The ’19 GMC Sierra 1500 is rumored to be powered by a Navistar 3.0L inline six-cylinder diesel engine, but GM also has a 4.5L diesel V6 in its arsenal that only needs to be dusted off and put into production. Another rumor suggests that GM may try to upgrade the turbo and injectors in the 2.8L four-cylinder diesel in the Colorado/Canyon compact pickups for the 1500 models. With an aluminum-intensive body on the way (sans the bed), a four-cylinder diesel could potentially have enough power for the 1500 model.

The new Sierra will continue with refinements on the current V8 engines, but will also get a diesel option on the half-ton models—currently the Duramax diesel comes only on heavy-duty trucks—and a turbocharged V6 is also likely to join the lineup. A 10-speed automatic first seen in the Camaro ZL1 will find its way into at least some trucks at launch.

Expect to see the new Sierra in late ’18 as a ’19 model.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The ’19 GMC Sierra 1500 is rumored to be powered by a Navistar 3.0L inline six-cylinder diesel engine, but GM also has a 4.5L diesel V6 in its arsenal that only needs to be dusted off and put into production. Another rumor suggests that GM may try to upgrade the turbo and injectors in the 2.8L four-cylinder diesel in the Colorado/Canyon compact pickups for the 1500 models. With an aluminum-intensive body on the way (sans the bed), a four-cylinder diesel could potentially have enough power for the 1500 model.

The new Sierra will continue with refinements on the current V8 engines, but will also get a diesel option on the half-ton models—currently the Duramax diesel comes only on heavy-duty trucks—and a turbocharged V6 is also likely to join the lineup. A 10-speed automatic first seen in the Camaro ZL1 will find its way into at least some trucks at launch.

Expect to see the new Sierra in late ’18 as a ’19 model.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The ’19 GMC Sierra 1500 is rumored to be powered by a Navistar 3.0L inline six-cylinder diesel engine, but GM also has a 4.5L diesel V6 in its arsenal that only needs to be dusted off and put into production. Another rumor suggests that GM may try to upgrade the turbo and injectors in the 2.8L four-cylinder diesel in the Colorado/Canyon compact pickups for the 1500 models. With an aluminum-intensive body on the way (sans the bed), a four-cylinder diesel could potentially have enough power for the 1500 model.

The new Sierra will continue with refinements on the current V8 engines, but will also get a diesel option on the half-ton models—currently the Duramax diesel comes only on heavy-duty trucks—and a turbocharged V6 is also likely to join the lineup. A 10-speed automatic first seen in the Camaro ZL1 will find its way into at least some trucks at launch.

Expect to see the new Sierra in late ’18 as a ’19 model.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

The ’19 GMC Sierra 1500 is rumored to be powered by a Navistar 3.0L inline six-cylinder diesel engine, but GM also has a 4.5L diesel V6 in its arsenal that only needs to be dusted off and put into production. Another rumor suggests that GM may try to upgrade the turbo and injectors in the 2.8L four-cylinder diesel in the Colorado/Canyon compact pickups for the 1500 models. With an aluminum-intensive body on the way (sans the bed), a four-cylinder diesel could potentially have enough power for the 1500 model.

The new Sierra will continue with refinements on the current V8 engines, but will also get a diesel option on the half-ton models—currently the Duramax diesel comes only on heavy-duty trucks—and a turbocharged V6 is also likely to join the lineup. A 10-speed automatic first seen in the Camaro ZL1 will find its way into at least some trucks at launch.

Expect to see the new Sierra in late ’18 as a ’19 model.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Project Underdog, a highly customized ’72 Ford Maverick originally conceived by actor Sung Kang, is finished, fine-tuned, revved and ready for auction. Sponsored by Shell and featuring Pennzoil, and supported by Ford Motor Co., Samsung, Nitto, GReddy, Rocket Bunny and Facebook, the unique vehicle build was completed at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, with specialized tuning provided by Cobb Tuning, headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Kang enlisted inner-city students Tony Chen, Alexis Hernandez and Christian Quiroz to successfully transform the unassuming “underdog” Maverick into a showcase performer and winner of a Ford Corporate Design Award for its significant contribution to vehicle design.

