By Katie Hurst

SEMA has partnered with five high school automotive tech programs across the country to customize five Jeep Wrangler TJs. The semester-long build program is in the second year of a pilot that aims to introduce auto-shop students to customization by providing hands-on learning experiences with aftermarket products.

The participating schools include:

• C.D. Hylton High School, Woodbridge, Virginia
• Comstock High School, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• R.L. Turner High School, Carrollton, Texas
• Santa Fe Early College Opportunities High School, Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, Santa Ynez, California

The vehicles were delivered to the schools in mid-February with a steady flow of aftermarket products arriving shortly afterward. To help sustain the program, SEMA relies heavily on parts or service donations from automotive aftermarket parts manufacturers, retailers, WDs and service-provider members. Through this program, companies are supporting the preservation and expansion of automotive education in high schools. The vehicles will be sold upon completion of the builds with proceeds being reinvested back into the SEMA High School Vehicle Build Program to fund another round of builds.

The students of R.L. Turner High School were visited by members of the industry: Dennis Collins, Collins Bro’s Jeep; Dawson Druesdow, 4 Wheel Performance; Kelli Mallicote, Body Guard Bumpers; Kevin Taddeo, Add On Auto; Steven Sala, Eastman Chemical Company; BJ Leanse, Go Rhino; Matt Reasoner, Retrax; Matt Moore, Retrax; and Carol Walsh, Katzkin.	Students of Comstock High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan, lead a discussion about the vision for their build.
Students at Santa Ynez Valley Union High School in Santa Ynez, California, were excited to receive their Black Rock wheels from The Carlstar Group.	C.D. Hylton High School automotive instructor Eddie Stevens (left) leads his students on the vehicle build in Woodbridge, Virginia.
Students install Rugged Ridge products at R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton, Texas.	The students at Santa Fe Early College Opportunities in Santa Fe, New Mexico, posed for a quick photo with their donated products from Rugged Ridge before getting back to working on the build.

The program has received more than 200 donated products from industry sponsors, including:

• 4 Wheel Performance
• Advance Auto Parts
• aFe Power
• Atturo Tire
• Auto Image
• Bloomfield Manufacturing Company (Hi-Lift)
• BOLT Lock
• The Carlstar Group/Cragar Wheels (Black Rock Wheels)
• Collins Bros Jeeps (Black Mountain)
• Covercraft
• Diode Dynamics
• Eastman Chemical Company (LLumar)
• Finishmaster
• Husky Liners
• JcrOffroad
• Just Jeep’N Stuff
• Katzkin Automotive Leather
• LKQ/Keystone Automotive
• Omix-ADA (Rugged Ridge)
• Painless Performance Products
• Pilot Automotive (Rolling Big Power)
• Quiet Ride Solutions
• Rancho Suspension & Shocks
• Rock Krawler Suspension
• Safelite
• Seatbelt Planet
• Skyjacker Suspensions
• Steele Rubber Products
• T-REX Products Inc.
• Truck’n America
• Twisted Automotive
• Unicorn Tire (Travelstar)

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, the students are putting on their final touches to the builds. The vehicles will be available for purchase in the June/July timeframe. Check out the progress of these builds and learn more about the program at www.sema.org/student-builds.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA News will highlight 35 of the industry’s top young trendsetters in its September 2019 issue.

May 31 is the deadline to submit nominations for the SEMA News “35 Under 35” article, which will highlight up-and-coming superstars in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2019—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—we would like to hear from you.

Many SEMA members are currently working with creative young professionals who are already industry trailblazers. They may have played key roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach, improve product development, energize marketing efforts or upgrade customer interaction.

They could be budding talents at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that might become big names in the future. What they all will have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed.

SEMA News looks for candidates drawn from diverse industry segments who are already making a significant impact through their leadership within their organizations or businesses. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the marketplace weigh heavily in the decision-making process. We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.

Nominate a candidate now for the 2019 SEMA News 35 Under 35. Nominations are due May 31.

By SEMA Editors

SEMA News will highlight 35 of the industry’s top young trendsetters in its September 2019 issue.

May 31 is the deadline to submit nominations for the SEMA News “35 Under 35” article, which will highlight up-and-coming superstars in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2019—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—we would like to hear from you.

Many SEMA members are currently working with creative young professionals who are already industry trailblazers. They may have played key roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach, improve product development, energize marketing efforts or upgrade customer interaction.

They could be budding talents at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that might become big names in the future. What they all will have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed.

SEMA News looks for candidates drawn from diverse industry segments who are already making a significant impact through their leadership within their organizations or businesses. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the marketplace weigh heavily in the decision-making process. We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.

Nominate a candidate now for the 2019 SEMA News 35 Under 35. Nominations are due May 31.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019.

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019. The resolutions recognized that the Hawaiian racing community on Oahu has been without a motorsports facility for more than a decade.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019.

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019. The resolutions recognized that the Hawaiian racing community on Oahu has been without a motorsports facility for more than a decade.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019.

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019. The resolutions recognized that the Hawaiian racing community on Oahu has been without a motorsports facility for more than a decade.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019.

House and Senate resolutions (H.C.R. 42 & S.C.R. 108) advocating for the construction of a new racetrack facility on the island of Oahu failed to pass before Hawaii’s legislature adjourned for 2019. The resolutions recognized that the Hawaiian racing community on Oahu has been without a motorsports facility for more than a decade.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

This is a first look at the ’21 Ford F-150, caught while testing on the streets of Dearborn, Michigan.

Ford is expected to significantly update its fullsize pickup, after investing heavily in the current model and its aluminum construction for 2015 (along with tech and powertrain upgrades for 2018), the redesigned model is likely to focus on styling and engine changes.

It’s no secret Ford has been hard at work on a hybrid version of the F-150, and that’s likely to be introduced around the time the new model comes out, along with the plug-in hybrid model. A full-EV model could come shortly thereafter. But most models should get the usual EcoBoost engines, likely with upgrades over the current versions. The recently introduced V6 turbodiesel could return, given Ford’s investment in certifying that engine. The naturally aspirated V6 and V8 engines, meanwhile, could be culled due to economy and customer demand concerns. A new 4.8L V8 is also rumored to replace the current 5.0L, although there’s no word on whether it may receive turbocharging along the lines of the Ecoboost V6 models.

Technology should also advance with the next F-150, as more advanced driver assistance features should become available. Expect to see the redesigned F-150 sometime next year, with production starting in late 2020.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

This is a first look at the ’21 Ford F-150, caught while testing on the streets of Dearborn, Michigan.

Ford is expected to significantly update its fullsize pickup, after investing heavily in the current model and its aluminum construction for 2015 (along with tech and powertrain upgrades for 2018), the redesigned model is likely to focus on styling and engine changes.

It’s no secret Ford has been hard at work on a hybrid version of the F-150, and that’s likely to be introduced around the time the new model comes out, along with the plug-in hybrid model. A full-EV model could come shortly thereafter. But most models should get the usual EcoBoost engines, likely with upgrades over the current versions. The recently introduced V6 turbodiesel could return, given Ford’s investment in certifying that engine. The naturally aspirated V6 and V8 engines, meanwhile, could be culled due to economy and customer demand concerns. A new 4.8L V8 is also rumored to replace the current 5.0L, although there’s no word on whether it may receive turbocharging along the lines of the Ecoboost V6 models.

Technology should also advance with the next F-150, as more advanced driver assistance features should become available. Expect to see the redesigned F-150 sometime next year, with production starting in late 2020.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

This is a first look at the ’21 Ford F-150, caught while testing on the streets of Dearborn, Michigan.

Ford is expected to significantly update its fullsize pickup, after investing heavily in the current model and its aluminum construction for 2015 (along with tech and powertrain upgrades for 2018), the redesigned model is likely to focus on styling and engine changes.

It’s no secret Ford has been hard at work on a hybrid version of the F-150, and that’s likely to be introduced around the time the new model comes out, along with the plug-in hybrid model. A full-EV model could come shortly thereafter. But most models should get the usual EcoBoost engines, likely with upgrades over the current versions. The recently introduced V6 turbodiesel could return, given Ford’s investment in certifying that engine. The naturally aspirated V6 and V8 engines, meanwhile, could be culled due to economy and customer demand concerns. A new 4.8L V8 is also rumored to replace the current 5.0L, although there’s no word on whether it may receive turbocharging along the lines of the Ecoboost V6 models.

Technology should also advance with the next F-150, as more advanced driver assistance features should become available. Expect to see the redesigned F-150 sometime next year, with production starting in late 2020.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde