Compiled by SEMA Editors

J.R. Todd captured his first career back-to-back Funny Car victory last Sunday afternoon at the 31st annual NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway.

Brittany Force, Todd and Hartford Victorious at NHRA SpringNationals

J.R. Todd captured his first career back-to-back Funny Car victory last Sunday afternoon at the 31st annual NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway. Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) were also victorious in their respective categories at the fifth of 24 events on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Todd powered his DHL Toyota Camry to a pass of 3.955 seconds at 313.29 mph to defeat defending world champion Robert Hight in the final round. This is his second win of the season and 13th of his career. Force, the defending Top Fuel world champion, piloted her Monster Energy dragster to a pass of 3.762 at 299.46 to defeat Terry McMillen in the final round. This is her first victory of the season and eighth of her career. In Pro Stock, Hartford drove to his first career winner’s circle after taking down the hometown hero Erica Enders. The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues April 27–29 at the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ryan Beat

Ryan Beat Wins Round One of Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Ryan Beat won round one of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, April 14, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona. His BILSTEIN Pro Lite truck was in the top three every time he hit the track.

BILSTEIN Named Official Shock of NORRA for Three-Year Partnership

BILSTEIN has announced a three-year partnership with NORRA Mexican 1000 rally. The Mexican 1000 is a blend of high-performance driving, and world-class adventure in a tough, multi-stage race that honors the roots of Baja racing. Stage one heads east to the fishing village in San Felipe. After overnight stops in Guerrero Negro (bikes only), Bahia de Los Angeles, Loreto and La Paz, it reaches the final destination in San Jose del Cabo. Many of the vehicles that originally ran the length of the Baja Peninsula took full advantage of BILSTEIN’s construction and damping performance to accomplish the feat.

Royal Purple Synthetic Oil—the official oil of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires—will once again headline all six rounds of competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 11–12.

Royal Purple Synthetic Oil to Title All Mazda Road to Indy Rounds at Indianapolis

Royal Purple Synthetic Oil—the official oil of the Mazda Road to Indy, presented by Cooper Tires—will once again headline all six rounds of competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 11–12, as competitors on all three levels of the driver development ladder system gather in support of the INDYCAR Grand Prix. Royal Purple will “Pump Up the Purple” during May’s Lupus Awareness Month to help spread the word on this disease and raise funds for lupus research and education. All cars on the Mazda Road to Indy will display a special decal in support of the Lupus Foundation of America, and the hashtag #RaceToEndLupus will be utilized throughout the event. Fans, drivers and teams can show their support by donating via a special page on the national Lupus Foundation of America website. NBCSN will air the Indy Lights race May 22 at 6:00 p.m.

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

Compiled by SEMA Editors

J.R. Todd captured his first career back-to-back Funny Car victory last Sunday afternoon at the 31st annual NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway.

Brittany Force, Todd and Hartford Victorious at NHRA SpringNationals

J.R. Todd captured his first career back-to-back Funny Car victory last Sunday afternoon at the 31st annual NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway. Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) were also victorious in their respective categories at the fifth of 24 events on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. Todd powered his DHL Toyota Camry to a pass of 3.955 seconds at 313.29 mph to defeat defending world champion Robert Hight in the final round. This is his second win of the season and 13th of his career. Force, the defending Top Fuel world champion, piloted her Monster Energy dragster to a pass of 3.762 at 299.46 to defeat Terry McMillen in the final round. This is her first victory of the season and eighth of her career. In Pro Stock, Hartford drove to his first career winner’s circle after taking down the hometown hero Erica Enders. The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues April 27–29 at the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Ryan Beat

Ryan Beat Wins Round One of Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series

Ryan Beat won round one of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, April 14, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona. His BILSTEIN Pro Lite truck was in the top three every time he hit the track.