Project Underdog, a highly customized ’72 Ford Maverick originally conceived by actor Sung Kang, is finished, fine-tuned, revved and ready for auction. Sponsored by Shell and featuring Pennzoil, and supported by Ford Motor Co., Samsung, Nitto, GReddy, Rocket Bunny and Facebook, the unique vehicle build was completed at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, with specialized tuning provided by Cobb Tuning, headquartered in Austin, Texas.

Kang enlisted inner-city students Tony Chen, Alexis Hernandez and Christian Quiroz to successfully transform the unassuming “underdog” Maverick into a showcase performer and winner of a Ford Corporate Design Award for its significant contribution to vehicle design.

By Juan Torres

Darin Smith has been building and restoring classic vehicles with DWS Classics for more than 20 years. He handles everything from nut-and-bolt restorations to custom-built vehicles.

SEMA had a chance to preview the build he’s entering in the Battle of the Builders competition. Smith is blending old school with new school in his custom-built ’64 Chevy pickup. The red-themed truck includes unique craftsmanship throughout and custom touches that will make the vehicle stand out in the competition.

Check out the video to learn more about this special build and why Smith says winning the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition would be an unimaginable honor.

Subscribe to the SEMA Show’s YouTube Channel to see the latest builder interviews and more leading up to the 2017 SEMA Show.

By Juan Torres

Darin Smith has been building and restoring classic vehicles with DWS Classics for more than 20 years. He handles everything from nut-and-bolt restorations to custom-built vehicles.

SEMA had a chance to preview the build he’s entering in the Battle of the Builders competition. Smith is blending old school with new school in his custom-built ’64 Chevy pickup. The red-themed truck includes unique craftsmanship throughout and custom touches that will make the vehicle stand out in the competition.

Check out the video to learn more about this special build and why Smith says winning the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition would be an unimaginable honor.

Subscribe to the SEMA Show’s YouTube Channel to see the latest builder interviews and more leading up to the 2017 SEMA Show.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Roy Bromfield

Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. Promotes Roy Bromfield to President and CEO

The Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. (TTC) board of directors has announced the promotion of Roy Bromfield to president and chief executive officer of Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. In this role, he is responsible for all product categories of Toyo-branded business in the U.S. replacement market. Bromfield joined Toyo in December 2012, and has been president and COO of TTC since January 2016. Prior to TTC, Bromfield was CEO of Q Tires Inc., and held various sales and marketing positions at Michelin, including vice president of North American marketing and sales, and president and CEO of Tire Centers LLC. Bromfield will report to the TTC Board of Directors. 

AAM Group Partners With Illumaware to Manage ACES/PIES Data

AAM Group has chosen Illumaware’s Evokat service to create supplemental product data for its ACES and PIES catalog data. Specifically, Evokat will help AAM fill holes in the data it receives from its data partners and enhance the loading of new parts into PACE, the company’s B2B cataloging and ordering system.

Remy Names Darwin Moen VP of Sales

Darwin Moen

Remy announced that Darwin Moen has joined the company as its new vice president of sales. Moen is responsible for sales strategy, program development, customer relations, category management, and establishing and managing key performance indicators. Moen was a long-time employee of the Whirlpool Corp. (formerly the Maytag Co.). Most recently, he held the title of national sales director, key accounts for Lowes.   

Pilot Acquires Luxury Truck Accessory and Wheel Brand Rolling Big Power

Pilot Inc. has announced that it has wholly acquired Rolling Big Power (RBP), including its custom wheels division—its second acquisition within the last year. Kelleigh Ash serves as vice president and general manager of the new Rolling Big Power.

California and Texas Car Club Communities Rally to Help Those Affected by Hurricane Harvey

The California and Texas car club communities have banded together to help with the Hurricane Harvey disaster in Houston. Many SEMA members, from builders and shops, have rallied to get much-needed supplies and relief to the many shelters and disaster areas in and around Houston. In one example, LevelupAuto President and 2016 SEMA 35 Under 35 honoree Billy Bautista paused his SEMA Show builds to lead friends and partners in delivering aid. President of Purist Group Sean Lee and his associates were also among the first to help fill their trailer and hauler, provided by Mark Cestr on behalf of Rehv Clothing and Clutch Masters. They stopped in Huntington Beach, California; Los Angeles; Phoenix; El Paso, Texas; and San Antonio to collect necessary goods, including food, water, toiletries, first-aid kits, toys for children, diapers and baby food. For more information on how to help with supplies, donations or volunteer work, email Billy Bautista at levelupbilly@gmail.com.

Tim Wheeler

WELD Racing appoints Tim Wheeler as Vice President of Sales for OEM and Special Markets

WELD Racing has announced the appointment of Tim Wheeler as vice president of sales for OEM and special markets. Wheeler, with almost 30 years of automotive aftermarket experience, will lead the sales team at WELD Racing’s Troy, Michigan-based office. Wheeler will grow the company’s presence by exploring new business opportunities utilizing the WELD Racing, MOMO, ADV.1 and other brands within the company’s extensive portfolio, to the original equipment manufacturers, tuner/specialty shops and vehicle upfitters across the country. Prior to joining WELD Racing, Wheeler was the vice president of global vehicle sales and performance parts at ROUSH Performance. He worked with more than 400 active Ford dealers globally in all major continents. Wheeler also served as vice president for Delphi Product and Service Solutions and worked to promote the Delphi OE quality value proposition through partners, such as Autozone, NAPA, O’Reilly Auto Parts and other outlets.

Rev’n Launches Roku Channel

Rev’n, Luken Communications’ automotive broadcast offering, has further expanded its over-the-top availability by launching its channel on the Roku streaming platform. The new channel, available for free in the Roku channel store by searching keyword “Rev’n,” features the ability to stream the network live, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in high definition. In addition to being able to view the network broadcast live, video-on-demand assets offer viewers the ability to watch Rev’n original series and specials any time they want, with complete season archives and the latest episodes available concurrently. In addition to its over-the-air broadcast availability and cable carriage in select markets, Rev’n is also currently presented via FilmOn and the Rev’n online stream at www.revntv.com, available for streaming on desktop and mobile.

VIPAR Heavy Duty and Meritor Announce New Long-Term Agreement

VIPAR Heavy Duty and Meritor jointly announced the completion of a new long-term agreement. Under the agreement, VIPAR Heavy Duty will offer a growing portfolio of Meritor products through the VIPAR Heavy Duty network and its family of companies.

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 SEMA Editors

Latest Jobs Added to SEMA Career Center

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest classifieds posted to the website.

Director of Marketing: Lubrication Specialties Inc. is hiring a director of marketing to manage all marketing projects. This position will be responsible for laying out the lead times for each project stage, allocating time for each division within the organization needed to complete the project, ensuring the finished project can be completed by the deadline and within the project budget and monitoring progress against critical dates and making any adjustments to keep the project on track. The director will ensure print ads and bottle labels are represented well, manage e-commerce and monitor the conversion rates along with digital marketing and manage all trade-show events.

Data Analyst: HPS Performance Products is hiring a data analyst responsible for collecting and interpreting data to provide ongoing reports, collaborating with other teams to determine data needs for projects/campaigns, identifying trends in sales demand and customer behavior, and identifying areas of improvement. The ideal candidate for this position is able to collect, clean and analyze data, and provide insight.

PLT Territory Manager: TireRecruiter.com is hiring a PLT territory manager to act as the primary contact for company to dealer network within a geographic area as assigned, inform dealers of all essential company programs, handle all dealer issues and concerns, and train and work with dealer personnel as required. The ideal candidate will have a high school diploma, a minimum of five years’ outside sales experience, industry experience and the ability to travel up to 50% of the time.

Cylinder Head Technician: Summit Racing Equipment is hiring a cylinder-head technician to provide production machining and assembly support for the manufacturing of cylinder heads and other products. The ideal candidate will have two years of experience in measuring and gauging equipment and must understand cylinder heads, their assembly and function. Five years’ automotive high-performance component assembly and product installation is required. Two years’ experience in automotive machining is a plus.

Technical Support Specialist: S&B Filters is hiring a technical support specialist to provide answers to clients by identifying problems, researching answers, guiding clients through corrective steps, improving client references by writing and maintaining documentation, and improving product quality by identifying problems and recommending changes. This position does not require technical support experience, but candidates must enjoy speaking with customers on the phone to answer their questions and help them solve their problems.