Strengthen Your Company Through Community

No matter what niche you're in—rods, restoration, racing, restyling, reps, trucks or wheels and tires—there's a SEMA council or professional network that's right for your company. SEMA councils and networks offer members a variety of market-specific programs and activities designed to provide educational and networking opportunities while promoting their particular industry segment.

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Advance Your Product Design

Interested in advancing your automotive product design? The SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) will host their inaugural Motorsports Tech Roundtable featuring six roundtables that take a deep dive into this topic and many more.

Table Topic: Advancements in Product Design, From Idea to Prototype
Expert: Robert Simons, vice president of engineering, Edelbrock LLC, and Mike Spagnola, vice president, SEMA OEM and product development
Discussion: Leveraging new technologies at the SEMA Garage to bring motorsports products to market faster and with confidence.

The event will take place in collaboration with the Media Trade Conference, January 25, from 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Orange County Airport, North.

RSVP today! Find out more event details, including a full list of table topics and subject matter experts.

Questions? Contact Director of Networks Bryan Harrison at bryanh@sema.org or 909-978-6691.

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Following are dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, webinars and activities.

For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstoreusa.com) at Travel Store USA, 949-930-9268.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Lance Stroll will make his sports car and 24-hour race debut when he competes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing next month.

Formula Three Race Winner Stroll to Make Sports Car Debut With Ford Chip Ganassi Racing

Lance Stroll will make his sports car and 24-hour race debut when the Canadian competes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing next month (January 30–31). The 17-year-old will co-drive a Ford EcoBoost Prototype with Brendon Hartley (New Zealand), Alex Wurz (Austria) and Andy Priaulx (Great Britain) in Florida’s legendary twice-around-the-clock race. Geneva-based Stroll, who last month was invited by Williams Martini Racing to join its Young Driver Development Programme, has only previously competed in single-seaters. Stroll will drive the 3.5L, 600-bhp Ford for the first time during the three-day “Roar Before The 24” test (January 8–10) and acquaint himself to the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway track he has never previously visited. Indianapolis-based Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will bid for a seventh victory in the annual Daytona race following wins in ’06–’08, ’11, ’13 and ’15.

Veteran Racer Russ Gamester is Ready to Challenge a Star-Studded Field of Racers at Allentown, Pennsylvania, Indoor Event

When the 80 three-quarter (TQ) Midget drivers take to the specially constructed indoor race track inside the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, this Saturday, January 2, 2016, one veteran driver, 50-year old Russ Gamester of Peru, Indiana, will have an advantage. Gamester won an indoor race last Saturday night in Fort Wayne, Indiana, making him the only driver in the Ironton Telephone Avaya TQ Midget indoor race field who carries the rush of recent victory into the PPL Center. He will be one of three drivers competing in new cars, developed by Ohio Supermodified constructor John Bodnar, being built by Pennsylvania fabricator BJ McDonald and commissioned by TQ Midget driver Lou Cicconi Jr. Pennsylvania Small-Block Modified driver Jeff Strunk and ARDC/USAC Midget Car favorite Alex Bright will be Gamester’s teammates. The Allentown race is first of three events in the Indoor Auto Racing Championship Series Fueled By VP Racing Fuels. Racing in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Trenton, New Jersey, complete the series.

Tracy Krohn	Nic Jonsson
Pierre Kaffer	Christopher Haase

Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing Partner for the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing have joined forces for competition in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. The Audi Sport customer racing team will run the No. 45 Audi R8 LMS—the same car that finished second in the 2014 running of the event. Flying Lizard Motorsports has previously raced the 24 Hours of Daytona seven times, earning three podiums and two pole positions.

Krohn Racing founder Tracy Krohn created Krohn Racing in 2005, and entered the team into international competition in GRAND-AM Road Racing, the American Le Mans Series and FIA World Endurance Championship. Krohn Racing has celebrated three podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007, 2009 and 2012. The collaboration of the two championship-winning teams will feature an all-star driver line up of Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Audi Sport customer racing drivers Pierre Kaffer and Christopher Haase. The 2016 season will mark Jonsson's 26th year racing professionally, and his 12th full season with Krohn.

Although other competitors in the WeatherTech GTD class will run the new Audi R8 LMS, the Flying Lizard will continue to run the same Audi R8 LMS as before, but upgraded to the homologated GT3 spec. Adding more aerodynamic grip, the car will run a larger rear wing, bigger front splitter, bigger dive planes and a different diffuser. Unlike the previous years, the car will also be allowed to run with ABS and traction control. Running the same engine and transmission that it ran last year in IMSA's GTD class, this is also the same configuration the team ran this month at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, where the team ran issue free and finished on the top step over 56 other cars.

The official series test for the Rolex 24, the Roar Before the 24, will take place at Daytona International Speedway January 8-10. The official on-track activities for the Rolex 24 at Daytona begin January 28, 2016.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Lance Stroll will make his sports car and 24-hour race debut when he competes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing next month.

Formula Three Race Winner Stroll to Make Sports Car Debut With Ford Chip Ganassi Racing

Lance Stroll will make his sports car and 24-hour race debut when the Canadian competes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing next month (January 30–31). The 17-year-old will co-drive a Ford EcoBoost Prototype with Brendon Hartley (New Zealand), Alex Wurz (Austria) and Andy Priaulx (Great Britain) in Florida’s legendary twice-around-the-clock race. Geneva-based Stroll, who last month was invited by Williams Martini Racing to join its Young Driver Development Programme, has only previously competed in single-seaters. Stroll will drive the 3.5L, 600-bhp Ford for the first time during the three-day “Roar Before The 24” test (January 8–10) and acquaint himself to the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway track he has never previously visited. Indianapolis-based Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will bid for a seventh victory in the annual Daytona race following wins in ’06–’08, ’11, ’13 and ’15.

Veteran Racer Russ Gamester is Ready to Challenge a Star-Studded Field of Racers at Allentown, Pennsylvania, Indoor Event

When the 80 three-quarter (TQ) Midget drivers take to the specially constructed indoor race track inside the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, this Saturday, January 2, 2016, one veteran driver, 50-year old Russ Gamester of Peru, Indiana, will have an advantage. Gamester won an indoor race last Saturday night in Fort Wayne, Indiana, making him the only driver in the Ironton Telephone Avaya TQ Midget indoor race field who carries the rush of recent victory into the PPL Center. He will be one of three drivers competing in new cars, developed by Ohio Supermodified constructor John Bodnar, being built by Pennsylvania fabricator BJ McDonald and commissioned by TQ Midget driver Lou Cicconi Jr. Pennsylvania Small-Block Modified driver Jeff Strunk and ARDC/USAC Midget Car favorite Alex Bright will be Gamester’s teammates. The Allentown race is first of three events in the Indoor Auto Racing Championship Series Fueled By VP Racing Fuels. Racing in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Trenton, New Jersey, complete the series.

Tracy Krohn	Nic Jonsson
Pierre Kaffer	Christopher Haase

Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing Partner for the Rolex 24 at Daytona

Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing have joined forces for competition in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. The Audi Sport customer racing team will run the No. 45 Audi R8 LMS—the same car that finished second in the 2014 running of the event. Flying Lizard Motorsports has previously raced the 24 Hours of Daytona seven times, earning three podiums and two pole positions.

Krohn Racing founder Tracy Krohn created Krohn Racing in 2005, and entered the team into international competition in GRAND-AM Road Racing, the American Le Mans Series and FIA World Endurance Championship. Krohn Racing has celebrated three podium finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007, 2009 and 2012. The collaboration of the two championship-winning teams will feature an all-star driver line up of Krohn, Nic Jonsson and Audi Sport customer racing drivers Pierre Kaffer and Christopher Haase. The 2016 season will mark Jonsson's 26th year racing professionally, and his 12th full season with Krohn.

Although other competitors in the WeatherTech GTD class will run the new Audi R8 LMS, the Flying Lizard will continue to run the same Audi R8 LMS as before, but upgraded to the homologated GT3 spec. Adding more aerodynamic grip, the car will run a larger rear wing, bigger front splitter, bigger dive planes and a different diffuser. Unlike the previous years, the car will also be allowed to run with ABS and traction control. Running the same engine and transmission that it ran last year in IMSA's GTD class, this is also the same configuration the team ran this month at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, where the team ran issue free and finished on the top step over 56 other cars.

The official series test for the Rolex 24, the Roar Before the 24, will take place at Daytona International Speedway January 8-10. The official on-track activities for the Rolex 24 at Daytona begin January 28, 2016.

By SEMA Editors

Business and industry experts are invited to submit applications to present a seminar at the 2016 SEMA Show taking place October 31–November 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.

Interested in sharing expertise, real-world strategies and knowledge with others? We're seeking your best education session ideas that are geared for automotive professionals and delivered in innovative ways. Business and industry experts are invited to submit applications to present a seminar at the 2016 SEMA Show taking place October 31–November 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.

The deadline for speaker submissions is March 4, 2016. Apply now!

The annual trade show, which features new products and innovations that enhance a vehicle’s styling and performance, is where more than 140,000 industry professionals gather each year to do business. In addition to connecting buyers and sellers, an important element of the SEMA Show is the education program that takes place during the Show.

Here are a few topics of interest:

• Build Your Business Through Personal Branding
• Help with Yelp
• Scaling Business Growth
• Hiring in the Social Era
• Best Practices for Retaining Employees
• Vehicle Building and Fabrication
• Generational Workforces
• Customer-Facing Technology
• Will Crowd-Funding Go Mainstream?
• The Next Big Thing: Pinterest
• Mobile Technology for a Mobile Workforce

Apply now!

Questions? Please contact Zane Clark, director of education, at 909-978-6743 or ZaneC@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

Business and industry experts are invited to submit applications to present a seminar at the 2016 SEMA Show taking place October 31–November 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.

Interested in sharing expertise, real-world strategies and knowledge with others? We're seeking your best education session ideas that are geared for automotive professionals and delivered in innovative ways. Business and industry experts are invited to submit applications to present a seminar at the 2016 SEMA Show taking place October 31–November 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.

The deadline for speaker submissions is March 4, 2016. Apply now!

The annual trade show, which features new products and innovations that enhance a vehicle’s styling and performance, is where more than 140,000 industry professionals gather each year to do business. In addition to connecting buyers and sellers, an important element of the SEMA Show is the education program that takes place during the Show.

Here are a few topics of interest:

• Build Your Business Through Personal Branding
• Help with Yelp
• Scaling Business Growth
• Hiring in the Social Era
• Best Practices for Retaining Employees
• Vehicle Building and Fabrication
• Generational Workforces
• Customer-Facing Technology
• Will Crowd-Funding Go Mainstream?
• The Next Big Thing: Pinterest
• Mobile Technology for a Mobile Workforce

Apply now!

Questions? Please contact Zane Clark, director of education, at 909-978-6743 or ZaneC@sema.org.

By SEMA Editors

Business and industry experts are invited to submit applications to present a seminar at the 2016 SEMA Show taking place October 31–November 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.

Interested in sharing expertise, real-world strategies and knowledge with others? We're seeking your best education session ideas that are geared for automotive professionals and delivered in innovative ways. Business and industry experts are invited to submit applications to present a seminar at the 2016 SEMA Show taking place October 31–November 4, 2016, in Las Vegas.

The deadline for speaker submissions is March 4, 2016. Apply now!

The annual trade show, which features new products and innovations that enhance a vehicle’s styling and performance, is where more than 140,000 industry professionals gather each year to do business. In addition to connecting buyers and sellers, an important element of the SEMA Show is the education program that takes place during the Show.

Here are a few topics of interest:

• Build Your Business Through Personal Branding
• Help with Yelp
• Scaling Business Growth
• Hiring in the Social Era
• Best Practices for Retaining Employees
• Vehicle Building and Fabrication
• Generational Workforces
• Customer-Facing Technology
• Will Crowd-Funding Go Mainstream?
• The Next Big Thing: Pinterest
• Mobile Technology for a Mobile Workforce

Apply now!

Questions? Please contact Zane Clark, director of education, at 909-978-6743 or ZaneC@sema.org.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Brett Kinsfather	April Zuk	Matt Baker

Motovicity Unites Sales and Marketing Teams

Motovicity Distribution has united its sales and marketing departments to bring a newly enhanced experience to its customers. Aligning the Motovicity sales and marketing teams together as one, former Marketing Manager Brett Kinsfather has been promoted to sales and marketing manager. In his new role, Kinsfather will now lead Motovicity’s sales and customer service teams, while overseeing the company’s marketing department, now operated by Assistant Marketing Manager April Zuk and her team.

Zuk comes from within the automotive industry, where she recently held marketing positions with ROUSH Performance Products. In her new role, she will be responsible for managing the day-to-day activities of the marketing department, executing promotions with manufacturers and overseeing production of the company’s advertising campaigns. In addition, Motovicity has hired Matt Baker as its new purchasing brand manager. Baker comes from the electronics and home theater industry, where he previously managed multiple retail store locations, overseeing all inventory transactions.

Meyer Distributing Announces Corpus Christi, Texas, Location

Meyer Distributing Inc. has announced the addition of its Corpus Christi, Texas, location. The cross-dock will have a direct feed from Meyer's Houston and Dallas distribution hubs, which house one of the largest inventories of automotive accessories in the South.

Shell will kick off its support as the official fuel and lubricant sponsor of America’s Car Museum’s 13-day road rally called “The Drive Home.”

America’s Car Museum Fuels Up for 2016 With Shell Oil Company

Shell is now recognized as the “Official Fuels and Lubricants of America’s Car Museum” (ACM), thanks to its five-year commitment to support the Tacoma-based automotive museum’s many events and initiatives. Shell will kick off its support as the official fuel and lubricant sponsor of ACM’s 13-day road rally called “The Drive Home.” Beginning December 27, the 2,400-mile journey will promote America’s automotive heritage in cities from Tacoma, Washington, to Detroit, and will coincide with the opening of the 2016 North American International Auto Show. The three vintage vehicles will make pit stops at Shell-branded stations along the way.

Royal Purple Gives Away $10,000 Check for Home Furnishings During the 2015 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl

Royal Purple gave away a check for $10,000 in home furnishings during the second quarter of the sold-out 2015 Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl, Saturday, December 19, where Brigham Young University took on rival school the University of Utah. In its third year as title sponsor of the Las Vegas Bowl, Royal Purple selected Nellis Air Force Staff Sergeant Jason King to fully furnish his home. Royal Purple also donated 450 game day tickets to the Nellis Air Force as a small token of appreciation for their service.

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 Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have passed differing bills to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act (“TSCA”). Lawmakers will now convene a conference committee to see if it is possible to agree on a single approach. Enacted in 1976, the TSCA directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate existing and new chemicals. For chemicals already in the marketplace, the EPA can consider whether they pose an unreasonable risk to health or to the environment. Newer chemicals are assessed by the EPA before they enter the market, whereby manufacturers must submit a premanufacturing notification to the EPA prior to producing or importing the chemical for commercial purposes.

Both the House and Senate bills would seek to improve the current EPA review process for chemicals already in the marketplace, simplify a patchwork of state and local laws and include a provision requiring EPA to assess chemicals based only on health and safety information rather than using cost as a factor. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.