By Kristopher Porter

Each council and network will announce and present its annual awards during individual receptions at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

SEMA’s councils and networks honor outstanding member companies and industry professionals through their awards programs. Each council and network will announce and present its annual awards during individual receptions at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The winners are nominated and voted on by council and network membership.

SEMA is now calling for nominations for the following councils and networks:

• Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO)
• Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN)
• Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA)
• Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA)
• Professional Restylers Organization (PRO)
• SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN)
• Wheel & Tire Council (WTC)
• Young Executives Network (YEN)

View the awards, criteria and past winners at the new SEMA Council and Network Awards website and nominate a worthy candidate by July 8.

Nominees must be a member of the council or network for which they are being nominated. If you are unsure, contact SEMA customer service at 909-610-2030 for assistance.

By Kristopher Porter

Each council and network will announce and present its annual awards during individual receptions at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

SEMA’s councils and networks honor outstanding member companies and industry professionals through their awards programs. Each council and network will announce and present its annual awards during individual receptions at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The winners are nominated and voted on by council and network membership.

SEMA is now calling for nominations for the following councils and networks:

• Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO)
• Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN)
• Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA)
• Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA)
• Professional Restylers Organization (PRO)
• SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN)
• Wheel & Tire Council (WTC)
• Young Executives Network (YEN)

View the awards, criteria and past winners at the new SEMA Council and Network Awards website and nominate a worthy candidate by July 8.

Nominees must be a member of the council or network for which they are being nominated. If you are unsure, contact SEMA customer service at 909-610-2030 for assistance.

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Installation & Gala and SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California.

The SEMA Installation & Gala and SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California. The Pinewood finals are held during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. This special evening honors the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers, 2019 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—Bob Chandler, Bruce Crower and Marla Moore—and the association’s incoming and outgoing Board members.

SEMA members can race either a car or truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the BIFM or Stock class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 sec. on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 sec., and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and the Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

Bob Chandler	Bruce Crower	Marla Moore

Now in its third year, the Industry Cup Challenge features five divisions where sponsoring companies race child-built pinewood cars. Each division crowns a winning company, which then goes on to represent that division in an all-out industry race to No. 1. The industry challengers each have a limited number of entrants in the following divisions: warehouse distributors, manufacturers, media groups, rep agencies and service providers. The champion can display the trophy for a year with its company name engraved among the winners. It must then be returned, in a Stanley Cup-style tradition, as it will be up for grabs again at the next Pinewood Drag Races, where the company will have a chance to defend its title. The donation cost is $1,000 per sponsoring company. The standard pinewood build rules apply to all competing vehicles. Vehicles are randomly assigned and the race is officiated by SEMA Cares volunteers.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Austin Hatcher Foundation, Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides a camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship.

Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!

Register now for the Installation & Gala.

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Installation & Gala and SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California.

The SEMA Installation & Gala and SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California. The Pinewood finals are held during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. This special evening honors the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers, 2019 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—Bob Chandler, Bruce Crower and Marla Moore—and the association’s incoming and outgoing Board members.

SEMA members can race either a car or truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the BIFM or Stock class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 sec. on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 sec., and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and the Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

Bob Chandler	Bruce Crower	Marla Moore

Now in its third year, the Industry Cup Challenge features five divisions where sponsoring companies race child-built pinewood cars. Each division crowns a winning company, which then goes on to represent that division in an all-out industry race to No. 1. The industry challengers each have a limited number of entrants in the following divisions: warehouse distributors, manufacturers, media groups, rep agencies and service providers. The champion can display the trophy for a year with its company name engraved among the winners. It must then be returned, in a Stanley Cup-style tradition, as it will be up for grabs again at the next Pinewood Drag Races, where the company will have a chance to defend its title. The donation cost is $1,000 per sponsoring company. The standard pinewood build rules apply to all competing vehicles. Vehicles are randomly assigned and the race is officiated by SEMA Cares volunteers.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Austin Hatcher Foundation, Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides a camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship.

Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!

Register now for the Installation & Gala.

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Installation & Gala and SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California.

The SEMA Installation & Gala and SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California. The Pinewood finals are held during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. This special evening honors the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers, 2019 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—Bob Chandler, Bruce Crower and Marla Moore—and the association’s incoming and outgoing Board members.

SEMA members can race either a car or truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the BIFM or Stock class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 sec. on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 sec., and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and the Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

Bob Chandler	Bruce Crower	Marla Moore

Now in its third year, the Industry Cup Challenge features five divisions where sponsoring companies race child-built pinewood cars. Each division crowns a winning company, which then goes on to represent that division in an all-out industry race to No. 1. The industry challengers each have a limited number of entrants in the following divisions: warehouse distributors, manufacturers, media groups, rep agencies and service providers. The champion can display the trophy for a year with its company name engraved among the winners. It must then be returned, in a Stanley Cup-style tradition, as it will be up for grabs again at the next Pinewood Drag Races, where the company will have a chance to defend its title. The donation cost is $1,000 per sponsoring company. The standard pinewood build rules apply to all competing vehicles. Vehicles are randomly assigned and the race is officiated by SEMA Cares volunteers.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Austin Hatcher Foundation, Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides a camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship.

Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!

Register now for the Installation & Gala.

Is today’s younger generation giving up on driving, shunning car culture and turning away from vehicle accessorization?

https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2019/06/do-young-people-still-love-cars

Is today’s younger generation giving up on driving, shunning car culture and turning away from vehicle accessorization?

https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2019/06/do-young-people-still-love-cars

Is today’s younger generation giving up on driving, shunning car culture and turning away from vehicle accessorization?

https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2019/06/do-young-people-still-love-cars

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Ryan Tuerck defeated Fredric Aasbo in the Final at Wall Stadium Speedway in New Jersey.

Ryan Tuerck Claims First 2019 Formula DRIFT PRO Category Win in New Jersey

Ryan Tuerck claimed first place in the Formula DRIFT Black Magic PRO Championship at Wall Stadium Speedway in New Jersey for the Advance Auto Parts Gauntlet presented by Black Magic. Two competitors had failed to qualify, giving Justin Pawlak a bye run in the first round as the top qualifier. He would automatically advance from the Top 32 to the Sweet 16 where he would meet and beat Jeff Jones in the Doc/Falken Tire Nissan 370Z. Pawlak would meet Tuerck in the Great 8. Tuerck was on his way to the final, and although both acquitted themselves well, the decision went in favor of the Ryan Tuerck Racing/Gumout/Nitto Tire Toyota 86 by virtue of a superior lead run. Tuerck, who qualified ninth, started the day with a match-up against Dirk Stratton in the Lingenfelter Fortune Auto/Achilles Tire/Stratton Chevrolet Corvette C6. In the Sweet 16, Tuerck faced Chris Forsberg, driving the NOS Energy Drink/Nissan 370Z on Nexen Tires. After dispatching Pawlak, Tuerck beat James Deane in his Worthouse/Falken Tire Nissan Silvia S15 before defeating 2015 Champion Fredric Aasbo in the Final.

Team Canton Racing Products qualified in first place at the Super Summit last weekend with an average time of 23:55.

Hot Rodders of Tomorrow 2019 Qualifying Season Comes to a Close

After 13 events in the 2019 Hot Rodders of Tomorrow qualifying season, it has come to a close. Forty-one high-school teams from around the nation are now qualified to attend the Dual National Championship this fall at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas or the PRI Tradeshow in Indianapolis. Team Canton Racing Products from York County School of Tech and team Fel-Pro also from York County School of Tech were the final two qualifiers last weekend at the Super Summit in Norwalk, Ohio.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website. 

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Tribby Warfield	James McCoy

APC Automotive Technologies Appoints Tribby Warfield CEO and James McCoy COO

APC Automotive Technologies LLC has announced the appointment of Tribby Warfield as its chief executive officer and James McCoy as its chief operating officer. The addition of these key senior executives further builds out the company’s leadership team following the merger of AP Emissions and Centric Parts in 2017. Warfield comes to APC with experience in the automotive and industrial markets. Previously, she served as the senior vice president of business development and strategy for Nitta Corp. with responsibilities spanning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Prior to that, she held dual roles as the senior vice president and general manager of Kaman Fluid Power and Kaman Automation. Prior to that, she worked for more than 25 years at Gates Corp., where she served multiple roles, including president of North American commercial, president of North American power transmission and 11 years in various positions leading Gates European’s operations, commercial sales and marketing groups.

McCoy brings more than 25 years of diversified experience, including lean manufacturing and automotive and industrial products to the APC Automotive Technologies management team. McCoy most recently worked for Forterra Inc. as a senior vice president of operations. Prior to that, he served in large-scale global executive-level positions at Pentair Corp., Tarkett Inc., Gates Corp. and Danaher Corp. In previous roles, he was responsible for multiple facilities and drove performance improvement in cost, quality and service level on a consistent basis.

CRP Automotive Launches New AAE Brand Identity

CRP Automotive has developed and launched a new brand identity campaign, including an updated logo, for its AAE Steering System Components brand. The new logo is part of a complete branding update for AAE products to further associate the brand as a part of the CRP Automotive family. The AAE logo redesign features the stylized, lower-case AAE acronym above the phrase “Steering Specialists.” The lowercase AAE is in line with the CRP Automotive brand, while the inclusion of “Steering Specialists” ensures customers clearly recognize the product group. In addition to the redesigned logo, the new brand identity also includes a full marketing toolkit that includes a wide variety of MarCom elements.

Icahn Automotive Brings National “Race to 2026” Technician Recruitment Initiative to Lincoln Technical Institute New Jersey Locations

Icahn Automotive Group LLC is opening five remodeled classrooms at Lincoln Technical Institute’s (Lincoln Tech) Mahwah and Union, New Jersey, campuses with designs that incorporate images of the service brands and feature inspiring messages and wall graphics, such as “Find the tools you need,” “Find your own path” and “Find out how far you can go.” These classrooms are a part of the larger, national “Race to 2026” program that was designed to invest in and support promising future automotive technicians. The initiative encourages more men and women to pursue viable careers in the skilled trades by partnering with technical training schools and offering scholarships, tuition reimbursement, apprenticeship and internship programs, job placement and continuing education opportunities. To celebrate the partnerships, Lincoln Tech automotive technology students Jeremy Pedersen (Union campus), Sebestian Tassey (Union), Frank Van Althuis (Mahwah campus) and Joseph Chin (Mahwah) were each presented with a $2,500 scholarship from Icahn Automotive.

Total Seal Piston Rings Co. Sold to Investment Group Led by Promus Equity Partners, Jon S. Vesely and Total Seal President Matt Hartford

Total Seal Piston Rings has been sold to an investment group led by Promus Equity Partners, Jon S. Vesely and Total Seal President Matt Hartford. The sale was finalized June 7, and released in a joint statement by Joey Moriarty, son of founder Joe Moriarty, Promus Equity Partners, Vesely and Hartford. Hartford served as vice president of the company since joining Total Seal in 1998, and is now the CEO and president. He previously was a nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy.

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.