By Della Domingo

Actor Sung Kang is partnering with Shell, featuring Pennzoil, and SEMA to help a team of aspiring young automotive technicians from Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California, transform a ’72 Ford Maverick to debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

“If I were a car, I would be the Maverick,” said Kang, who first drove the Maverick in the movie “Fast Five” in Brazil. “The Maverick has always been underappreciated, overlooked and undervalued…‘The Underdog.’ But those who love her are loyal forever. This, and the chance to make a difference for these students, is something I can stand behind.”

The vehicle represents what Kang describes as the “ultimate Underdog.” The build will be recorded and shared in an online video series filled with raw, behind-the-scenes footage, intimate conversations and real-time progress every step of the way, made possible by SEMA and Shell, featuring Pennzoil.

“Kang’s Project Underdog is, at its heart, designed to promote youth outreach and inspire the next generation to become future enthusiasts and pursue automotive careers,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of OEM and product development programs. “Our SEMA programs are simply the right fit for this team project that will prove the underdog can win big and benefit our community.”

Kang will oversee the project while students work hand-in-hand with industry veterans to restore and completely rebuild the vehicle. The completed vehicle will then be auctioned off to raise money for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to students pursuing careers in the automotive industry.

Kang, who played Han in The Fast and the Furious movie series, captivated fans throughout the world last year when he documented and shared a similar vehicle build—the FuguZ 240Z—through social media videos.

Taking place at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, the build will be shown on YouTube (in collaboration with GarageMonkey on their channel) and on Facebook (through Kang’s account). Viewers will see the project’s progression, the students’ development and perhaps struggles and mishaps along the way.

Award-winning builder Steve Strope will lead Project Underdog and serve as a mentor to the three Alhambra High School students who have been specially selected from the Southern California area for the project.

The final build, which is supported by Shell, featuring Pennzoil, and Ford Motor Company, Samsung, NITTO, GReddy, Rocket Bunny and Facebook, will debut at the 2016 trade-only SEMA Show, November 1–4 in Las Vegas.

“Project Underdog puts the spotlight on fostering automotive education for today’s youth, one of the many core values that Shell, featuring Pennzoil, shares with Sung Kang and SEMA,” said Don Moser, Shell Lubricants marketing director. “These students will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hone their passion for cars and take on the task of rebuilding one of the greatest underdogs in automotive history—the Ford Maverick. We can hardly wait for the big reveal at the 2016 SEMA Show!”

To keep up to date on Project Underdog, visit Sung Kang’s Facebook page.

View the Project Underdog promotional video.

By Della Domingo

Actor Sung Kang is partnering with Shell, featuring Pennzoil, and SEMA to help a team of aspiring young automotive technicians from Alhambra High School in Alhambra, California, transform a ’72 Ford Maverick to debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

“If I were a car, I would be the Maverick,” said Kang, who first drove the Maverick in the movie “Fast Five” in Brazil. “The Maverick has always been underappreciated, overlooked and undervalued…‘The Underdog.’ But those who love her are loyal forever. This, and the chance to make a difference for these students, is something I can stand behind.”

The vehicle represents what Kang describes as the “ultimate Underdog.” The build will be recorded and shared in an online video series filled with raw, behind-the-scenes footage, intimate conversations and real-time progress every step of the way, made possible by SEMA and Shell, featuring Pennzoil.

“Kang’s Project Underdog is, at its heart, designed to promote youth outreach and inspire the next generation to become future enthusiasts and pursue automotive careers,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of OEM and product development programs. “Our SEMA programs are simply the right fit for this team project that will prove the underdog can win big and benefit our community.”

Kang will oversee the project while students work hand-in-hand with industry veterans to restore and completely rebuild the vehicle. The completed vehicle will then be auctioned off to raise money for the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to students pursuing careers in the automotive industry.

Kang, who played Han in The Fast and the Furious movie series, captivated fans throughout the world last year when he documented and shared a similar vehicle build—the FuguZ 240Z—through social media videos.

Taking place at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, the build will be shown on YouTube (in collaboration with GarageMonkey on their channel) and on Facebook (through Kang’s account). Viewers will see the project’s progression, the students’ development and perhaps struggles and mishaps along the way.

Award-winning builder Steve Strope will lead Project Underdog and serve as a mentor to the three Alhambra High School students who have been specially selected from the Southern California area for the project.

The final build, which is supported by Shell, featuring Pennzoil, and Ford Motor Company, Samsung, NITTO, GReddy, Rocket Bunny and Facebook, will debut at the 2016 trade-only SEMA Show, November 1–4 in Las Vegas.

“Project Underdog puts the spotlight on fostering automotive education for today’s youth, one of the many core values that Shell, featuring Pennzoil, shares with Sung Kang and SEMA,” said Don Moser, Shell Lubricants marketing director. “These students will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hone their passion for cars and take on the task of rebuilding one of the greatest underdogs in automotive history—the Ford Maverick. We can hardly wait for the big reveal at the 2016 SEMA Show!”

To keep up to date on Project Underdog, visit Sung Kang’s Facebook page.

View the Project Underdog promotional video.

These are shots of Bumblebee and Barricade from the upcoming Transformers film. Michael Bay teased the cars early on, and low-res images have leaked, but this is the first complete look at both cars.

Transformers: The Last Knight will debut in 2017 and feature these modified pony cars. Bumblebee is the yellow-generation Chevrolet Camaro, with a blacked-out roof, wild spoiler and possibly removable top.

Barricade, meanwhile, sports enforcement gear based on the current Ford Mustang. It also features a wild spoiler, but with sporty hood scoops on the front.

Transformers: The Last Knight—the last Michael Bay Transformers film—is currently scheduled to be released June 23, 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

These are shots of Bumblebee and Barricade from the upcoming Transformers film. Michael Bay teased the cars early on, and low-res images have leaked, but this is the first complete look at both cars.

Transformers: The Last Knight will debut in 2017 and feature these modified pony cars. Bumblebee is the yellow-generation Chevrolet Camaro, with a blacked-out roof, wild spoiler and possibly removable top.

Barricade, meanwhile, sports enforcement gear based on the current Ford Mustang. It also features a wild spoiler, but with sporty hood scoops on the front.

Transformers: The Last Knight—the last Michael Bay Transformers film—is currently scheduled to be released June 23, 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

These are shots of Bumblebee and Barricade from the upcoming Transformers film. Michael Bay teased the cars early on, and low-res images have leaked, but this is the first complete look at both cars.

Transformers: The Last Knight will debut in 2017 and feature these modified pony cars. Bumblebee is the yellow-generation Chevrolet Camaro, with a blacked-out roof, wild spoiler and possibly removable top.

Barricade, meanwhile, sports enforcement gear based on the current Ford Mustang. It also features a wild spoiler, but with sporty hood scoops on the front.

Transformers: The Last Knight—the last Michael Bay Transformers film—is currently scheduled to be released June 23, 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

These are shots of Bumblebee and Barricade from the upcoming Transformers film. Michael Bay teased the cars early on, and low-res images have leaked, but this is the first complete look at both cars.

Transformers: The Last Knight will debut in 2017 and feature these modified pony cars. Bumblebee is the yellow-generation Chevrolet Camaro, with a blacked-out roof, wild spoiler and possibly removable top.

Barricade, meanwhile, sports enforcement gear based on the current Ford Mustang. It also features a wild spoiler, but with sporty hood scoops on the front.

Transformers: The Last Knight—the last Michael Bay Transformers film—is currently scheduled to be released June 23, 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

These are shots of Bumblebee and Barricade from the upcoming Transformers film. Michael Bay teased the cars early on, and low-res images have leaked, but this is the first complete look at both cars.

Transformers: The Last Knight will debut in 2017 and feature these modified pony cars. Bumblebee is the yellow-generation Chevrolet Camaro, with a blacked-out roof, wild spoiler and possibly removable top.

Barricade, meanwhile, sports enforcement gear based on the current Ford Mustang. It also features a wild spoiler, but with sporty hood scoops on the front.

Transformers: The Last Knight—the last Michael Bay Transformers film—is currently scheduled to be released June 23, 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

These are shots of Bumblebee and Barricade from the upcoming Transformers film. Michael Bay teased the cars early on, and low-res images have leaked, but this is the first complete look at both cars.

Transformers: The Last Knight will debut in 2017 and feature these modified pony cars. Bumblebee is the yellow-generation Chevrolet Camaro, with a blacked-out roof, wild spoiler and possibly removable top.

Barricade, meanwhile, sports enforcement gear based on the current Ford Mustang. It also features a wild spoiler, but with sporty hood scoops on the front.

Transformers: The Last Knight—the last Michael Bay Transformers film—is currently scheduled to be released June 23, 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Last Qualifying Event for Hot Rodders of Tomorrow This Weekend

The ninth season of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Engine Challenge embarks on the last qualifying event for the Dual National Championship this weekend at the 11th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl at Joliet’s Route 66 Raceway. This will be the first time Hot Rodders of Tomorrow has competed at the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl—the only event where the NMRA and NMCA compete against each other. With the HROT season reaching its last qualifying event, there are four teams (Mr. Gasket, Parts Pro, McLeod and Aeromotive) that must score 34 minutes or under to have a chance to make the trip to either the SEMA Show or the PRI Show later this fall for the Dual National Championship. Other previously qualified teams are working to improve their accuracy and time. Visit www.HotRoddersofTomorrow.com for more information.

Continental’s Tim Rogers Named 2016 CFO of the Year

Tim Rogers

Tim Rogers, vice president of finance for Continental Tire the Americas LLC, and vice president and treasurer for Continental Automotive Inc., was recognized last week by the Charlotte Business Journal as the 2016 CFO of the Year in the large business category. With more than 13 years of experience in lead financial positions at Continental Tire the Americas, Rogers has played a key role in Continental’s investments across the Americas’ region. Large, recent investments include a $500 million tire manufacturing facility in South Carolina, and a $1.4 billion investment in a tire manufacturing greenfield in Mississippi announced earlier this year. Rogers was also recognized for the Business Turnaround Award, which honors an area CFO who has achieved financial success for their business, particularly during times of change.

DENSO in Maryville, Tennessee Breaks Ground on New Onsite Consolidated Warehouse

Last year, DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee Inc. announced a $400 million investment to expand manufacturing lines, which would result in the creation of 500 new jobs. Last week, the company broke ground on a key portion of this investment—a 186,528-sq.-ft. consolidated warehouse, located on its Maryville, Tennessee, campus. The warehouse is due for completion by October 2017. The new warehouse allows DENSO to consolidate its various warehouse operations in the Maryville area and free up manufacturing space that can be used to produce products, such as head-up displays, instrument clusters and electronic control units.

Eighteen of the top 28 at Born Free 8 chose to equip their builds with Coker Tires.

The Best Custom Bike Builders in the Country Choose Coker

Nearly 10,000 bikers, artists, fabricators, families and everyday riders descended upon Silverado, California, for Born Free 8—a two-day celebration of motorcycle culture, music, stunt riding shows and an invitational showcasing one-off builds from the top professional shops and garage builders in the world. Eighteen of the top 28 chose to equip their builds with Coker Tires. The builder showcase, which expanded from 25 to 28 top fabricators this year, highlights hand-built machines from celebrity builders, small-town shops and garage mechanics alike.

“To have more than half of the top bikes at an event like Born Free equipped with our tires is an honor and a testament to our focus on both period-correct details and real-world performance,” said Wade Kawasaki, president and COO of Coker Tire.

Two Coker-equipped top finishers included Arie Van Schyndel of Vee MFG, who took second place in the Invited Builder category with a knucklehead-powered, candy-purple chopper, and winner of the Coker Tire Firestone Award, Matt Walksler of Period Modified’s ’28 Harley-Davidson JDH-XR, both rolling on a ribbed Firestone 21-in. tire in front and Firestone ANS tires in the rear.

Brett Blauner

Timken Names Brett Blauner National Sales Manager, Automotive Aftermarket

The Timken Company has announced that Brett Blauner has been named national sales manager for automotive aftermarket, where he will be responsible for managing U.S. sales development for light-vehicle automotive aftermarket. He reports to Brian J. Ruel, who was appointed vice president of Americas at The Timken Company earlier this year. Blauner originally worked at Timken from 1992–2008, joining the company as an associate sales engineer in Connecticut before advancing to various positions, including district sales engineer, plant manager of the former needle plant in Georgia, global business development manager, pricing manager and market manager. Prior to returning to Timken, he was director of sales and marketing at Illinois Tool Works. Blauner earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts.

AAM Group Secures Car Rental Discounts for Distribution, Manufacturing and Retail Partners

The AAM Group has entered into an exclusive service agreement with Enterprise Holdings to provide preferred pricing on airport and local-market auto rentals at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental locations across the United States and Canada. Effective since July 1, 2016, this benefit applies to rentals made for both business and personal travel. To claim this special rate, an individual associated with one of AAM’s three marketing programs (including member WD employees, sponsoring manufacturer employees and program retailers and employees) will need a free Insight account. The benefits of this agreement include a guaranteed low rate at airports (or the local market rate, whichever is lower), complimentary damage waiver insurance with no deductible and a monthly cap of 3,000 miles at no additional charge. In addition, the rate extends to many classes of automobile, from passenger cars to fleet vehicles.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

By Jason Catullo

Participating in SEMA’s Show publications is a simple, no-cost process that begins by submitting a press release to the SEMA Show Online Media Center.

SEMA’s Online Media Center is available to Show Exhibitors to post product and news releases at no cost. All it takes is about 100 words of copy and a high-resolution image, and you can upload a press release to help create excitement and exposure for your company’s products and Show participation. This valuable opportunity puts your company, your booth number, and your new product in front of thousands of potential buyers.

SEMA’s editorial team is currently pulling releases for use in both SEMA News and the SEMA Show Daily. If you want to be considered for publication, it’s time to finalize your text and select the best image of your new product.

The products featured in SEMA’s Pre-Show publications will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis. Exhibitors are encouraged to continue uploading new materials to the Online Media Center up until the Show opens. For all media covering the SEMA Show, the Online Media Center is designed as a resource that offers visitors a preview of the 2016 SEMA Show.

Key Contacts for SEMA’s Online Media Center and SEMA’s editorial department:

Della Domingo
Public Relations Director
dellad@sema.org

John Stewart
Vice President, Editorial Director
johns@sema.org