By SEMA Editors

Developed for kids between the ages of 5 and 18 years old, the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Junior Engine Challenge’s design is to “get wrenches in their hands and grease under their fingernails” by taking apart and rebuilding Briggs & Stratton 5 hp single-cylinder engines.

Introduced in February 2017 at the Race & Performance Expo, the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Junior Engine Challenge showed the racing world how to get youth involved in the future of the racing industry at the PRI Trade Show last month. Developed for kids between the ages of 5 and 18 years old, the program’s design is to “get wrenches in their hands and grease under their fingernails” by taking apart and rebuilding Briggs & Stratton 5 hp single-cylinder engines.

A team consists of two members; one teammate must be between 5–18 years of age. Each team must completely disassemble and reassemble the engine so that it is functional and in running condition. Basic hand tools and equipment are required to complete this task. The contest is intended to help develop problem-solving and communication skills, and increase self-esteem and the understanding of a working internal combustion engine.

“The coolest thing I saw at PRI was the focus and passion of the kids competing in the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow events,” said Kyle Fickler, director of business development at Aeromotive Inc. “The next Don Garlits, Warren Johnson or Robert Yates has a great opportunity to win big scholarships while competing in a great environment, and the Jr. Dragster Engine Challenge [Jr. Hot Rodders of Tomorrow] made we wish I was 6 years old again!”

Hot Rodders Adds More Junior Engine Challenge Events in 2018

Due to the popularity of the Junior Engine Challenges and the importance of getting youth interested in the racing industry, Hot Rodders of Tomorrow will hold a minimum of 18 events in 2018, starting in February at the Race & Performance Expo and ending at the PRI Trade Show next December. Teams will participate at all the Midwest Junior Super Series events and most of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge events during the year.

View more photos of the Junior Engine Challenge.

For more information about the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow program or how to help, contact Greg Parker at 574-315-1938 or gparker@hotroddersoftomorrow.org.

SEMA collaborated with members, LGE-CTS Motorsports and Ford to complete an F-250 Super Duty, which will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson this month.

SEMA Hall of Fame member Gigi Carleton from Peterson Publishing Company discusses her first SEMA Show and the growth of the industry and Show to date.

SEMA Hall of Fame member Gigi Carleton from Peterson Publishing Company discusses her first SEMA Show and the growth of the industry and Show to date.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA is making a live webinar available to its members, free of charge, on how the new tax law will impact small businesses, their owners and employees. It will also identify issues that still need to be clarified or addressed.  

The webinar will be held Tuesday, January 9, at 12:00 p.m. (EST)/9:00 a.m. (PST), and will include a presentation from Paula Calimafde, president and general counsel of the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC), and Jessica Summers, SBLC’s strategic policy director. The SBLC is a coalition of trade and professional associations, including SEMA, that represent a cross-section of the small-business community, and form a unified voice in helping influence how the nation’s laws are enacted and implemented.

Register for free.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

View a quick but comprehensive overview of the law. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA is making a live webinar available to its members, free of charge, on how the new tax law will impact small businesses, their owners and employees. It will also identify issues that still need to be clarified or addressed.  

The webinar will be held Tuesday, January 9, at 12:00 p.m. (EST)/9:00 a.m. (PST), and will include a presentation from Paula Calimafde, president and general counsel of the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC), and Jessica Summers, SBLC’s strategic policy director. The SBLC is a coalition of trade and professional associations, including SEMA, that represent a cross-section of the small-business community, and form a unified voice in helping influence how the nation’s laws are enacted and implemented.

Register for free.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

View a quick but comprehensive overview of the law. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

SEMA is making a live webinar available to its members, free of charge, on how the new tax law will impact small businesses, their owners and employees. It will also identify issues that still need to be clarified or addressed.  

The webinar will be held Tuesday, January 9, at 12:00 p.m. (EST)/9:00 a.m. (PST), and will include a presentation from Paula Calimafde, president and general counsel of the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC), and Jessica Summers, SBLC’s strategic policy director. The SBLC is a coalition of trade and professional associations, including SEMA, that represent a cross-section of the small-business community, and form a unified voice in helping influence how the nation’s laws are enacted and implemented.

Register for free.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

View a quick but comprehensive overview of the law. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

This is the ’19 RAM 1500 with its face completely revealed before its Detroit debut. Earlier shots offered an almost unobstructed view, but this is the whole enchilada.

Continuing with the steel body for the RAM 1500 is a break from Ford’s pattern for weight savings on a fullsize truck. Apparently, FCA decided that a more traditional, predominantly steel RAM is the right path for its next-generation truck.

Other details of the RAM 1500 have been firmed up ahead of its debut next year. Coil springs with optional air suspension are likely to continue, and will be joined by a larger passenger cab and new tailgate options. A hybrid and turbocharged four-cylinder are possibilities, but a more powerful V8 and Raptor-fighter are also rumored.

Expect the ’19 RAM 1500 to appear at the Detroit Auto Show.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

This is the ’19 RAM 1500 with its face completely revealed before its Detroit debut. Earlier shots offered an almost unobstructed view, but this is the whole enchilada.

Continuing with the steel body for the RAM 1500 is a break from Ford’s pattern for weight savings on a fullsize truck. Apparently, FCA decided that a more traditional, predominantly steel RAM is the right path for its next-generation truck.

Other details of the RAM 1500 have been firmed up ahead of its debut next year. Coil springs with optional air suspension are likely to continue, and will be joined by a larger passenger cab and new tailgate options. A hybrid and turbocharged four-cylinder are possibilities, but a more powerful V8 and Raptor-fighter are also rumored.

Expect the ’19 RAM 1500 to appear at the Detroit Auto Show.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

This is the ’19 RAM 1500 with its face completely revealed before its Detroit debut. Earlier shots offered an almost unobstructed view, but this is the whole enchilada.

Continuing with the steel body for the RAM 1500 is a break from Ford’s pattern for weight savings on a fullsize truck. Apparently, FCA decided that a more traditional, predominantly steel RAM is the right path for its next-generation truck.

Other details of the RAM 1500 have been firmed up ahead of its debut next year. Coil springs with optional air suspension are likely to continue, and will be joined by a larger passenger cab and new tailgate options. A hybrid and turbocharged four-cylinder are possibilities, but a more powerful V8 and Raptor-fighter are also rumored.

Expect the ’19 RAM 1500 to appear at the Detroit Auto Show.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde