Compiled by SEMA Editors

From left: Clint Walton, Tony Manzo and Paul Spornitz.

SEMA Data Co-op Promotes Clint Walton to Director of Member Support; Reaches 1 Millionth Export Milestone

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) has promoted Clint Walton to director of member support. Walton will be responsible for overseeing SDC support operations and developing and executing strategies for improving the member experience. Walton recently promoted two SDC data analysts, Tony Manzo and Paul Spornitz, to senior data analysts. In addition, the SDC has passed its 1 millionth export milestone. The SDC Product Information Management System (PIMS) went live in July 2013, helping to grow the Co-op into the largest data repository in the SEMA marketplace for connecting data suppliers and receivers.

Classic Instruments Celebrates 40 Years

Classic Instruments will hold its NSRA Appreciation Day open house—a day of festivities honoring customers, community members and friends—Saturday, July 29, at the company’s headquarters in Boyne City, Michigan. Classic Instruments will also celebrate its 40th anniversary during the event, which includes a car show featuring The Charlevoix Street Legends, live music provided by Dangerville, editor's pick awards presented by Brian Brennan of Street Rodder magazine, and a food truck from Pigs Eatin' Ribs. The event’s proceeds will benefit the Boyne City Police Department.

MagnaFlow recently tapped Power Automedia’s Alloy Studios to create a commercial showcasing NHRA superstar Leah Pritchett and her very own Dodge Challenger Hellcat.

Power Automedia’s Alloy Studios Tapped for New MagnaFlow Exhaust Commercial Featuring NHRA’s Leah Pritchett

MagnaFlow recently tapped Power Automedia’s Alloy Studios to create a commercial showcasing NHRA superstar Leah Pritchett and her very own Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Filmed in Southern California, the team at Alloy Studios captured the sound and passion behind this newly MagnaFlow-equipped 707hp Hellcat. The exhaust company will utilize the finalized video as an advertisement, which is now published on their website and leading social-media platforms.

Mitchell 1 Announces Winners of Its Thank You Thursdays Promotion

Mitchell 1 announced the winners of its “Thank You Thursdays” sweepstakes, where the company gave away six $100 Visa gift cards. The winners of the twice-yearly promotion are Peter Campbell of San Diego, California; Tracy Pedersen of Lavista, Nebraska; Rebecca Shearer of Jacksonville, Florida; Vanessa Ingrassia of Biddeford, Maine; Bruce Nobert of Mesa, Arizona; and Rebecca Kelly of Darlington, South Carolina. For more information about Mitchell 1, visit www.mitchell1.com.

Keystone Automotive Operations Inc. Welcomes GearWrench Tools and RJS Racing Equipment

Keystone Automotive Operations Inc. welcomes RJS Racing Equipment Inc. and GearWrench Tools to its speed and performance and tools and equipment line card. RJS Racing manufactures safety equipment for various styles of motor racing. Most products are developed in the United States, of which Keystone is stocking fuel-storage containers. GearWrench Tools got its start back in 1995, with support from large retailers, such as Ace Hardware and Sears.

Motorsport.com has launched an international edition with a dedicated Swiss version available in three languages—German, French and Italian.

Motorsport.com Launches New Tri-Language Swiss Edition

Motorsport.com has launched an international edition with a dedicated Swiss version available in three languages—German, French and Italian. Swiss drivers Neel Jani and Sébastien Buemi hold titles as the reigning FIA World Endurance Championship and FIA Formula E champions, respectively. Stefano Comini has also dominated the TCR International Series, winning both the 2015 and 2016 titles. Swiss Moto2 racer Thomas Luthi has also been starring on the world stage. The country boasts its own race-winning Formula 1 team. The Swiss edition will not only highlight the efforts of its local stars, but also make content available in the region’s three main languages. In total, Motorsport Network offers 27 global website editions, also including automotive site Motor1.com. The network recently hit a record 136 million monthly page views across 81 countries in 17 different languages.

Marx Group Relocates and Expands Metro Detroit Location

Marx Group, a full-service marketing communications agency for the automotive, aftermarket and trucking industries, has relocated and expanded its Detroit-area office to meet the needs of a growing client base and account team. The Detroit-based team relocated from Birmingham, Michigan, to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and will operate the space jointly with its affiliate, Near Perfect Media, a public-relations firm serving corporations, professionals and celebrities. The new 2,800-sq.-ft. office, located at 43700 Woodward Ave., Suite 106, doubles the previous space in Birmingham.

Deval Joshi

Deval Joshi Named VIPAR Heavy Duty Director of Program Management

Deval Joshi has been named director of program management for VIPAR Heavy Duty, effective immediately. Joshi joined VIPAR Heavy Duty in January 2017 and most recently served as senior program manager. In his new role, Joshi will be responsible for leading the organization’s program management team in fulfilling its role in the five-year growth plan set by the organization. He will continue to report to Larry Griffin, vice president of program management. Joshi has nearly 15 years of experience in strategic global purchasing, engineering and management. He spent eight years at Navistar in several roles, including sourcing and procurement for the company’s parts procurement group and production purchasing group. In addition, Joshi was the director of global procurement at Milton Industries.

Steven Berman (left), co-founder of Dorman Products, was named to the Federated Auto Parts Vendor Hall of Fame.

Berman Joins Federated Auto Parts Vendor Hall of Fame

Steven Berman, executive chairman and co-founder of Dorman Products, was inducted into the Federated Auto Parts Vendor Hall of Fame. In 1978, Berman co-founded Dorman, along with his late brother Richard. Prior to assuming his current role as executive chairman, Berman served as chairman and CEO since January 2011, and president from 2007 to 2011. A member of the board of directors since Dorman’s inception, Berman also spent time as executive vice president and served as secretary and treasurer for the company. The Federated Vendor Hall of Fame recognizes one individual each year who demonstrates dedication to excellence, helping to make a difference for Federated and its members.

Brandon Noska

Brandon Noska Joins Ranch Hand As Director of Engineering

Brandon Noska has joined Ranch Hand as director of engineering. He has extensive experience in bringing new technologies and products to market for the energy, aerospace, electronics and lighting industries. A multi-skilled professional with more than 16 years of experience in mechanical design, product development and R&D, Noska’s versatility and talents have allowed him to take on roles in engineering, marketing and sales over the course of his career. His background includes working with multifunctional teams and customers domestically and worldwide. His previous experience spans a wide range of positions, including application engineering/technical marketing manager, thermal/research engineer, design engineer and management development engineer. He has secured four patents with several more pending.

NABC Recycled Rides Presentation at NACE Automechanika Highlights Generosity and Collaboration of Collision Industry

The National Auto Body Council (NABC) invites attendees at NACE Automechanika Chicago to stop by center stage on the show floor, Thursday, July 27, at 12:00 p.m., where four newly refurbished NABC-Recycled Rides vehicles will be unveiled and presented to several local Chicago-area families. The four vehicles for the NABC-Recycled Rides presentation at NACE were donated by Allstate, State Farm, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Insurance Auto Auctions. The vehicles were repaired by ABRA Auto Body & Glass, Gerber Collision & Glass, Service King and All Line CARSTAR with contributions of parts, materials and services from many other companies. The four recipients were nominated by Family Promise of the North Shore and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Since the inception of the NABC-Recycled Rides program in 2007, NABC members have collaborated to repair and donate nearly 2,000 vehicles valued at nearly $26 million to individuals across the United States.

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

Vic Edelbrock Jr.	Pete Chapouris

The Petersen Automotive Museum will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the ’32 Ford “Deuce” with a day-long car show cruise-in and celebration, Saturday, July 15.

The ’32 Ford, nicknamed “Deuce” for the second digit of its model year, was one of the first affordable production cars with a V8 engine and became a favorite of racers in post-WWII Southern California. The Petersen celebrates this iconic car every five years with a car show and cruise-in open to hot-rod fans of all types, with special parking on the top deck of the structure for ’32 Fords.

Immediately following the conclusion of the show at 4:00 p.m., a procession of deuces will rally from The Petersen to the Edelbrock Museum in Torrance, California, to pay tribute to performance icon and Los Angeles native Vic Edelbrock Jr., who helped shape the performance industry and who passed away June 9 at the age of 80.

Famed car builder and customizer Pete Chapouris first found fame with The California Kid, a ’34 Ford three-window coupe that starred in an eponymous movie alongside Martin Sheen. He later founded a series of companies and eventually helmed the rebirth of So-Cal Speed Shop. Chapouris led the restoration of several notable and award-winning cars, including the Doane Spencer Roadster, which won the first Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Hot Rod class.

One of the first engineer/racers to modify Ford’s new ’32 V8 for improved performance, Vic Edelbrock Sr. was there in 1948 when Bob Petersen launched Hot Rod magazine, and was his first customer. When Edelbrock Sr. passed away in 1962, Edelbrock Jr. took over the family business at the age of 26 and built it into a household name, with a focus on designing and manufacturing high-quality, high-performance replacement parts for the automotive and motorcycle markets all made in the United States.

A display of “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR) winners will also be on display at Deuce Day, including the 2010 AMBR-winning ’33 Ford “Possessed,” 2000 winning ’32 Ford Roadster “0032,” and the ’23 Ford Model T Roadster “Candy Root Beer,” which was also the 1971 and 1975 AMBR winner.

Deuce Day will begin July 15, at 7:30 a.m., with a cruise-in of ’32s. The event is free to the public; ticket purchase only required for those entering their Deuces and includes entry to the museum. For more information on Deuce Day, visit www.petersen.org/32-2.

By SEMA Editors

Vic Edelbrock Jr.	Pete Chapouris

The Petersen Automotive Museum will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the ’32 Ford “Deuce” with a day-long car show cruise-in and celebration, Saturday, July 15.

The ’32 Ford, nicknamed “Deuce” for the second digit of its model year, was one of the first affordable production cars with a V8 engine and became a favorite of racers in post-WWII Southern California. The Petersen celebrates this iconic car every five years with a car show and cruise-in open to hot-rod fans of all types, with special parking on the top deck of the structure for ’32 Fords.

Immediately following the conclusion of the show at 4:00 p.m., a procession of deuces will rally from The Petersen to the Edelbrock Museum in Torrance, California, to pay tribute to performance icon and Los Angeles native Vic Edelbrock Jr., who helped shape the performance industry and who passed away June 9 at the age of 80.

Famed car builder and customizer Pete Chapouris first found fame with The California Kid, a ’34 Ford three-window coupe that starred in an eponymous movie alongside Martin Sheen. He later founded a series of companies and eventually helmed the rebirth of So-Cal Speed Shop. Chapouris led the restoration of several notable and award-winning cars, including the Doane Spencer Roadster, which won the first Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Hot Rod class.

One of the first engineer/racers to modify Ford’s new ’32 V8 for improved performance, Vic Edelbrock Sr. was there in 1948 when Bob Petersen launched Hot Rod magazine, and was his first customer. When Edelbrock Sr. passed away in 1962, Edelbrock Jr. took over the family business at the age of 26 and built it into a household name, with a focus on designing and manufacturing high-quality, high-performance replacement parts for the automotive and motorcycle markets all made in the United States.

A display of “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR) winners will also be on display at Deuce Day, including the 2010 AMBR-winning ’33 Ford “Possessed,” 2000 winning ’32 Ford Roadster “0032,” and the ’23 Ford Model T Roadster “Candy Root Beer,” which was also the 1971 and 1975 AMBR winner.

Deuce Day will begin July 15, at 7:30 a.m., with a cruise-in of ’32s. The event is free to the public; ticket purchase only required for those entering their Deuces and includes entry to the museum. For more information on Deuce Day, visit www.petersen.org/32-2.

