Compiled by SEMA Editors

Schumacher, John Force, Shane Gray and Krawiec Take Home Wally Trophies at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

Tony Schumacher raced his way to the Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. John Force (Funny Car), Shane Gray (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the third of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Schumacher, an eight-time Top Fuel world champion, piloted his U.S. Army dragster to a 3.703-second pass at 329.26 mph for the 83rd victory of his career and first of the season. He defeated reigning world champion Antron Brown, who ran a 3.764 at 322.65 in his Matco Tools dragster. With the win, Schumacher becomes the winningest Top Fuel driver at the facility with five after previously being in a four-way tie. Force ran a 3.928 at 328.14 in his PEAK Chevy Camaro Funny Car for the 148th victory of his career, eighth at Gainesville and first of the season. He defeated rookie Jonnie Lindberg’s 3.971 at 314.83 in his Head Racing Toyota Camry. In Pro Stock, Gray picked up the sixth victory of his career and first at Gainesville Raceway when he ran a 6.535 at 212.96 in his Gray Motorsports Chevy Camaro to defeat four-time champion Greg Anderson and his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro’s 6.560 at 213.43 in the final. Three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Krawiec defeated teammate Andrew Hines for his 37th career victory, second consecutive and fifth total at Gainesville Raceway. Krawiec rode his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a 6.763 pass at 199.76 bettering Hines’ 6.802 at 197.10 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 31–April 2.

The NMCA Drag Racing Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs kicked off its 2017 season last week in Bradenton, Florida.

15th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem Race Wrap

The NMCA Drag Racing Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs kicked off its 2017 season last week in Bradenton, Florida. View the results below:

VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod: Jason Hamstra and his blower car took the green light to the final-round win over Andrew Handras and his nitrous Pro Mod.

Mickey Thompson Radial Wars: David Adkins’ turbocharged LS-powered-Impala charged past Nick Agostino with a 4.00-second winning elapsed time.

Ford-vs.-Chevy: Charlie Cooper edged out Jarod Wenrick at the hit, .051 to .061, and edged him out at the stripe, 4.40 to 4.47.

Holley EFI Factory Super Cars: Last year’s class winner Bruno Massel beat Kevin Skinner in a tight 8.380-to-8.384 matchup.

ARP Nitrous Pro Street Camaro: Don Baskin drove into the final round against Jeff Rudolf and was victorious after a 7.22-7.33 winning effort.

Edelbrock Xtreme Street: Scott Guiler and his Olds 442 drove to the final where he defeated Eric Kenward in his newly ProCharged “Wheelie Wagon” in a close 7.65-to-7.80 victory.

Boninfante Racing NA 10.5: Mike DeMayo and his ’95 Mustang defeated Richie Nye for a 7.85 to 8.22 trip to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.

DR525-powered Chevrolet Performance Stock presented by Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center: Glenn Pushis pushed to the final where he defeated Keith Vaughn (10.22 to 10.45), who made his first-round appearance since joining the class.

Fast Forward Racing Engines Outlaw 632: John Lastinger met Ryan Thorp in the final, where Thorp went -.003 red, handing Lastinger the win.

Stock/Super Stock Combo: class, Jim Bailey drove his ’10 Dodge Drag Pak Challenger to the final-round win over Kurt Neighbor and his ’64 Thunderbird. Bailey was .011 to .096 on the tree, and 9.92 on a 9.88 to Neighbor’s 8.80 on an 8.75 for the win.

Muscle Car Mayhem Shootout: Andy Warren turned on the red light to hand the win to the NSS’ Brent Wheeler.

NSS vs. NMC Muscle Car Mayhem: Barry Dorn went -.037 red at the hit, giving Doug Duell the winner’s points haul.

Detroit Truetrac Nostalgia Muscle Car: Mike Roup in his Mustang squared off against Jerry Mathis and his ’69 Dodge Charger. The round was over at the start as Mathis was .035 seconds too early, which gave Roup the win.

Magnafuel Open Comp: Ricky Pennington was .023 to Susan Roush-McClenaghan’s .050 at the start, and he won the double breakout with a 10.533 on his 10.55 to Roush-McClenaghan’s 9.37 on a 9.42 bid.

Gear Vendors True Street: Randy Thomas came out on top, averaging 8.82 seconds in his ’10 Shelby GT500 Mustang. Derek Putnam grabbed the nine-second average with a 9.42 effort. Other winners include Andy Greiner (10.004) 10-second winner; Bill Lee (11.05) 11-second winner; Tom Calabrese (12.01) 12-second win and Jesse Morse (13.07) 13-second win. Larry Lentz and Wyatt Morse tied for the 14-second win with both averaging 14.038 seconds, and Brock Austin (15.27) took home the 15-second win.

Local racers waged war in two bracket classes this weekend, and last Saturday, Jon Siegel was declared the winner in the B1 final while C.W. Vought claimed victory in B2. Last Sunday, Brett Sloat defeated David Bunn for the B1 win and in B2 Vaughan Boone took the win over Trey Bunner.

Next up for the NMCA Drag Racing Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs is the 9th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals in Commerce, Georgia, April 6–9.

Lund Safety Trucks will be present at all Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series national and regional events this year.

Lund Will Lead 2017 Lucas Oil Off Road Races as Safety Truck Sponsor

Lund International will sponsor the Lund Safety Trucks at all Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series national and regional events this year. This Team Lucas sponsorship is the first of its kind for Lund International. The Lund logo will appear on the hood and doors of all five Toyota safety trucks and on all the safety crew’s fire suits. Five other Lund International brands—AVS, Bushwacker, AMP Research, Roll-N-Lock and Stampede Automotive Accessories—also will participate in the sponsorship, which includes 137 cumulative television hours (73 of them live), social media, banners, signage and a Vendor’s Row display on site at all events. The first appearance of the Lund Safety Trucks in the national series will be April 21–23 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels Continues NMCA Radial Wars Class Sponsorship

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has renewed its sponsorship commitment to the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA). Mickey Thompson has sponsored the heads-up Radial Wars class since its inception in 2014. Additionally, the company will offer on-site trackside support at most NMCA events and contingency awards to all drivers competing in Pro, Sportsmen and various special event classes.

VP will provide trackside fuel service for both the Irish Drift Championship and British Drift Championship series and post contingency awards of 100, 50 and 25 for first-, second- and third-place finishers respectively.

VP Named Official Fuel of Irish, British Drift Championships

VP Racing Fuels has been named the official fuel of both the Irish Drift Championship and British Drift Championship series. Under the agreement, VP will provide trackside fuel service for each event and post contingency awards of 100, 50 and 25 for first-, second- and third-place finishers respectively. Awards will be distributed in euros for the Irish series and pounds for the British championship, and drivers must use VP fuel to be eligible. As part of its fuel service, VP will offer a pre-order program in which all participants will have the opportunity to order fuel in advance and have it delivered to each event. Drivers for both series will be contacted directly and provided with forms for use in placing pre-orders. 

Porsche Design Signs on as PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East Series Sponsor

The PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East series has announced that Porsche Design will once again serve as the official timing partner of the semi-professional racing series. Porsche Design will present the winners of the series championships with exclusive Porsche Design timepieces at the end-of-the-year celebration in October in Daytona Beach, Florida, following the season finale. The Porsche Design logo will also be carried prominently on each Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport car throughout the entire 2017 season.

PPG continues as a key sponsor of Team Penske’s Verizon IndyCar and NASCAR Xfinity Series races in the 2017 racing season.

PPG and Team Penske Hit the Track

PPG and Team Penske have teamed up for another year of racing. Celebrating the 34th year of their partnership, PPG continues as a key sponsor of Team Penske’s Verizon IndyCar and NASCAR Xfinity Series races in the 2017 racing season. PPG will serve as the exclusive sponsor for one of Team Penske’s entries in five major racing events—three Verizon IndyCar Series and two NASCAR Xfinity Series races—and as an associate sponsor on all the team’s cars and equipment. Team Penske cars will feature PPG colors and logos at the races.

Service King Named Title Sponsor of NASCAR XFINITY 300 Race at Auto Club Speedway

Service King Collision Repair Centers will serve as the title sponsor for Auto Club Speedway’s NASCAR XFINITY Series 300 race, Saturday, March 25. The event, which will air on FS1 at 1:00 p.m. (PDT), will be known as the Service King 300.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Schumacher, John Force, Shane Gray and Krawiec Take Home Wally Trophies at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

