Compiled by SEMA Editors

Legislation (H.B. 52) introduced in the Maryland House of Delegates to exempt vehicles driven under 5,000 miles annually from inspection and testing requirements failed to be enacted before the legislature adjourned for the year.

Legislation (H.B. 52) introduced in the Maryland House of Delegates to exempt vehicles driven under 5,000 miles annually from inspection and testing requirements failed to be enacted before the legislature adjourned for the year. Currently, low-mileage vehicle exemptions are only available to those with disabilities and to persons 70 years old or older.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Legislation (H.B. 52) introduced in the Maryland House of Delegates to exempt vehicles driven under 5,000 miles annually from inspection and testing requirements failed to be enacted before the legislature adjourned for the year.

Legislation (H.B. 52) introduced in the Maryland House of Delegates to exempt vehicles driven under 5,000 miles annually from inspection and testing requirements failed to be enacted before the legislature adjourned for the year. Currently, low-mileage vehicle exemptions are only available to those with disabilities and to persons 70 years old or older.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee. The Hawaiian racing community lost motorsports facilities on Oahu more than a decade ago.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee. The Hawaiian racing community lost motorsports facilities on Oahu more than a decade ago.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee. The Hawaiian racing community lost motorsports facilities on Oahu more than a decade ago.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.

A resolution (S.C.R. 108) offered in Hawaii advocating for the construction of a new race-track facility on the island of Oahu passed the House Committee on Water, Land and Hawaiian Affairs and now awaits consideration in the House Judiciary Committee. The Hawaiian racing community lost motorsports facilities on Oahu more than a decade ago.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website.

For details, contact Christian Robinson at stateleg@sema.org.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Permatex moved its headquarters to a 350,000-sq.-ft. facility in Solon, Ohio.

Kustom Built Cars Offers Graduates a Chance to Learn Auto Restoration

Kustom Built Cars is offering free restoration workshops for five individuals age 18–25 who are interested in careers in the automotive restoration industry. The company specializes in teaching a variety of techniques under the guidance of a professional car builder, providing students the chance to learn and work hands-on building a custom car from start to finish in a real working Hotrod Shop.

To qualify, participants are required to submit a 2-5 minute video clip of why they want to learn the trade and what type of job they will pursue in the industry. The company will choose the five individuals in June for the workshops that begin in August. To submit your video, complete the form at www.kustombuiltcars.com/video.

Permatex Moves Headquarters to 350,000-Sq.-Ft. Facility in Solon, Ohio

Permatex has moved its business operations recently from Hartford, Connecticut, to its Solon, Ohio, facility, where manufacturing and distribution centers are already in place. The new Permatex headquarters is located at: ITW Permatex Inc., 6875 Parkland Blvd., Solon, OH, 44139. The location currently consists of a 180,000-sq.-ft. distribution center and 170,000-sq.-ft. facility that supports the manufacturing and business operations. The campus has room for Permatex to double the size of its headquarters to 700,000 sq. ft. to accommodate new growth. The facility is home to 19 high-tech robots designed for the elimination of repetitive motion and to lighten the amount of heavy lifting done by Permatex employees.

VP Racing Fuels new facility on Lake LBJ in Kingsland, Texas.

VP Racing Fuels Opens First-Ever VP Marina

VP Racing Fuels Inc. has announced the opening of its first-ever branded marina and c-store location on Lake LBJ in Kingsland, Texas.

Doug Kaufman

Doug Kaufman Appointed Editorial Director of Three Babcox Brands

Babcox Media Inc. announced that Doug Kaufman will assume the role of editorial director for Brake & Front End, ImportCar and Underhood Service. Kaufman is responsible for the day-to-day editorial management of the three brands and will work hand-in-hand with Andrew Markel, content director, and the skilled team of editors and journalists who serve the automotive service industry. Kaufman has spent more than 27 years at Babcox Media, most recently, serving as publisher and editor of the Engine Builder brand.

LKQ Corporation Purchases Elite Electronics

LKQ Corporation has announced that it has acquired all assets of Elite Electronics. Elite, based in Richardson, Texas, specializes in various automotive diagnostic and repair services. The acquisition launches LKQ into the vehicle-services market, converging LKQ’s parts and distribution business with Elite’s services to further facilitate customers’ needs. Transitus Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor to Elite Electronics during the acquisition by LKQ.

Universal Technical Institute Inc. (UTI) has been named an official sponsor of NHRA.

Universal Technical Institute Named Official Technical School of the NHRA

Universal Technical Institute Inc. (UTI) has been named an official sponsor of NHRA. UTI will also be partnered with the NHRA Youth and Education Services (YES) Program, which offers the only full-time STEM-based educational program in all of motorsports. Held in conjunction with fifteen NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, YES provides participating youth free admission to each race and makes students aware of the myriad career opportunities that drag racing offers related to science, technology, engineering and math.

As the Official Technical School of NHRA, UTI will have benefits within the Fox Sports race broadcasts, in addition to fan engagement opportunities and branding at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. This includes exclusive rights to signage on top of the iconic Christmas Tree starting line system, that will be seen by millions of NHRA fans each year.

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.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Racer Registration, Schedule Now Available for Next Month’s 51st Annual SCORE Baja 500

Online registration has officially opened for the upcoming internationally-televised 51st SCORE Baja 500. Round two of the four-race 2019 SCORE World Desert Championship will be held May 29–June 2 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The race will be televised on a delayed basis as a one-hour special on the ABC Network World of X Games programming. Online registration is set up by class for Pro and Sportsman cars, trucks, UTVs, motorcycles and quads. Information on all SCORE races can be found on the homepage under the Race Info tab. Official entries received after the drawing will be given the next available starting position within their respective classes. Online entries will be accepted until Tuesday, May 21, at 8:00 p.m. (PDT). Following consultation with city and state government officials, SCORE International announced that it will move all the official pre-race festivities and the start/finish line area for this year’s SCORE Baja 500 to the Lucas Oil Off-Road Stadium on the grounds of the Estero Beach Hotel & Resort, 12.2 miles south of downtown Ensenada.

The SCCA will become the official sanctioning body for 2019 Global Time Attack events throughout the United States.

Sports Car Club of America Becomes Official Sanctioning Body of Global Time Attack

Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and Global Time Attack (GTA) have reached an agreement where SCCA, through its SCCA Pro Racing division, will become the official sanctioning body for 2019 Global Time Attack events throughout the United States. This agreement includes a licensing program that allows new drivers to gain experience and accreditation to earn their way into pro time attack ranks, a system utilized by GRIDLIFE. SCCA and GTA will also work together to produce cooperative events during a number of weekends this year. Additionally, top-performing SCCA Time Trials Nationals (TTN) drivers will earn their way into GTA events, and the top 2019 TTN finisher will receive an invite to the 2020 Super Lap Battle organized by GTA.

Madi Lowther, co-defending Power Wheels Drag Racing track champion at Pacemakers Dragway Park.

Hot Shot’s Secret Sponsors 2018 Power Wheels Drag Racing Co-Champion Madi Lowther

Hot Shot’s Secret, a two-year sponsor of Pacemakers Dragway Park located in nearby Mt. Vernon, Ohio, will continue sponsorship of Madi Lowther as she moves up to racing in the Jr. Dragster class this year. The season opened April 13 and runs through the end of October.

For more racing news, visit the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) website.

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place in conjunction with the Installation & Gala, Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California.

The 2019 Pinewood Drag Racing season is now here. Each year, hundreds of SEMA-member companies step up to generously sponsor pinewood cars, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. To learn more and register, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.

Once again held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation & Gala, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California. The finals are held during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins.

SEMA members can race either a car or truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the BIFM or Stock class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 sec. on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 sec., and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and the Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

Now in its third year, the Industry Cup Challenge features five divisions where sponsoring companies race child-built pinewood cars. Each division crowns a winning company, which then goes on to represent that division in an all-out industry race to No. 1. The industry challengers each have a limited number of entrants in the following divisions: warehouse distributors, manufacturers, media groups, rep agencies and service providers. The champion can display the trophy for a year with its company name engraved among the winners. It must then be returned, in a Stanley Cup-style tradition, as it will be up for grabs again at the next Pinewood Drag Races, where the company will have a chance to defend its title. The donation cost is $1,000 per sponsoring company. The standard pinewood build rules apply to all competing vehicles. Vehicles are randomly assigned and the race is officiated by SEMA Cares volunteers.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including The Austin Hatcher Foundation, Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides a camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship.

Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!

Register for the Installation & Gala at www.sema.org/gala.

2018 Pinewood Drag Race Winners:

• Build-It-For-Me Class – Hella
• Council Cup – ARMO
• People’s Choice – Edelbrock

2018 Industry Cup Winners:

• Industry Cup Challenge Winner – Hot Rod
• Media Class – Hot Rod
• Service Provider’s Class – LGE*CTS
• Rep Agency Class – R&R Marketing
• Warehouse Distributor Class – RSD
• Manufacturer’s class – A.R.E.

By SEMA Editors

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place in conjunction with the Installation & Gala, Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California.

The 2019 Pinewood Drag Racing season is now here. Each year, hundreds of SEMA-member companies step up to generously sponsor pinewood cars, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. To learn more and register, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.

Once again held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation & Gala, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 26, at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, California. The finals are held during the cocktail reception, shortly before the banquet begins.

SEMA members can race either a car or truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the BIFM or Stock class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 sec. on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 sec., and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.

SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and the Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.

Now in its third year, the Industry Cup Challenge features five divisions where sponsoring companies race child-built pinewood cars. Each division crowns a winning company, which then goes on to represent that division in an all-out industry race to No. 1. The industry challengers each have a limited number of entrants in the following divisions: warehouse distributors, manufacturers, media groups, rep agencies and service providers. The champion can display the trophy for a year with its company name engraved among the winners. It must then be returned, in a Stanley Cup-style tradition, as it will be up for grabs again at the next Pinewood Drag Races, where the company will have a chance to defend its title. The donation cost is $1,000 per sponsoring company. The standard pinewood build rules apply to all competing vehicles. Vehicles are randomly assigned and the race is officiated by SEMA Cares volunteers.

Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including The Austin Hatcher Foundation, Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides a camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. The Austin Hatcher Foundation’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship.

Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!

Register for the Installation & Gala at www.sema.org/gala.

2018 Pinewood Drag Race Winners:

• Build-It-For-Me Class – Hella
• Council Cup – ARMO
• People’s Choice – Edelbrock

2018 Industry Cup Winners:

• Industry Cup Challenge Winner – Hot Rod
• Media Class – Hot Rod
• Service Provider’s Class – LGE*CTS
• Rep Agency Class – R&R Marketing
• Warehouse Distributor Class – RSD
• Manufacturer’s class – A.R.E.