By SEMA Editors

Vic Edelbrock Jr.	Pete Chapouris

The Petersen Automotive Museum will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the ’32 Ford “Deuce” with a day-long car show cruise-in and celebration, Saturday, July 15.

The ’32 Ford, nicknamed “Deuce” for the second digit of its model year, was one of the first affordable production cars with a V8 engine and became a favorite of racers in post-WWII Southern California. The Petersen celebrates this iconic car every five years with a car show and cruise-in open to hot-rod fans of all types, with special parking on the top deck of the structure for ’32 Fords.

Immediately following the conclusion of the show at 4:00 p.m., a procession of deuces will rally from The Petersen to the Edelbrock Museum in Torrance, California, to pay tribute to performance icon and Los Angeles native Vic Edelbrock Jr., who helped shape the performance industry and who passed away June 9 at the age of 80.

Famed car builder and customizer Pete Chapouris first found fame with The California Kid, a ’34 Ford three-window coupe that starred in an eponymous movie alongside Martin Sheen. He later founded a series of companies and eventually helmed the rebirth of So-Cal Speed Shop. Chapouris led the restoration of several notable and award-winning cars, including the Doane Spencer Roadster, which won the first Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Hot Rod class.

One of the first engineer/racers to modify Ford’s new ’32 V8 for improved performance, Vic Edelbrock Sr. was there in 1948 when Bob Petersen launched Hot Rod magazine, and was his first customer. When Edelbrock Sr. passed away in 1962, Edelbrock Jr. took over the family business at the age of 26 and built it into a household name, with a focus on designing and manufacturing high-quality, high-performance replacement parts for the automotive and motorcycle markets all made in the United States.

A display of “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR) winners will also be on display at Deuce Day, including the 2010 AMBR-winning ’33 Ford “Possessed,” 2000 winning ’32 Ford Roadster “0032,” and the ’23 Ford Model T Roadster “Candy Root Beer,” which was also the 1971 and 1975 AMBR winner.

Deuce Day will begin July 15, at 7:30 a.m., with a cruise-in of ’32s. The event is free to the public; ticket purchase only required for those entering their Deuces and includes entry to the museum. For more information on Deuce Day, visit www.petersen.org/32-2.

By SEMA Editors

Vic Edelbrock Jr.	Pete Chapouris

The Petersen Automotive Museum will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the ’32 Ford “Deuce” with a day-long car show cruise-in and celebration, Saturday, July 15.

The ’32 Ford, nicknamed “Deuce” for the second digit of its model year, was one of the first affordable production cars with a V8 engine and became a favorite of racers in post-WWII Southern California. The Petersen celebrates this iconic car every five years with a car show and cruise-in open to hot-rod fans of all types, with special parking on the top deck of the structure for ’32 Fords.

Immediately following the conclusion of the show at 4:00 p.m., a procession of deuces will rally from The Petersen to the Edelbrock Museum in Torrance, California, to pay tribute to performance icon and Los Angeles native Vic Edelbrock Jr., who helped shape the performance industry and who passed away June 9 at the age of 80.

Famed car builder and customizer Pete Chapouris first found fame with The California Kid, a ’34 Ford three-window coupe that starred in an eponymous movie alongside Martin Sheen. He later founded a series of companies and eventually helmed the rebirth of So-Cal Speed Shop. Chapouris led the restoration of several notable and award-winning cars, including the Doane Spencer Roadster, which won the first Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Hot Rod class.

One of the first engineer/racers to modify Ford’s new ’32 V8 for improved performance, Vic Edelbrock Sr. was there in 1948 when Bob Petersen launched Hot Rod magazine, and was his first customer. When Edelbrock Sr. passed away in 1962, Edelbrock Jr. took over the family business at the age of 26 and built it into a household name, with a focus on designing and manufacturing high-quality, high-performance replacement parts for the automotive and motorcycle markets all made in the United States.

A display of “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR) winners will also be on display at Deuce Day, including the 2010 AMBR-winning ’33 Ford “Possessed,” 2000 winning ’32 Ford Roadster “0032,” and the ’23 Ford Model T Roadster “Candy Root Beer,” which was also the 1971 and 1975 AMBR winner.

Deuce Day will begin July 15, at 7:30 a.m., with a cruise-in of ’32s. The event is free to the public; ticket purchase only required for those entering their Deuces and includes entry to the museum. For more information on Deuce Day, visit www.petersen.org/32-2.

By SEMA Editors

Vic Edelbrock Jr.	Pete Chapouris

The Petersen Automotive Museum will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the ’32 Ford “Deuce” with a day-long car show cruise-in and celebration, Saturday, July 15.

The ’32 Ford, nicknamed “Deuce” for the second digit of its model year, was one of the first affordable production cars with a V8 engine and became a favorite of racers in post-WWII Southern California. The Petersen celebrates this iconic car every five years with a car show and cruise-in open to hot-rod fans of all types, with special parking on the top deck of the structure for ’32 Fords.

Immediately following the conclusion of the show at 4:00 p.m., a procession of deuces will rally from The Petersen to the Edelbrock Museum in Torrance, California, to pay tribute to performance icon and Los Angeles native Vic Edelbrock Jr., who helped shape the performance industry and who passed away June 9 at the age of 80.

Famed car builder and customizer Pete Chapouris first found fame with The California Kid, a ’34 Ford three-window coupe that starred in an eponymous movie alongside Martin Sheen. He later founded a series of companies and eventually helmed the rebirth of So-Cal Speed Shop. Chapouris led the restoration of several notable and award-winning cars, including the Doane Spencer Roadster, which won the first Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Hot Rod class.

One of the first engineer/racers to modify Ford’s new ’32 V8 for improved performance, Vic Edelbrock Sr. was there in 1948 when Bob Petersen launched Hot Rod magazine, and was his first customer. When Edelbrock Sr. passed away in 1962, Edelbrock Jr. took over the family business at the age of 26 and built it into a household name, with a focus on designing and manufacturing high-quality, high-performance replacement parts for the automotive and motorcycle markets all made in the United States.

A display of “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” (AMBR) winners will also be on display at Deuce Day, including the 2010 AMBR-winning ’33 Ford “Possessed,” 2000 winning ’32 Ford Roadster “0032,” and the ’23 Ford Model T Roadster “Candy Root Beer,” which was also the 1971 and 1975 AMBR winner.

Deuce Day will begin July 15, at 7:30 a.m., with a cruise-in of ’32s. The event is free to the public; ticket purchase only required for those entering their Deuces and includes entry to the museum. For more information on Deuce Day, visit www.petersen.org/32-2.

Still riding the wave of a recent marketplace shift, the utility task vehicle, better known as the UTV or side-by-side, is at a major crossroads. Intensive growth in product development and surging sales have helped the side-by-side to become a new staple in the off-road community.

The Long (Dirt) Road to Today

The term UTV covers several different types of vehicles, but generally, all are designed for off-road activity. The mainstream use for a UTV has been more commercial than recreational. The original UTVs were vehicles that were not necessarily fast or fun to drive but were handy enough to get the job done and versatile enough to tackle a variety of tasks.

https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2017/07/utv-market-update

Still riding the wave of a recent marketplace shift, the utility task vehicle, better known as the UTV or side-by-side, is at a major crossroads. Intensive growth in product development and surging sales have helped the side-by-side to become a new staple in the off-road community.

The Long (Dirt) Road to Today

The term UTV covers several different types of vehicles, but generally, all are designed for off-road activity. The mainstream use for a UTV has been more commercial than recreational. The original UTVs were vehicles that were not necessarily fast or fun to drive but were handy enough to get the job done and versatile enough to tackle a variety of tasks.

https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2017/07/utv-market-update

Still riding the wave of a recent marketplace shift, the utility task vehicle, better known as the UTV or side-by-side, is at a major crossroads. Intensive growth in product development and surging sales have helped the side-by-side to become a new staple in the off-road community.

The Long (Dirt) Road to Today

The term UTV covers several different types of vehicles, but generally, all are designed for off-road activity. The mainstream use for a UTV has been more commercial than recreational. The original UTVs were vehicles that were not necessarily fast or fun to drive but were handy enough to get the job done and versatile enough to tackle a variety of tasks.

https://www.sema.org/sema-news/2017/07/utv-market-update

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Steve Torrence powered his Top Fuel dragster to his fifth victory of the season last Sunday at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters at Route 66 Raceway.

Torrence, Capps, Skillman and Tonglet Secure Wallys at Route 66 Raceway

Steve Torrence powered his Top Fuel dragster to his fifth victory of the season last Sunday at the 20th annual Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by K&N Filters at Route 66 Raceway. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the 13th of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Top Fuel points leader Torrence secured the win with a run of 3.779 seconds at 326.08 mph in his Capco Contractors dragster to take down Antron Brown after he ran a 3.786 at 326.71 in his Matco Tools dragster in the final round. Torrence notched his 13th career victory and his third in the past four events. Leah Pritchett narrowly remains in second after a quarterfinal appearance and teammate Brown trails by just two points for the second spot in the standings.

Points leader Capps locked down his sixth victory of the season after a 4.026 at 319.67 in his NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T to defeat teammate Tommy Johnson Jr., who ran a 4.047 at 319.90 in his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T in the final round. Capps has now reached three final rounds in the past four races, earning two victories in that span. Capps holds a 200-point lead over second-place Matt Hagan, who fell in the semifinals. Jack Beckman sits in third place after making a quarterfinal appearance.

In Pro Stock, Skillman notched his first victory of the season after driving to a 6.627 at 209.23 in his Ray Skillman Chevy Camaro to defeat Erica Enders, who ran a 6.655 at 207.37 in her Elite Motorsports Chevy Camaro in the final. Bo Butner remains in the top spot of the Pro Stock standings after the semifinal appearance, while Anderson and T. Gray round out the top three. Skillman’s victory put him in eighth in the standings, while Enders now sits at sixth after her second runner-up of the season.

Points leader Tonglet secured his fourth Pro Stock Motorcycle victory in six events with a 6.835 at 195.99 on his Nitro Fish Racing Suzuki to defeat Hector Arana Jr., who ran a 6.878 at 193.29 on his Lucas Oil Buell in the finals. Eddie Krawiec remains in second following the semifinal appearance. Arana Jr. moves up to third with the runner-up, surpassing Scotty Pollacheck, who fell to fourth. The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues with the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, July 21–23.

The 2017 Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Class includes Dave Ekins, Cliff Flannery, Bob Gordon and Bill Savage.

Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2017

The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) has announced the class of 2017. For the first time in ORMHOF’s 40-year history, two new inductees will join family members who have already been inducted. The class of 2017 includes motorcycle racing pioneer Dave Ekins, who will join his brother Bud Ekins in the Hall of Fame. Crandon International Off-Road Raceway founder Cliff Flannery will also be inducted this year, joining his brother Jack Flannery in the Hall of Fame. Also being honored with membership in the Hall of Fame this year are desert-racing legend Bob Gordon and off-road innovator Bill Savage. This year’s inductees were chosen from a record number of nominations. An independent panel of 20 well-respected individuals from the off-road community reviewed the nomination packets and then cast their votes, independent from the other members of the committee. The class of 2017 represents the nominees who received votes from at least two-thirds of the committee members. Ekins, Flannery, Gordon and Savage bring the number of inductees in the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame to 87. They will be inducted at the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame 2017 Induction & Awards Ceremony, presented by SCORE International, October 30, at the South Point in Las Vegas. Tickets are available through the Hall of Fame website at www.ormhof.org.