By SEMA Editors

Show car submissions for the SEMA Garage Open House will be accepted until July 21.

Attention Members: SEMA would like to feature completed show cars at the SEMA Garage Open House. Come share your cars and creations at one of the industry’s prime events of the summer, as the latest product development and innovative spaces at the Garage are revealed.

Photo and description submissions (citing year, make and model) of new and old cars will be accepted by email at stephaniem@sema.org until July 21.

Not yet registered to attend? Visit www.sema.org/openhouse to save your spot.

By SEMA Editors

Show car submissions for the SEMA Garage Open House will be accepted until July 21.

Attention Members: SEMA would like to feature completed show cars at the SEMA Garage Open House. Come share your cars and creations at one of the industry’s prime events of the summer, as the latest product development and innovative spaces at the Garage are revealed.

Photo and description submissions (citing year, make and model) of new and old cars will be accepted by email at stephaniem@sema.org until July 21.

Not yet registered to attend? Visit www.sema.org/openhouse to save your spot.

By Chad Simon

Located adjacent to the association’s headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage is hosting an industry open house, July 28, 2016, from 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

With a recently remodeled training and conference center, an upgraded emissions lab and new state-of-the-art equipment, the SEMA Garage is hosting an industry open house, July 28, 2016, from 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Located adjacent to the association’s headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage is an industry resource that helps automotive parts and accessories manufacturers to develop products quickly, easily and cost-effectively.

During the SEMA Garage open house, SEMA members and automotive specialty-equipment industry professionals will be invited to tour the 15,000-sq.-ft. facility. Highlights include an installation center, a photo studio, a training facility and an emissions-compliance center recognized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a certified automotive emissions testing laboratory.

“Since opening the SEMA Garage just a few years ago, SEMA members have embraced the facility and all its capabilities,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development. “The strong industry support has allowed us to expand and improve on how we can assist with the product-development process. We’ve upgraded the equipment and have added some amazing members to the team. The SEMA Garage open house is a chance for the industry to see all that we have to offer.”

The facility includes two vehicle lifts, a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for 3D scanning, a 3D printer for fast prototyping, digital race scales for the most precise vehicle weight measurements, a dynamometer for power output measurements, a photo studio for promoting finished products and a training facility that can be used for media or rep meetings.

There is no cost to attend the event, which includes complimentary food, drinks, music and giveaways in a clubhouse atmosphere. To learn more about the event or the SEMA Garage, visit www.sema.org/openhouse.

The SEMA Garage is equipped with an emissions-compliance center recognized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a certified automotive emissions testing laboratory.	“The SEMA Garage open house is a chance for the industry to see all that we have to offer,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development (center).
Matt Cordato (right) demonstrates the SEMA Garage’s 3D printing capabilities.	The facility includes two vehicle lifts, which are frequently used for measuring sessions.

By Chad Simon

Located adjacent to the association’s headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage is hosting an industry open house, July 28, 2016, from 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

With a recently remodeled training and conference center, an upgraded emissions lab and new state-of-the-art equipment, the SEMA Garage is hosting an industry open house, July 28, 2016, from 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. Located adjacent to the association’s headquarters in Diamond Bar, California, the SEMA Garage is an industry resource that helps automotive parts and accessories manufacturers to develop products quickly, easily and cost-effectively.

During the SEMA Garage open house, SEMA members and automotive specialty-equipment industry professionals will be invited to tour the 15,000-sq.-ft. facility. Highlights include an installation center, a photo studio, a training facility and an emissions-compliance center recognized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a certified automotive emissions testing laboratory.

“Since opening the SEMA Garage just a few years ago, SEMA members have embraced the facility and all its capabilities,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development. “The strong industry support has allowed us to expand and improve on how we can assist with the product-development process. We’ve upgraded the equipment and have added some amazing members to the team. The SEMA Garage open house is a chance for the industry to see all that we have to offer.”

The facility includes two vehicle lifts, a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for 3D scanning, a 3D printer for fast prototyping, digital race scales for the most precise vehicle weight measurements, a dynamometer for power output measurements, a photo studio for promoting finished products and a training facility that can be used for media or rep meetings.

There is no cost to attend the event, which includes complimentary food, drinks, music and giveaways in a clubhouse atmosphere. To learn more about the event or the SEMA Garage, visit www.sema.org/openhouse.

The SEMA Garage is equipped with an emissions-compliance center recognized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as a certified automotive emissions testing laboratory.	“The SEMA Garage open house is a chance for the industry to see all that we have to offer,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of product development (center).
Matt Cordato (right) demonstrates the SEMA Garage’s 3D printing capabilities.	The facility includes two vehicle lifts, which are frequently used for measuring sessions.

By Becca Butler

Applications for the 2016 SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition are now being accepted at www.semaignited.com. This one-of-a-kind automotive competition features top builders from across the nation who have a display, feature or booth vehicle at the SEMA Show. Participants will showcase their vehicles during the annual event and a panel of top automotive experts will narrow it down to an elite 10. Finalists will then vote among themselves to be named the winner.

New this year will be the introduction of the Young Guns (under 35) category and Open Division (everyone else). Builders with vehicles from all market segments are encouraged to enter one or more categories. For more information and to enter the competition, visit www.semaignited.com.

By Becca Butler

Applications for the 2016 SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition are now being accepted at www.semaignited.com. This one-of-a-kind automotive competition features top builders from across the nation who have a display, feature or booth vehicle at the SEMA Show. Participants will showcase their vehicles during the annual event and a panel of top automotive experts will narrow it down to an elite 10. Finalists will then vote among themselves to be named the winner.

New this year will be the introduction of the Young Guns (under 35) category and Open Division (everyone else). Builders with vehicles from all market segments are encouraged to enter one or more categories. For more information and to enter the competition, visit www.semaignited.com.

By Becca Butler

Applications for the 2016 SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition are now being accepted at www.semaignited.com. This one-of-a-kind automotive competition features top builders from across the nation who have a display, feature or booth vehicle at the SEMA Show. Participants will showcase their vehicles during the annual event and a panel of top automotive experts will narrow it down to an elite 10. Finalists will then vote among themselves to be named the winner.

New this year will be the introduction of the Young Guns (under 35) category and Open Division (everyone else). Builders with vehicles from all market segments are encouraged to enter one or more categories. For more information and to enter the competition, visit www.semaignited.com.

SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting underscores the ongoing threat to motorsports and asks all racing enthusiasts and business owners to call on their federal legislators to support the RPM Act.

Chris Kersting: “Today the future of motorsports is at risk, and that means we all have to take action now and support federal legislation to correct this problem. We urge you to contact your legislators in Washington, D.C. and ask them to support the RPM Act.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken the position that it is illegal to make emissions system modifications to motor vehicles that are converted into racecars used exclusively at the track – a practice that, until now, was unquestioned by racing fans, industry and government regulators.

The RPM Act is a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress that protects the auto performance and racing community and industry from unnecessary enforcement and makes clear that it is legal to modify a street vehicle for use in competition.

Learn how you can contact your federal legislators at www.sema.org/rpm-call.

SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting underscores the ongoing threat to motorsports and asks all racing enthusiasts and business owners to call on their federal legislators to support the RPM Act.

Chris Kersting: “Today the future of motorsports is at risk, and that means we all have to take action now and support federal legislation to correct this problem. We urge you to contact your legislators in Washington, D.C. and ask them to support the RPM Act.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken the position that it is illegal to make emissions system modifications to motor vehicles that are converted into racecars used exclusively at the track – a practice that, until now, was unquestioned by racing fans, industry and government regulators.

The RPM Act is a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress that protects the auto performance and racing community and industry from unnecessary enforcement and makes clear that it is legal to modify a street vehicle for use in competition.

Learn how you can contact your federal legislators at www.sema.org/rpm-call.

SEMA News—July 2016

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin

Photo Courtesy Petersen Archive

That’s the Spirit

In January 1965, Petersen Publishing photographer Pat Brollier set up his camera to get as much depth of field as possible to capture the goings-on at the Winternationals Custom Auto Fair in the cavernous Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles. That small aperture resulted in a long exposure, blurring many of the visitors as they passed by what had to be one of the most dramatic exhibits in the show.

The silhouette of Craig Breedlove’s Spirit of America is unmistakable, and seeing it inside the hall gives an idea of just how big the land-speed racer was. Spirit was on display along with Breedlove’s Spirit II dragster and Spirit’s Bonneville support truck.

Just a few months before, in October 1964, Breedlove became the first to break the 500-mph mark and drove Spirit to a new land-speed record of more than 526 mph. It was while setting that record, though, that one of Spirit’s parachutes broke loose, sending the rocket car on a wild, 5-mile ride across the salt flats that ended with the racer nose-down in a brine pond.

A picture similar to this one was the lead photo in Car Craft magazine’s coverage of the Winternationals show in its May 1965 issue.

It was a banner year for the event; not only did Breedlove show his land-speed racing cars, but Steve Scott also debuted his now iconic Uncertain T, “a new concept in street rods,” said the magazine. Actor/racer Norm Grabowski brought his Corvair-powered Six Pack motorcycle; Carl Caspar’s wild Caspar’s Ghost came all the way from Michigan and won the Grand Sweepstakes award for Best Rod; and Tony Nancy won the Grand Sweepstakes award for Best Competition car with his futuristic Wedge dragster, “one of the few that have the driver in front of the mill,” said the story.