Tony Schumacher raced his way to the Top Fuel victory last Sunday at the 48th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. John Force (Funny Car), Shane Gray (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were also winners in their respective categories at the third of 24 events on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Schumacher, an eight-time Top Fuel world champion, piloted his U.S. Army dragster to a 3.703-second pass at 329.26 mph for the 83rd victory of his career and first of the season. He defeated reigning world champion Antron Brown, who ran a 3.764 at 322.65 in his Matco Tools dragster. With the win, Schumacher becomes the winningest Top Fuel driver at the facility with five after previously being in a four-way tie. Force ran a 3.928 at 328.14 in his PEAK Chevy Camaro Funny Car for the 148th victory of his career, eighth at Gainesville and first of the season. He defeated rookie Jonnie Lindberg’s 3.971 at 314.83 in his Head Racing Toyota Camry. In Pro Stock, Gray picked up the sixth victory of his career and first at Gainesville Raceway when he ran a 6.535 at 212.96 in his Gray Motorsports Chevy Camaro to defeat four-time champion Greg Anderson and his Summit Racing Equipment Chevy Camaro’s 6.560 at 213.43 in the final. Three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Krawiec defeated teammate Andrew Hines for his 37th career victory, second consecutive and fifth total at Gainesville Raceway. Krawiec rode his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson to a 6.763 pass at 199.76 bettering Hines’ 6.802 at 197.10 on his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson. The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season continues at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 31–April 2.

The NMCA Drag Racing Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs kicked off its 2017 season last week in Bradenton, Florida.

15th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem Race Wrap

The NMCA Drag Racing Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs kicked off its 2017 season last week in Bradenton, Florida. View the results below:

VP Racing Fuels Xtreme Pro Mod: Jason Hamstra and his blower car took the green light to the final-round win over Andrew Handras and his nitrous Pro Mod.

Mickey Thompson Radial Wars: David Adkins’ turbocharged LS-powered-Impala charged past Nick Agostino with a 4.00-second winning elapsed time.

Ford-vs.-Chevy: Charlie Cooper edged out Jarod Wenrick at the hit, .051 to .061, and edged him out at the stripe, 4.40 to 4.47.

Holley EFI Factory Super Cars: Last year’s class winner Bruno Massel beat Kevin Skinner in a tight 8.380-to-8.384 matchup.

ARP Nitrous Pro Street Camaro: Don Baskin drove into the final round against Jeff Rudolf and was victorious after a 7.22-7.33 winning effort.

Edelbrock Xtreme Street: Scott Guiler and his Olds 442 drove to the final where he defeated Eric Kenward in his newly ProCharged “Wheelie Wagon” in a close 7.65-to-7.80 victory.

Boninfante Racing NA 10.5: Mike DeMayo and his ’95 Mustang defeated Richie Nye for a 7.85 to 8.22 trip to the Aerospace Components Winner’s Circle.

DR525-powered Chevrolet Performance Stock presented by Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center: Glenn Pushis pushed to the final where he defeated Keith Vaughn (10.22 to 10.45), who made his first-round appearance since joining the class.

Fast Forward Racing Engines Outlaw 632: John Lastinger met Ryan Thorp in the final, where Thorp went -.003 red, handing Lastinger the win.

Stock/Super Stock Combo: class, Jim Bailey drove his ’10 Dodge Drag Pak Challenger to the final-round win over Kurt Neighbor and his ’64 Thunderbird. Bailey was .011 to .096 on the tree, and 9.92 on a 9.88 to Neighbor’s 8.80 on an 8.75 for the win.

Muscle Car Mayhem Shootout: Andy Warren turned on the red light to hand the win to the NSS’ Brent Wheeler.

NSS vs. NMC Muscle Car Mayhem: Barry Dorn went -.037 red at the hit, giving Doug Duell the winner’s points haul.

Detroit Truetrac Nostalgia Muscle Car: Mike Roup in his Mustang squared off against Jerry Mathis and his ’69 Dodge Charger. The round was over at the start as Mathis was .035 seconds too early, which gave Roup the win.

Magnafuel Open Comp: Ricky Pennington was .023 to Susan Roush-McClenaghan’s .050 at the start, and he won the double breakout with a 10.533 on his 10.55 to Roush-McClenaghan’s 9.37 on a 9.42 bid.

Gear Vendors True Street: Randy Thomas came out on top, averaging 8.82 seconds in his ’10 Shelby GT500 Mustang. Derek Putnam grabbed the nine-second average with a 9.42 effort. Other winners include Andy Greiner (10.004) 10-second winner; Bill Lee (11.05) 11-second winner; Tom Calabrese (12.01) 12-second win and Jesse Morse (13.07) 13-second win. Larry Lentz and Wyatt Morse tied for the 14-second win with both averaging 14.038 seconds, and Brock Austin (15.27) took home the 15-second win.

Local racers waged war in two bracket classes this weekend, and last Saturday, Jon Siegel was declared the winner in the B1 final while C.W. Vought claimed victory in B2. Last Sunday, Brett Sloat defeated David Bunn for the B1 win and in B2 Vaughan Boone took the win over Trey Bunner.