BILSTEIN Named Official Shock of NORRA for Three-Year Partnership

BILSTEIN has announced a three-year partnership with NORRA Mexican 1000 rally. The Mexican 1000 is a blend of high-performance driving, and world-class adventure in a tough, multi-stage race that honors the roots of Baja racing. Stage one heads east to the fishing village in San Felipe. After overnight stops in Guerrero Negro (bikes only), Bahia de Los Angeles, Loreto and La Paz, it reaches the final destination in San Jose del Cabo. Many of the vehicles that originally ran the length of the Baja Peninsula took full advantage of BILSTEIN’s construction and damping performance to accomplish the feat.

Royal Purple Synthetic Oil—the official oil of the Mazda Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires—will once again headline all six rounds of competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 11–12.

Royal Purple Synthetic Oil to Title All Mazda Road to Indy Rounds at Indianapolis

Royal Purple Synthetic Oil—the official oil of the Mazda Road to Indy, presented by Cooper Tires—will once again headline all six rounds of competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 11–12, as competitors on all three levels of the driver development ladder system gather in support of the INDYCAR Grand Prix. Royal Purple will “Pump Up the Purple” during May’s Lupus Awareness Month to help spread the word on this disease and raise funds for lupus research and education. All cars on the Mazda Road to Indy will display a special decal in support of the Lupus Foundation of America, and the hashtag #RaceToEndLupus will be utilized throughout the event. Fans, drivers and teams can show their support by donating via a special page on the national Lupus Foundation of America website. NBCSN will air the Indy Lights race May 22 at 6:00 p.m.

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

With 2018 well under way, if your business hasn’t yet tapped into the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) aftermarket, doing so now could have you leading a new trend.

By SEMA Editors

Matt Patrick	Brad Loden

COMP Performance Group Names Matt Patrick Director of Product Development; Adds Brad Loden to Outside Sales Team

COMP Performance Group has named Matt Patrick as its new director of product development. Patrick is a business-focused engineer, with a career that includes successful stints in product management, research and development and mechanical engineering. He’s been with COMP Performance Group for more than 21 years. In the new role, Patrick will work directly with Dave Henninger and Cindy Bullion to lead the restructured product development group—a team dedicated solely to innovation and quicker “concept to competition” time for next-generation products. The company has also announced that effective immediately, Brad Loden has joined the organization in the role of outside sales representative. Loden will put his 26 years of industry experience to work as a territory sales and race support representative, along with providing product-development insight from the field to the newly formed CPG Product Development Group. A long-time racer, Loden has worked for prominent performance automotive manufacturers in the past, most recently, as a salesperson with CV Products and Roush Yates Racing Engines. Loden brings with him a highly technical product development acumen with expertise in valve train components and engine building.

Nexen Tire Supports New York Driver Safety Campaign

Global tire manufacturer Nexen Tire USA announced that the company has aligned with the New York City Department of Transportation in the new “Vision Zero” driver safety campaign, which launched April 26 on a digital billboard in Times Square. The campaign is aimed at educating New York drivers on safe driving and vehicle maintenance. A 15-second Nexen Tire spot, showing how 30 million drivers worldwide depend on Nexen tires to keep them safe on the road, will run immediately following the DoT Vision Zero spot. Next reports that the video will run on the Times Square billboard through December 31.

Illinois Congressman Peter Roskam spoke to students about the importance of working with their hands and STEM activities.

First Hot Rodders of Tomorrow STEM Day Opens Eyes for 94 Fifth Graders

The Hot Rodders of Tomorrow (HROT) Junior Engine Challenge completed its first-ever STEM Day, Friday April 20, at the Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Lisle, Illinois, where 94 fifth graders from Ranch View Elementary School in Naperville, Illinois, came to learn about how STEM relates to the automotive field. The day started off with a visit from Congressman Peter Roskam (IL), who stopped by to offer support. Afterward, students were split and placed in red, white and blue teams, and with their HROT mentor, they completely disassembled and reassembled a Briggs and Stratton overhead cam engine. Students also toured the UTI campus, participated in a UTI STEM activity and an Edelbrock coloring book challenge.

