by I-CAR.
Expanded in-shop training event policies and safety practices, to keep instructors and students safe. Practices reflect the latest Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations.
Continued, complimentary access to I-CAR’s Repairability Technical Support (RTS) portal through June 30, 2021, offering an online technical portal that provides collision repair best practices, OEM-specific searches, information and news.
Special discounted Hands-On Skills Development course packages, in which MIG Brazing and Spot Welding courses are purchased together as a form of financial assistance for shops pursuing 50/100 scaling, with an emphasis on safety practices in eligible states.
Recently launched Get to Gold Class package continues to provide shops with payment options to support achievement of Gold Class recognition in 2021.
Continued access to I-CAR’s full suite of online and virtual/instructor-led, web-based training, including virtual/instructor-led courses that were converted from a live, in-person format until it is safe to once again deliver in a live classroom.
Details on I-CAR’s Industry Relief Program can be found here.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
has completed a regulation permitting low-volume motor
vehicle manufacturers to begin selling replica cars that
resemble vehicles produced at least 25 years ago.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has completed a regulation permitting low-volume motor vehicle manufacturers to begin selling replica cars that resemble vehicles produced at least 25 years ago. Congress enacted a SEMA-led bill into law in 2015, which streamlined requirements for small automakers, but implementation was delayed while awaiting the NHTSA regulations. Replica car businesses will now be able to produce and sell replica vehicles.
“SEMA applauds NHTSA’s final rule allowing companies to market classic-themed cars,” said SEMA President and CEO Christopher J. Kersting. “Regulatory barriers have previously prevented small automakers from producing heritage cars for eager customers. The roadblocks have been eliminated. Companies will be able to hire workers, start making necessary parts and components, and produce and sell cars.”
The replica car law and implementing regulations allow a low-volume manufacturer to construct up to 325 such replica cars a year, subject to federal regulatory oversight. Replica cars resemble production vehicles manufactured at least 25 years ago—from ’30s roadsters to ’70s musclecars, and more. Until now, the U.S. had just one system for regulating automobiles, which was designed for companies that mass-produce millions of vehicles. The new program recognizes the unique challenges faced by companies that produce a small number of custom cars.
The vehicles are required to meet current model year emissions standards. In 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued guidelines for installing engine packages from other EPA-certified vehicles and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) issued a regulation for producing compliant engine packages. SEMA sued NHTSA in October 2019 to require the agency to issue regulations allowing the law to take effect. NHTSA issued a proposed rule in January 2020.
The regulation does not take effect until it is officially published in the Federal Register. Low-volume vehicle manufacturers will then be required to register with NHTSA, EPA, and CARB before selling vehicles and thereafter submit annual reports on vehicle productions. Enthusiasts still have the option to build a car from a kit, but now they may also purchase a turn-key replica car.
The Internal Revenue Service has set the standard business-mileage deduction at 56 cents per mile for 2021, down 1.5 cents from the 2020 rate. The mileage calculation includes the cost of fuel, along with other vehicle fixed and variable operating expenses, such as depreciation, insurance, tires, etc.
Companies and individuals who use their automobiles (including vans, pickups and panel trucks) for business have the option of using the standard rate in lieu of keeping records of their actual expenses.
For details, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has issued a final rule to implement the “Alternative E” Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Management Plan for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The recreation area includes more than 1.25 million acres surrounding Lake Powell in Arizona and Utah.
The National Park Service had recommended the “Alternative E” plan in 2018, which will now be implemented. The plan permits ORV use on park roads, designated off-road routes and along certain shoreline areas, but prohibits such use in areas where natural or cultural resources may be at risk. It requires a permit to operate a motor vehicle off roads in selected locations and allows the superintendent to establish closures and restrictions based upon specific criteria.
A copy of the Plan can be found here. For more information, contact Caroline Fletcher at carolinef@sema.org.
SEMA 
