Compiled by SEMA Editors

Bestop will be the Official Truck & Jeep Outfitter of ULTRA4 Racing for the 2017 racing season.

Bestop Signs On as Official Sponsor of the 2017 ULTRA4 Racing Season

Bestop has announced it will be the Official Truck & Jeep Outfitter of ULTRA4 Racing for the 2017 racing season. The company has launched the partnership at the desert racing series’ kickoff event, King of the Hammers, February 3–11, in Johnson Valley, California. Bestop’s display for King of the Hammers was located on “Bestop Boulevard” in the iconic “Hammertown.” The Bestop Project Pink Jeep was at Hammertown to raise awareness for the Project Pink initiative—the company’s fundraising campaign in conjunction with the American Cancer Society. The Bestop Project Pink sweepstakes offers a chance to win one of two customized breast cancer embroidered Jeep soft tops. Tickets are $3 and there's no purchase limit. See www.BestopProjectPink.com for complete details.

The 23nd Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout kicks off the weekend of March 2–5.

NMRA Season Opener Kicks Off at Bradenton Motorsports Park March 2–5; AFCO to Sponsor Special Nostalgia Shootout

NMRA kicks off the 2017 season at Bradenton Motorsports Park the weekend of March 2–5 for the 23nd Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout, presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine, features drag racing, an all-Ford car show, a manufacturer’s midway and more. The NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals Series includes the Street Outlaw class with 3,000+ hp turbo- and supercharged door-slammers and the Renegade class with their small-block Ford engines, plus special race classes, such as Outlaw True Street, Modular Xtreme, EcoBoost Battle, Terminator/GT500, Turbo Coyote and Stick Shift Shootouts. On Saturday, March 4, Street Outlaws’ Bobby Ducote in his ’86 Mustang will race and BoostedGT in his yellow JMS Chip-sponsored turbocharged ’03 SVT Cobra. For more information, visit www.NMRAdigital.com/FL. In addition, AFCO has stepped up to sponsor a special Nostalgia Muscle Car vs. Nostalgia Super Stock Shootout billed as Muscle Car Mayhem—a competition between 16 NMC and NSS racers. The winner of the NMC vs. NSS Muscle Car Mayhem Shootout will take home a custom cup filled with $750 cash.

Kyle Crouch won the 2017 Vision X Shootout.

Kyle Crouch Wins the 2017 Vision X Shootout

A late add to the roster and a first-time competitor at King of the Hammers, Kyle Crouch took down rock-bouncing legends Bobby Tanner and Richie Keith to win the 2017 Vision X Shootout, presented by KMC, King, and Nitro Gear. On his first pass on Backdoor, Crouch set a course record of 22.008, topping Tanner’s record of 22.6 seconds set in 2015. He won by almost six seconds to take home the $7,500 prize. One of the most popular events during the King of the Hammers week, 45 participants from more than 10 states competed in the 2017 edition. View the results.

RAM Mounts Plans Serious Motorsports Exposure With Team Lucas Events in 2017

This year, RAM Mounts is making a major push into the motorsports marketplace as Title Sponsor of the 2017 Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series Pace Truck (RAM Mounts, Toyota Tundra); Presenting Sponsor of the Lucas Oil Modified Series and Title Sponsor of the 2017 Lucas Oil Off Road Regional Series Official Pace Truck. RAM Mounts will also receive major exposure as sponsors of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Lucas Oil Pro Pulling Series and the Lucas Oil Modified Series. In addition to sponsoring multiple Lucas Oil racing series, RAM Mounts has also announced that it has renewed its sponsorship agreement with El Cajon, California, native Ryan Beat, who competes in the Pro Lite Class in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, where he finished third overall in points in his 2016 campaign.

By SEMA Editors

This is the latest look at the Ford F-150 Hybrid/PHEV mule, caught while testing in Dearborn, Michigan.

Confirmed earlier this month by CEO Mark Fields, the F-150 will get a hybrid variant in late 2020 in conjunction with a heavily refreshed version of the truck. Previous photos have revealed the hybrid system has long been in the works, and a plug-in may also be in the works based on the charge point seen through the camouflage, suggesting an Energi version will be in the cards.

A noticable difference on this mule is that it appears to have a narrower track width than the current F-150. In 2014, Ford showed off a modified Fusion lightweight concept that featured narrower tires, and that’s what we could be seeing here. We also could be seeing narrower axles, but the cost associated with that doesn’t make fiscal sense.

This particular F-150 Hybrid mule was using a four-cylinder engine rather than a V6 to team with the electric powertrain based on the sound of the prototype. Being able to function at low speeds on electric power only, the prototype was able to accelerate quickly in city and highway driving.

Count on the hybrid getting the 2.3L EcoBoost four found in the Mustang and other Fords, where it’s capable of as much as 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. A 10-speed automatic is the likely transmission, but sources have hinted at a new transmission dedicated strictly to the hybrid truck.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the latest look at the Ford F-150 Hybrid/PHEV mule, caught while testing in Dearborn, Michigan.

Confirmed earlier this month by CEO Mark Fields, the F-150 will get a hybrid variant in late 2020 in conjunction with a heavily refreshed version of the truck. Previous photos have revealed the hybrid system has long been in the works, and a plug-in may also be in the works based on the charge point seen through the camouflage, suggesting an Energi version will be in the cards.

A noticable difference on this mule is that it appears to have a narrower track width than the current F-150. In 2014, Ford showed off a modified Fusion lightweight concept that featured narrower tires, and that’s what we could be seeing here. We also could be seeing narrower axles, but the cost associated with that doesn’t make fiscal sense.