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.

Troy Wirtz sits down to explain what the TORA does and how members work together against harmful regulations that the industry faces.

Troy Wirtz sits down to explain what the TORA does and how members work together against harmful regulations that the industry faces.

Troy Wirtz sits down to explain what the TORA does and how members work together against harmful regulations that the industry faces.

By Kyle Cheng

In a recent study conducted by SEMA Market Research, most manufacturers, distributors and retailers surveyed saw increased sales over the past year.

The overall outlook for the automotive specialty-equipment industry is strong. In a recent study conducted by SEMA Market Research, most manufacturers, distributors and retailers surveyed saw increased sales over the past year. They were even more optimistic for the future: 82% of manufacturers expect an increase in sales over the next 12 months, followed by distributors (74%) and retailers (68%). Across the board, the size, scope and consumer base of the industry is expected to grow.

International sales are increasingly becoming an important revenue source for U.S.-based manufacturers. Eighty-four percent of those surveyed sell products outside our borders, either directly or through channels that reach overseas markets. Leading markets include Canada, Australia and Europe.

Want to learn more about the state of the industry and find out the biggest barriers perceived within your segment? Interested in seeing current and projected product trends? Check out SEMA’s new free “Industry Perspectives Report.”

To see all of the reports available through SEMA Market Research, visit www.sema.org/research.

What do you think about the state of the industry? We need help from the SEMA community!  

Some of you may have received an email from a company called Directions Research. If you receive a message from them inviting you to take a survey, rest assured that it is legitimate.

If you get this invitation, help us out and take a few minutes to provide your feedback. This will help us to provide the best information for our industry.

By Kyle Cheng

In a recent study conducted by SEMA Market Research, most manufacturers, distributors and retailers surveyed saw increased sales over the past year.

The overall outlook for the automotive specialty-equipment industry is strong. In a recent study conducted by SEMA Market Research, most manufacturers, distributors and retailers surveyed saw increased sales over the past year. They were even more optimistic for the future: 82% of manufacturers expect an increase in sales over the next 12 months, followed by distributors (74%) and retailers (68%). Across the board, the size, scope and consumer base of the industry is expected to grow.

International sales are increasingly becoming an important revenue source for U.S.-based manufacturers. Eighty-four percent of those surveyed sell products outside our borders, either directly or through channels that reach overseas markets. Leading markets include Canada, Australia and Europe.

Want to learn more about the state of the industry and find out the biggest barriers perceived within your segment? Interested in seeing current and projected product trends? Check out SEMA’s new free “Industry Perspectives Report.”

To see all of the reports available through SEMA Market Research, visit www.sema.org/research.

What do you think about the state of the industry? We need help from the SEMA community!  

Some of you may have received an email from a company called Directions Research. If you receive a message from them inviting you to take a survey, rest assured that it is legitimate.

If you get this invitation, help us out and take a few minutes to provide your feedback. This will help us to provide the best information for our industry.

This is the ’19 Ford Ranger Wildtrak, making its unofficial global debut.

The latest iteration of the next-generation Ranger Wildtrak was caught completely undisguised (inside and out) in Metro Detroit. A popular ute substitute in Australia, the Wildtrak gets added ground clearance, a bedliner with a 12V socket, an innovative retractable tonneau cover (roller shutter), 18-in. alloy rims on P265/60 tires and additional styling interior/exterior tweaks to make it stand out from the standard Ranger.

In other markets, the current Wildtrak can be had with a 3.2L diesel engine found in the Transit, although the new model features the all-new twin turbo 2.0 diesel (confirmed by the bi-turbo badge on the front fender) good for 211 hp and 369 lb.-ft. of torque while being mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission or optional six-speed manual.

It’s still unclear if the Wildtrak will be offered stateside, but the relentless testing on U.S. soil clearly indicates Ford’s intent.

It wouldn’t be shocking if the Wildtrak makes a stateside debut alongside the Ranger Raptor.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde