By SEMA Editors

Art Chrisman

The Petersen Automotive Museum honored Art Chrisman with the 2015 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual SEMA Awards Breakfast in Las Vegas. Barry Meguiar, president of Meguiar’s Car Care Products and host of the popular, long-running “Car Crazy” show on the Velocity Network, announced the award with Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. Chrisman accepted the award from Meguiar via a video that was shown to the capacity crowd of thousands in Las Vegas.

Chrisman got his start just after World War II in his family’s garage in Compton, California. He followed the examples set by his uncle Jack Chrisman and his brother Lloyd Chrisman, who had been building cars and racing them on the dry lakes of Southern California. In 1955, Chrisman became one of the first men to do 140 mph on a dragstrip while driving his famous “25” car at Famosa Raceway in Bakersfield. After that, he built what would be one of his most famous cars, “Hustler,” which broke the 180-mph barrier and was the first car to run a parachute.

Chrisman was also one of the original five charter members of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club—a feat he accomplished in 1952 while driving Chet Herbert’s “Beast” at an official speed of 235.910 mph. After his racing career, he took a position with Autolite and became renowned as the guru of reading spark plugs. He continued to support the industry in this capacity for some time, eventually returning to building cars in his shop in Santa Ana, California.

Reflecting on his career, Chrisman said, “When I got into racing on the dry lakes, I never could have imagined that it would change my life like it did. This is beyond my wildest dreams. I did it because I wanted to do it, not to make money or be a hero. I feel so fortunate to have had the success that I did and to still be here today to appreciate what the younger guys are doing.”

Karges added, “Art Chrisman has been instrumental in shaping a sport that we all know and love. He was one of Robert E. Petersen’s personal heroes. Art’s contributions to racing and the automotive aftermarket are immeasurable, and the Petersen Automotive Museum is proud to honor Art Chrisman with the 2015 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Previous winners of the Petersen Award include Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Andy Granatelli, The Ford Family, Vic Edelbrock, Jack Roush, Ed “Isky” Iskenderian, Bill “Speedy” Smith, Alex Xydias, Wally Parks and Ed Pink.

By SEMA Editors

Art Chrisman

The Petersen Automotive Museum honored Art Chrisman with the 2015 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual SEMA Awards Breakfast in Las Vegas. Barry Meguiar, president of Meguiar’s Car Care Products and host of the popular, long-running “Car Crazy” show on the Velocity Network, announced the award with Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. Chrisman accepted the award from Meguiar via a video that was shown to the capacity crowd of thousands in Las Vegas.

Chrisman got his start just after World War II in his family’s garage in Compton, California. He followed the examples set by his uncle Jack Chrisman and his brother Lloyd Chrisman, who had been building cars and racing them on the dry lakes of Southern California. In 1955, Chrisman became one of the first men to do 140 mph on a dragstrip while driving his famous “25” car at Famosa Raceway in Bakersfield. After that, he built what would be one of his most famous cars, “Hustler,” which broke the 180-mph barrier and was the first car to run a parachute.

Chrisman was also one of the original five charter members of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club—a feat he accomplished in 1952 while driving Chet Herbert’s “Beast” at an official speed of 235.910 mph. After his racing career, he took a position with Autolite and became renowned as the guru of reading spark plugs. He continued to support the industry in this capacity for some time, eventually returning to building cars in his shop in Santa Ana, California.

Reflecting on his career, Chrisman said, “When I got into racing on the dry lakes, I never could have imagined that it would change my life like it did. This is beyond my wildest dreams. I did it because I wanted to do it, not to make money or be a hero. I feel so fortunate to have had the success that I did and to still be here today to appreciate what the younger guys are doing.”

Karges added, “Art Chrisman has been instrumental in shaping a sport that we all know and love. He was one of Robert E. Petersen’s personal heroes. Art’s contributions to racing and the automotive aftermarket are immeasurable, and the Petersen Automotive Museum is proud to honor Art Chrisman with the 2015 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Previous winners of the Petersen Award include Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Andy Granatelli, The Ford Family, Vic Edelbrock, Jack Roush, Ed “Isky” Iskenderian, Bill “Speedy” Smith, Alex Xydias, Wally Parks and Ed Pink.

By SEMA Editors

Art Chrisman

The Petersen Automotive Museum honored Art Chrisman with the 2015 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual SEMA Awards Breakfast in Las Vegas. Barry Meguiar, president of Meguiar’s Car Care Products and host of the popular, long-running “Car Crazy” show on the Velocity Network, announced the award with Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. Chrisman accepted the award from Meguiar via a video that was shown to the capacity crowd of thousands in Las Vegas.