Next up for the NMCA Drag Racing Series presented by E3 Spark Plugs is the 9th Annual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals in Commerce, Georgia, April 6–9.

Lund Safety Trucks will be present at all Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series national and regional events this year.

Lund Will Lead 2017 Lucas Oil Off Road Races as Safety Truck Sponsor

Lund International will sponsor the Lund Safety Trucks at all Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series national and regional events this year. This Team Lucas sponsorship is the first of its kind for Lund International. The Lund logo will appear on the hood and doors of all five Toyota safety trucks and on all the safety crew’s fire suits. Five other Lund International brands—AVS, Bushwacker, AMP Research, Roll-N-Lock and Stampede Automotive Accessories—also will participate in the sponsorship, which includes 137 cumulative television hours (73 of them live), social media, banners, signage and a Vendor’s Row display on site at all events. The first appearance of the Lund Safety Trucks in the national series will be April 21–23 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels Continues NMCA Radial Wars Class Sponsorship

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has renewed its sponsorship commitment to the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA). Mickey Thompson has sponsored the heads-up Radial Wars class since its inception in 2014. Additionally, the company will offer on-site trackside support at most NMCA events and contingency awards to all drivers competing in Pro, Sportsmen and various special event classes.

VP will provide trackside fuel service for both the Irish Drift Championship and British Drift Championship series and post contingency awards of 100, 50 and 25 for first-, second- and third-place finishers respectively.

VP Named Official Fuel of Irish, British Drift Championships

VP Racing Fuels has been named the official fuel of both the Irish Drift Championship and British Drift Championship series. Under the agreement, VP will provide trackside fuel service for each event and post contingency awards of 100, 50 and 25 for first-, second- and third-place finishers respectively. Awards will be distributed in euros for the Irish series and pounds for the British championship, and drivers must use VP fuel to be eligible. As part of its fuel service, VP will offer a pre-order program in which all participants will have the opportunity to order fuel in advance and have it delivered to each event. Drivers for both series will be contacted directly and provided with forms for use in placing pre-orders. 

Porsche Design Signs on as PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East Series Sponsor

The PCA Club Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East series has announced that Porsche Design will once again serve as the official timing partner of the semi-professional racing series. Porsche Design will present the winners of the series championships with exclusive Porsche Design timepieces at the end-of-the-year celebration in October in Daytona Beach, Florida, following the season finale. The Porsche Design logo will also be carried prominently on each Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport car throughout the entire 2017 season.

PPG continues as a key sponsor of Team Penske’s Verizon IndyCar and NASCAR Xfinity Series races in the 2017 racing season.

PPG and Team Penske Hit the Track

PPG and Team Penske have teamed up for another year of racing. Celebrating the 34th year of their partnership, PPG continues as a key sponsor of Team Penske’s Verizon IndyCar and NASCAR Xfinity Series races in the 2017 racing season. PPG will serve as the exclusive sponsor for one of Team Penske’s entries in five major racing events—three Verizon IndyCar Series and two NASCAR Xfinity Series races—and as an associate sponsor on all the team’s cars and equipment. Team Penske cars will feature PPG colors and logos at the races.

Service King Named Title Sponsor of NASCAR XFINITY 300 Race at Auto Club Speedway

Service King Collision Repair Centers will serve as the title sponsor for Auto Club Speedway’s NASCAR XFINITY Series 300 race, Saturday, March 25. The event, which will air on FS1 at 1:00 p.m. (PDT), will be known as the Service King 300.

By SEMA Editors

Omix-ADA’s ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, built in conjunction with Petty’s Garage, will be auctioned for charity without reserve at Mecum Auctions, April 8, 2017, in Houston. All proceeds will be donated to Victory Junction Camp.

Omix-ADA’s ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, which was presented at the 2016 SEMA Show and built in conjunction with Richard Petty’s custom shop, is slated to be auctioned for charity without reserve at Mecum Auctions, April 8, 2017, in Houston. All proceeds will be donated to Victory Junction Camp—a charity organization founded by the Petty family to help care for children with special needs.

Representing the first-time collaboration between Omix-ADA and Petty’s Garage, this Hydro Blue Jeep Wrangler JK represents the fourth time that Omix-ADA has partnered with SEMA Cares to help make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Starting out as a stock ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, stock-car racing legend Richard Petty and his crew completed a total transformation of the Wrangler into a serious off-road contender, adding a full complement of Omix-ADA and Rugged Ridge interior and exterior accessories, including bumpers, light bars, wheels, a grille, tube doors and a winch.

All proceeds from the sale of the SEMA Cares Jeep Wrangler will be donated to the Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, North Carolina. For more auction details, visit Mecum Auctions’ website.

For more information about this build, read the article in the March 2017 issue of SEMA News.

Visit SEMA Cares’ website for more information about its ongoing work with local communities.

By SEMA Editors

Omix-ADA’s ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, built in conjunction with Petty’s Garage, will be auctioned for charity without reserve at Mecum Auctions, April 8, 2017, in Houston. All proceeds will be donated to Victory Junction Camp.

Omix-ADA’s ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, which was presented at the 2016 SEMA Show and built in conjunction with Richard Petty’s custom shop, is slated to be auctioned for charity without reserve at Mecum Auctions, April 8, 2017, in Houston. All proceeds will be donated to Victory Junction Camp—a charity organization founded by the Petty family to help care for children with special needs.

Representing the first-time collaboration between Omix-ADA and Petty’s Garage, this Hydro Blue Jeep Wrangler JK represents the fourth time that Omix-ADA has partnered with SEMA Cares to help make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Starting out as a stock ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, stock-car racing legend Richard Petty and his crew completed a total transformation of the Wrangler into a serious off-road contender, adding a full complement of Omix-ADA and Rugged Ridge interior and exterior accessories, including bumpers, light bars, wheels, a grille, tube doors and a winch.

All proceeds from the sale of the SEMA Cares Jeep Wrangler will be donated to the Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, North Carolina. For more auction details, visit Mecum Auctions’ website.

For more information about this build, read the article in the March 2017 issue of SEMA News.

Visit SEMA Cares’ website for more information about its ongoing work with local communities.

By SEMA Editors

Omix-ADA’s ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, built in conjunction with Petty’s Garage, will be auctioned for charity without reserve at Mecum Auctions, April 8, 2017, in Houston. All proceeds will be donated to Victory Junction Camp.

Omix-ADA’s ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, which was presented at the 2016 SEMA Show and built in conjunction with Richard Petty’s custom shop, is slated to be auctioned for charity without reserve at Mecum Auctions, April 8, 2017, in Houston. All proceeds will be donated to Victory Junction Camp—a charity organization founded by the Petty family to help care for children with special needs.

Representing the first-time collaboration between Omix-ADA and Petty’s Garage, this Hydro Blue Jeep Wrangler JK represents the fourth time that Omix-ADA has partnered with SEMA Cares to help make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Starting out as a stock ’16 Jeep Wrangler JK, stock-car racing legend Richard Petty and his crew completed a total transformation of the Wrangler into a serious off-road contender, adding a full complement of Omix-ADA and Rugged Ridge interior and exterior accessories, including bumpers, light bars, wheels, a grille, tube doors and a winch.

All proceeds from the sale of the SEMA Cares Jeep Wrangler will be donated to the Victory Junction Camp in Randleman, North Carolina. For more auction details, visit Mecum Auctions’ website.

For more information about this build, read the article in the March 2017 issue of SEMA News.

Visit SEMA Cares’ website for more information about its ongoing work with local communities.

By Amelia Zwecher

The SEMA Career Center will provide monthly job fair listings via SEMA eNews.

In addition to the recruitment tips found in SEMA eNews periodically, look out for monthly listings of five job fairs and online virtual career fairs focused specifically on the automotive aftermarket industry. The SEMA Career Center’s goal is to continue to enhance recruitment efforts so that hiring managers can find top talent. Effective recruiting requires diverse efforts, so let the SEMA Career Center be your resource to lessen the burden of researching new ideas and initiatives.

Notable Upcoming Events:

Wake Tech Virtual Career Fair

Event Date: April 9, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (EDT)
City, State: Online/Virtual (Raleigh, North Carolina)

External Fair: Women Engineers Virtual Career Fair

Event Date: April 12, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT)
City, State: Online/Virtual (Columbia, South Carolina)

2017 MORE Career Expo

Event Date: April 13, 2:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. (PDT)
City, State: Orange, California

Rio Hondo College: Job & Internship Fair

Event Date: April 19, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (PDT)
City, State: Whittier, California

Veterans Virtual Career Fair

Event Date: May 9, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT)
City, State: Online/Virtual

Not hiring right now? Remember, these events offer a great opportunity for bringing awareness to your company and to the automotive aftermarket industry.

Career fair registrants will receive step-by-step guidance from SEMA Manager of Career Services Amelia Zwecher, PhD, PHR. Complete this form to receive specific event information relevant to your company’s needs.

By Amelia Zwecher

The SEMA Career Center will provide monthly job fair listings via SEMA eNews.

In addition to the recruitment tips found in SEMA eNews periodically, look out for monthly listings of five job fairs and online virtual career fairs focused specifically on the automotive aftermarket industry. The SEMA Career Center’s goal is to continue to enhance recruitment efforts so that hiring managers can find top talent. Effective recruiting requires diverse efforts, so let the SEMA Career Center be your resource to lessen the burden of researching new ideas and initiatives.

Notable Upcoming Events:

Wake Tech Virtual Career Fair

Event Date: April 9, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (EDT)
City, State: Online/Virtual (Raleigh, North Carolina)

External Fair: Women Engineers Virtual Career Fair

Event Date: April 12, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT)
City, State: Online/Virtual (Columbia, South Carolina)

2017 MORE Career Expo

Event Date: April 13, 2:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. (PDT)
City, State: Orange, California

Rio Hondo College: Job & Internship Fair

Event Date: April 19, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (PDT)
City, State: Whittier, California

Veterans Virtual Career Fair

Event Date: May 9, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT)
City, State: Online/Virtual

Not hiring right now? Remember, these events offer a great opportunity for bringing awareness to your company and to the automotive aftermarket industry.

Career fair registrants will receive step-by-step guidance from SEMA Manager of Career Services Amelia Zwecher, PhD, PHR. Complete this form to receive specific event information relevant to your company’s needs.

By Amelia Zwecher

Studies show that engaging students early in their academic careers can heighten company branding and awareness.

In the March 2 SEMA eNews article, “Tips for Attracting Top Talent: Step 1—The Job Description,” hiring managers were urged to develop strong job descriptions that truly depicted their positions and their companies. Once a job description is ready for posting, the next phase is recruitment. In addition to the many effective online and print job boards locally and globally that may be used for recruitment, there are additional techniques to help attract top talent to your organization.

Recruitment for top talent can be a very competitive, costly and time-consuming process. Grooming new talent may also be a wise approach to building a strong team and pipeline. College recruitment events are one approach to engaging this target market. Another less common approach is through company-sponsored scholarships.

Studies show that engaging students early in their academic careers can heighten company branding and awareness. Interacting with high-school seniors, college freshman and college sophomores are also essential techniques for influencing student academic majors and career outlook.

Reasons why offering a scholarship to students is an effective tool include the following:

• The cost of obtaining a college degree continues to increase; students are most appreciative of any assistance and recognition.
• Millennials are motivated by social rewards (i.e. public praise and mentorship) and money.
• It is a great public-relations opportunity for your company by building awareness and promoting community development.

Contact Amelia F. Zwecher, PhD, PHR, SEMA manager of career services, at ameliaz@sema.org for more information on developing successful scholarship opportunities for students.

By Amelia Zwecher

Studies show that engaging students early in their academic careers can heighten company branding and awareness.

In the March 2 SEMA eNews article, “Tips for Attracting Top Talent: Step 1—The Job Description,” hiring managers were urged to develop strong job descriptions that truly depicted their positions and their companies. Once a job description is ready for posting, the next phase is recruitment. In addition to the many effective online and print job boards locally and globally that may be used for recruitment, there are additional techniques to help attract top talent to your organization.

Recruitment for top talent can be a very competitive, costly and time-consuming process. Grooming new talent may also be a wise approach to building a strong team and pipeline. College recruitment events are one approach to engaging this target market. Another less common approach is through company-sponsored scholarships.

Studies show that engaging students early in their academic careers can heighten company branding and awareness. Interacting with high-school seniors, college freshman and college sophomores are also essential techniques for influencing student academic majors and career outlook.

Reasons why offering a scholarship to students is an effective tool include the following:

• The cost of obtaining a college degree continues to increase; students are most appreciative of any assistance and recognition.
• Millennials are motivated by social rewards (i.e. public praise and mentorship) and money.
• It is a great public-relations opportunity for your company by building awareness and promoting community development.

Contact Amelia F. Zwecher, PhD, PHR, SEMA manager of career services, at ameliaz@sema.org for more information on developing successful scholarship opportunities for students.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Perry Lease

Perry Lease Named Vice President of Sales for Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has named Perry Lease vice president of sales. Lease, who previously served as director of national retail sales, North America Tire Operations for Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., will be responsible for driving profitable sales and growing global market share for Mickey Thompson across all segments, including street, strip, racing, off-road and others. Lease reports to Mickey Thompson President Dominick Wycoff. Lease joined Cooper in 1996 as a management trainee and has held a number of positions with the company, including in roles in operations, finance and sales.

Tire Dealers Association of Canada Joins Automotive Social Portal

The Automotive Marketing Foundation (AMF) has announced that the Tire Dealers Association of Canada (TDAC) has joined its United States counterpart, the Tire Industry Association (TIA), as the latest association to join the Automotive Social Portal (ASP). The ASP, powered by Rallio, provides a cloud-based infrastructure that allows associations, manufacturers and other content providers to create and distribute consumer educational content, national, provincial, state and regional governmental issues through the dealer network to consumers. The ASP is free to all associations and independent dealers in North America. The ASP has multiple levels of participation that populate dealer social network sites, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, with pertinent content all from a single dashboard. Tire Dealers can request to join the portal by completing the online sign-up form.

Steven Levine

ITW Automotive Aftermarket Names Steven Levine as Vice President and General Manager of ITW Evercoat

ITW Evercoat has announced Steven Levine as the new vice president and general manager. In his role, Levine will have global responsibilities that include the Evercoat and Auto Magic businesses. Most recently, he was a vice president at The Chamberlain Group. He also held senior leadership roles at Newell Rubbermaid and The Stanley Works.

SuperTurbo Technologies, formerly VanDyne SuperTurbo, Announces New Board of Directors

VanDyne SuperTurbo Inc. has announced its corporate name change to SuperTurbo Technologies Inc. The company has also named Dan Hancock, Frans Westenbrink and Andy Savarie to the board of directors. Hancock is president of DMH Consulting LLC. He retired from General Motors after 43 years in powertrain engineering and general management. His most recent positions included vice president of global strategic product alliances, vice president of global powertrain engineering, CEO of Fiat-GM Powertrain and president of Allison Transmission. He was President of SAE International in 2014 and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Westenbrink is vice president and general manager for the Aftermarket, Power, Steam and Compressor (APSCS) business unit at Woodward Inc. He began his career with Woodward in Europe, where he was responsible for the European sales and engineering operations before moving to the United States in 1999. Before taking on his current role, he was responsible for the development of Woodward’s GT fuel-injection business with GE and Siemens.

Savarie has more than 25 years of investment banking and entrepreneurial business experience. He has led the automotive investment banking practices at Morgan Stanley, Banc of America Securities and Bear Stearns, where he advised clients on more than 100 M&A and financing transactions. He also spent four years as a co-founder and head of corporate development and strategy for Carbon Motors Corp., an early-stage automotive company.

The first graduating cohort of Caliber Collision’s Changing Lanes program with Monique Martin (center), recipient of the Recycled Rides vehicle the soldiers repaired.

Transitioning Soldiers in Caliber Collision’s Changing Lanes Program Graduate With New Collision Repair Career

Nine soldiers at Ft. Bragg will complete their military services and return to civilian life fully armed with a $2,500 toolbox, employment offer and a new career in the fast-growing collision industry. Developed in partnership with Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) and Ft. Bragg’s Career Skills program, the Caliber Collision “Changing Lanes” program provides active-duty service members with training and employment opportunities in the collision-repair industry prior to transitioning out of the U.S. Armed Forces. Graduation ceremonies were held for the first cohort class of Changing Lanes on March 17 at FTCC. All nine members of this first graduating class have accepted employment offers at Caliber Collision locations in North Carolina, California and Florida. The 18-week hands-on-training course is offered free to transitioning soldiers. Participants earn industry accreditation I-CAR points through a combination of instruction at FTCC’s automotive collision-repair facility, along with an internship at one of the Caliber Collision’s Fayetteville production centers.

A highlight of the graduation ceremonies was the presentation of a ’10 Chevrolet Cobolt, donated by State Farm, which Changing Lanes participants repaired and refurbished for a military veteran. The vehicle donation is part of the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides program, in which collision repairers, insurance agents and partners team up to donate and repair vehicles to individuals in need of reliable transportation. The Caliber Recycled Rides recipient was Monique Martin, an honorably discharged Air Force reservist.

Fayetteville Technical Community College has donated a 2,100-sq.-ft. building for the program’s exclusive use as a training facility. Caliber is also building a 10,000 sq.- ft. permanent Changing Lanes training center. A second cohort is underway in Fayetteville with an early May graduation. Caliber’s Changing Lanes will also launch at Ft. Hood in Killeen, Texas, with the first cohort training beginning in mid-April.

Tenneco’s Walker Spring Rewards Gives Prepaid Cards to Service Professionals for Installation of Premium Emissions Control Products

This spring, Tenneco is offering automotive service professionals an opportunity to earn a $15 Visa Prepaid card mail-in rebate for each installation of qualifying Walker brand emissions-control products during the Walker Spring Rewards promotion, running from March 1–April 30. Service professionals can earn up to $500 through the promotion, delivered via Visa Prepaid cards after the promotion period. Products that qualify under the promotion include Walker direct-fit catalytic converters, Walker CalCat direct-fit catalytic converters and Walker Quiet-Flow SS mufflers or welded assemblies. Completed scorecards and copies of sales invoices must be postmarked by May 31, 2017.

Design Engineering Inc. Parts Now Searchable on CatalogRack.com

Design Engineering Inc. (DEI) has joined DCi—a leading source for connecting sellers and buyers with comprehensive electronic cataloging services. Effective immediately, all DEI-branded products, including DEI protective thermal and insulating products, Boom Mat acoustic and sound-deadening products, CryO2 cryogenic intake systems and accessories, and the company’s full line of performance coolant additives are featured on CatalogRack.com. CatalogRack works as a password-protected website that allows qualified automotive aftermarket resellers to search and source top automotive aftermarket brands.

Robert Struble

Robert Struble Named CEO of Directed

The Board of Directors of DEI Holdings Inc., parent Company to Directed, has announced the appointment of Robert J. Struble as CEO of Directed, effective immediately. Most recently the CEO and founder of iBiquity Digital, Struble’s appointment was the culmination of an extensive national search by DEI. Struble will sit on and report directly to the DEI Board and will be based at the company’s Vista, California, headquarters. He will lead a team of more than 200 associates in the United States and Canada. Prior to leading iBiquity, Struble managed several technology businesses at Westinghouse and was a strategy consultant at McKinsey and Company. 

Eibach is celebrating its 30th U.S. anniversary with factory tours on April 6.

Eibach Celebrates 30th U.S. Anniversary

To celebrate its 30th anniversary in the United States, Eibach will host an open house, Thursday, April 6, at its facility located at 264 Mariah Circle, Corona, CA 92879. Factory tours and refreshments will be available from 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. RSVP with expected time of attendance to jsilva@eibach.com.

Lear Corp. Selected by Wyoming Department of Transportation for Connected Vehicle Pilot Program

Lear Corp., a global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, has announced that it has been selected by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) as its exclusive partner to supply advanced vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure road-side units and on-board units. In addition to supplying all related safety applications to this pilot program, Lear’s E-Systems will supply its Locomate Roadstar product with features such as dedicated short-range communications, high-precision GPS, Wi-Fi, security and more.

ididit’s new logo.

ididit Launches New Logo, Branding and Website

ididit has launched both a fresh, modern logo and an all-new website, providing resources for dealers, installers and drivers. The new ididit tech center, one click away from any page, features nearly 50 useful tech tips covering both general and model-specific topics, a growing library of video tutorials and exclusive content, downloadable instructions for every ididit product, custom column diagrams and FAQs. Additionally, the new site features dedicated product pages for ididit’s catalog while providing a complete spec list, special notes plus recommended and applicable accessories for each product.

Turn 14 Distribution Adds Advanced Clutch Technology to Line Card

Turn 14 Distribution has added Advanced Clutch Technology’s (ACT) lineup of clutch and driveline products to its line card. The products manufactured by ACT are proven on the street by its customers, and at the track by a wide range of champions in many forms of racing competition.

Off-road racing professional Corry Weller is featured in Optima’s “The Power of Legends” video series.

Optima Batteries’ Virtual Reality Series Named a Cynopsis Sports Media Awards Finalist

OPTIMA Batteries is among the finalists at the 2017 Cynopsis Sports Media Awards in the Virtual Reality category for its 360-video series, “The Power of Legends.” The annual awards series celebrates the best of the best in the sports industry, specifically focusing on companies, professionals or organizations who inspired audiences and turned viewers into fans in the past year. Finalists in this category were judged on their ability to create a game or sports virtual reality video that allowed users to experience the sports world in an up-close and immersive way. The five “Power of Legends” videos debuted at the 2016 SEMA Show in the OPTIMA Batteries booth and featured five OPTIMA PowerPro Ambassadors:

• James Clay, founder/owner of BimmerWorld
• Edwin Evers, 2016 Bassmaster Classic champion
• Lucas Murphy, competitive rock crawler
• Mark Stielow, GM program engineer and Camaro expert
• Corry Weller, off-road racing pro

The winners will be announced at the final awards ceremony in New York City, April 13, 2017. For more information, visit www.cynopsis.com. To view the “Power of Legends” videos and also access more exclusive video content from The Ultimate Power Source, visit www.optimabatteries.com.

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