Chrisman got his start just after World War II in his family’s garage in Compton, California. He followed the examples set by his uncle Jack Chrisman and his brother Lloyd Chrisman, who had been building cars and racing them on the dry lakes of Southern California. In 1955, Chrisman became one of the first men to do 140 mph on a dragstrip while driving his famous “25” car at Famosa Raceway in Bakersfield. After that, he built what would be one of his most famous cars, “Hustler,” which broke the 180-mph barrier and was the first car to run a parachute.

Chrisman was also one of the original five charter members of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club—a feat he accomplished in 1952 while driving Chet Herbert’s “Beast” at an official speed of 235.910 mph. After his racing career, he took a position with Autolite and became renowned as the guru of reading spark plugs. He continued to support the industry in this capacity for some time, eventually returning to building cars in his shop in Santa Ana, California.

Reflecting on his career, Chrisman said, “When I got into racing on the dry lakes, I never could have imagined that it would change my life like it did. This is beyond my wildest dreams. I did it because I wanted to do it, not to make money or be a hero. I feel so fortunate to have had the success that I did and to still be here today to appreciate what the younger guys are doing.”

Karges added, “Art Chrisman has been instrumental in shaping a sport that we all know and love. He was one of Robert E. Petersen’s personal heroes. Art’s contributions to racing and the automotive aftermarket are immeasurable, and the Petersen Automotive Museum is proud to honor Art Chrisman with the 2015 Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Previous winners of the Petersen Award include Carroll Shelby, George Barris, Andy Granatelli, The Ford Family, Vic Edelbrock, Jack Roush, Ed “Isky” Iskenderian, Bill “Speedy” Smith, Alex Xydias, Wally Parks and Ed Pink.

By Carr Winn and Clint Simone

The SEMA News video team was out in full force last week collecting video highlights from the 2015 SEMA Show. Whether it was on the SEMA Show floor, outside, at the SEMA Cruise or part of SEMA Ignited, the industry was in full swing providing plenty of action throughout the week of the SEMA Show.

As the official SEMA Show after-party, SEMA Ignited provides the public with a rare opportunity to get up close and take photos with the cars, trucks and SUVs from the SEMA Show. The 2015 event featured vehicle demonstrations, automotive celebrities and on-stage entertainment. Here’s a look at the action from Ignited.

Here are additional SEMA Show videos featuring exhibitor highlights and announcements from the last week's Show.

• Mickey Thompson Announces Parternship With Roush
• Wheel Vintiques Brings 1970 GTO Judge to the 2015 SEMA Show
• Bobby Alloway Unveils C3 Corvtte
• Local Motors Introduces World's First 3D-Printed Car
• Richard Petty Presents "Wrap Like a King" Award
• Toyota Unveils UUV
• Honda Offers Sneak Peek at New Ridgeline

To read the complete lineup of announcements and news from the 2015 SEMA Show, visit www.sema.org/sema-enews/2015/45.

By Carr Winn and Clint Simone

The SEMA News video team was out in full force last week collecting video highlights from the 2015 SEMA Show. Whether it was on the SEMA Show floor, outside, at the SEMA Cruise or part of SEMA Ignited, the industry was in full swing providing plenty of action throughout the week of the SEMA Show.

As the official SEMA Show after-party, SEMA Ignited provides the public with a rare opportunity to get up close and take photos with the cars, trucks and SUVs from the SEMA Show. The 2015 event featured vehicle demonstrations, automotive celebrities and on-stage entertainment. Here’s a look at the action from Ignited.

Here are additional SEMA Show videos featuring exhibitor highlights and announcements from the last week's Show.

• Mickey Thompson Announces Parternship With Roush
• Wheel Vintiques Brings 1970 GTO Judge to the 2015 SEMA Show
• Bobby Alloway Unveils C3 Corvtte
• Local Motors Introduces World's First 3D-Printed Car
• Richard Petty Presents "Wrap Like a King" Award
• Toyota Unveils UUV
• Honda Offers Sneak Peek at New Ridgeline

To read the complete lineup of announcements and news from the 2015 SEMA Show, visit www.sema.org/sema-enews/2015/45.

By Carr Winn and Clint Simone

The SEMA News video team was out in full force last week collecting video highlights from the 2015 SEMA Show. Whether it was on the SEMA Show floor, outside, at the SEMA Cruise or part of SEMA Ignited, the industry was in full swing providing plenty of action throughout the week of the SEMA Show.

As the official SEMA Show after-party, SEMA Ignited provides the public with a rare opportunity to get up close and take photos with the cars, trucks and SUVs from the SEMA Show. The 2015 event featured vehicle demonstrations, automotive celebrities and on-stage entertainment. Here’s a look at the action from Ignited.

Here are additional SEMA Show videos featuring exhibitor highlights and announcements from the last week's Show.

• Mickey Thompson Announces Parternship With Roush
• Wheel Vintiques Brings 1970 GTO Judge to the 2015 SEMA Show
• Bobby Alloway Unveils C3 Corvtte
• Local Motors Introduces World's First 3D-Printed Car
• Richard Petty Presents "Wrap Like a King" Award
• Toyota Unveils UUV
• Honda Offers Sneak Peek at New Ridgeline

To read the complete lineup of announcements and news from the 2015 SEMA Show, visit www.sema.org/sema-enews/2015/45.

The three Battle of the Builders® finalists—(L-R) Bobby Alloway, Chip Foose and Alan Johnson—were seen with “Overhaulin’s” Adrienne Janic and Chris Jacobs prior to the announcement of the 2015 Battle of the Builders® winner.

By Chad Simon

The winner of the Battle of the Builders® competition was announced Friday evening, November 6, 2015, at SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party—in front of a crowd more than 15,000 strong at the main stage in the Gold Lot across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The three finalists included Bobby Alloway and his ’33 Ford Roadster, Chip Foose and his ’65 Chevy Impala, and Alan Johnson and his ’53 Studebaker. In the end, it was Alloway who was named Top Builder.

“This has to be the biggest award I have ever won,” Alloway said. “We were being judged by our peers—guys that can do and have done the same as I. That’s big!”

Introduced at the SEMA Show last year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition began with more than 200 vehicle builders and car customizers entering 260 custom cars competing for the coveted title of Top Builder. Builders who made it to the Top 10 round of competition selected amongst themselves the Top Builder. Production teams were on-site to film various television programs that will air nationwide early next year.

The three Battle of the Builders® finalists—(L-R) Bobby Alloway, Chip Foose and Alan Johnson—were seen with “Overhaulin’s” Adrienne Janic and Chris Jacobs prior to the announcement of the 2015 Battle of the Builders® winner.

By Chad Simon

The winner of the Battle of the Builders® competition was announced Friday evening, November 6, 2015, at SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party—in front of a crowd more than 15,000 strong at the main stage in the Gold Lot across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The three finalists included Bobby Alloway and his ’33 Ford Roadster, Chip Foose and his ’65 Chevy Impala, and Alan Johnson and his ’53 Studebaker. In the end, it was Alloway who was named Top Builder.

“This has to be the biggest award I have ever won,” Alloway said. “We were being judged by our peers—guys that can do and have done the same as I. That’s big!”

Introduced at the SEMA Show last year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition began with more than 200 vehicle builders and car customizers entering 260 custom cars competing for the coveted title of Top Builder. Builders who made it to the Top 10 round of competition selected amongst themselves the Top Builder. Production teams were on-site to film various television programs that will air nationwide early next year.

The three Battle of the Builders® finalists—(L-R) Bobby Alloway, Chip Foose and Alan Johnson—were seen with “Overhaulin’s” Adrienne Janic and Chris Jacobs prior to the announcement of the 2015 Battle of the Builders® winner.

By Chad Simon

The winner of the Battle of the Builders® competition was announced Friday evening, November 6, 2015, at SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party—in front of a crowd more than 15,000 strong at the main stage in the Gold Lot across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The three finalists included Bobby Alloway and his ’33 Ford Roadster, Chip Foose and his ’65 Chevy Impala, and Alan Johnson and his ’53 Studebaker. In the end, it was Alloway who was named Top Builder.

“This has to be the biggest award I have ever won,” Alloway said. “We were being judged by our peers—guys that can do and have done the same as I. That’s big!”

Introduced at the SEMA Show last year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition began with more than 200 vehicle builders and car customizers entering 260 custom cars competing for the coveted title of Top Builder. Builders who made it to the Top 10 round of competition selected amongst themselves the Top Builder. Production teams were on-site to film various television programs that will air nationwide early next year.

The three Battle of the Builders® finalists—(L-R) Bobby Alloway, Chip Foose and Alan Johnson—were seen with “Overhaulin’s” Adrienne Janic and Chris Jacobs prior to the announcement of the 2015 Battle of the Builders® winner.

By Chad Simon

The winner of the Battle of the Builders® competition was announced Friday evening, November 6, 2015, at SEMA Ignited—the official SEMA Show after-party—in front of a crowd more than 15,000 strong at the main stage in the Gold Lot across the street from the Las Vegas Convention Center. The three finalists included Bobby Alloway and his ’33 Ford Roadster, Chip Foose and his ’65 Chevy Impala, and Alan Johnson and his ’53 Studebaker. In the end, it was Alloway who was named Top Builder.

“This has to be the biggest award I have ever won,” Alloway said. “We were being judged by our peers—guys that can do and have done the same as I. That’s big!”

Introduced at the SEMA Show last year, the SEMA Battle of the Builders® competition began with more than 200 vehicle builders and car customizers entering 260 custom cars competing for the coveted title of Top Builder. Builders who made it to the Top 10 round of competition selected amongst themselves the Top Builder. Production teams were on-site to film various television programs that will air nationwide early next year.