This particular F-150 Hybrid mule was using a four-cylinder engine rather than a V6 to team with the electric powertrain based on the sound of the prototype. Being able to function at low speeds on electric power only, the prototype was able to accelerate quickly in city and highway driving.

Count on the hybrid getting the 2.3L EcoBoost four found in the Mustang and other Fords, where it’s capable of as much as 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. A 10-speed automatic is the likely transmission, but sources have hinted at a new transmission dedicated strictly to the hybrid truck.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the latest look at the Ford F-150 Hybrid/PHEV mule, caught while testing in Dearborn, Michigan.

Confirmed earlier this month by CEO Mark Fields, the F-150 will get a hybrid variant in late 2020 in conjunction with a heavily refreshed version of the truck. Previous photos have revealed the hybrid system has long been in the works, and a plug-in may also be in the works based on the charge point seen through the camouflage, suggesting an Energi version will be in the cards.

A noticable difference on this mule is that it appears to have a narrower track width than the current F-150. In 2014, Ford showed off a modified Fusion lightweight concept that featured narrower tires, and that’s what we could be seeing here. We also could be seeing narrower axles, but the cost associated with that doesn’t make fiscal sense.

This particular F-150 Hybrid mule was using a four-cylinder engine rather than a V6 to team with the electric powertrain based on the sound of the prototype. Being able to function at low speeds on electric power only, the prototype was able to accelerate quickly in city and highway driving.

Count on the hybrid getting the 2.3L EcoBoost four found in the Mustang and other Fords, where it’s capable of as much as 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. A 10-speed automatic is the likely transmission, but sources have hinted at a new transmission dedicated strictly to the hybrid truck.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the latest look at the Ford F-150 Hybrid/PHEV mule, caught while testing in Dearborn, Michigan.

Confirmed earlier this month by CEO Mark Fields, the F-150 will get a hybrid variant in late 2020 in conjunction with a heavily refreshed version of the truck. Previous photos have revealed the hybrid system has long been in the works, and a plug-in may also be in the works based on the charge point seen through the camouflage, suggesting an Energi version will be in the cards.

A noticable difference on this mule is that it appears to have a narrower track width than the current F-150. In 2014, Ford showed off a modified Fusion lightweight concept that featured narrower tires, and that’s what we could be seeing here. We also could be seeing narrower axles, but the cost associated with that doesn’t make fiscal sense.

This particular F-150 Hybrid mule was using a four-cylinder engine rather than a V6 to team with the electric powertrain based on the sound of the prototype. Being able to function at low speeds on electric power only, the prototype was able to accelerate quickly in city and highway driving.

Count on the hybrid getting the 2.3L EcoBoost four found in the Mustang and other Fords, where it’s capable of as much as 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. A 10-speed automatic is the likely transmission, but sources have hinted at a new transmission dedicated strictly to the hybrid truck.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the latest look at the Ford F-150 Hybrid/PHEV mule, caught while testing in Dearborn, Michigan.

Confirmed earlier this month by CEO Mark Fields, the F-150 will get a hybrid variant in late 2020 in conjunction with a heavily refreshed version of the truck. Previous photos have revealed the hybrid system has long been in the works, and a plug-in may also be in the works based on the charge point seen through the camouflage, suggesting an Energi version will be in the cards.

A noticable difference on this mule is that it appears to have a narrower track width than the current F-150. In 2014, Ford showed off a modified Fusion lightweight concept that featured narrower tires, and that’s what we could be seeing here. We also could be seeing narrower axles, but the cost associated with that doesn’t make fiscal sense.

This particular F-150 Hybrid mule was using a four-cylinder engine rather than a V6 to team with the electric powertrain based on the sound of the prototype. Being able to function at low speeds on electric power only, the prototype was able to accelerate quickly in city and highway driving.

Count on the hybrid getting the 2.3L EcoBoost four found in the Mustang and other Fords, where it’s capable of as much as 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. A 10-speed automatic is the likely transmission, but sources have hinted at a new transmission dedicated strictly to the hybrid truck.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the latest look at the Ford F-150 Hybrid/PHEV mule, caught while testing in Dearborn, Michigan.

Confirmed earlier this month by CEO Mark Fields, the F-150 will get a hybrid variant in late 2020 in conjunction with a heavily refreshed version of the truck. Previous photos have revealed the hybrid system has long been in the works, and a plug-in may also be in the works based on the charge point seen through the camouflage, suggesting an Energi version will be in the cards.

A noticable difference on this mule is that it appears to have a narrower track width than the current F-150. In 2014, Ford showed off a modified Fusion lightweight concept that featured narrower tires, and that’s what we could be seeing here. We also could be seeing narrower axles, but the cost associated with that doesn’t make fiscal sense.

This particular F-150 Hybrid mule was using a four-cylinder engine rather than a V6 to team with the electric powertrain based on the sound of the prototype. Being able to function at low speeds on electric power only, the prototype was able to accelerate quickly in city and highway driving.

Count on the hybrid getting the 2.3L EcoBoost four found in the Mustang and other Fords, where it’s capable of as much as 310 hp and 320 lb.-ft. of torque. A 10-speed automatic is the likely transmission, but sources have hinted at a new transmission dedicated strictly to the hybrid truck.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

(L-R): Matt Agosta, Chip Foose and Gary Hooker were inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2016.

SEMA is now accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame. As a SEMA member, you have the opportunity to nominate an industry professional for the 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame—an award established to honor outstanding persons in the automotive specialty-equipment industry whose creativity, dignity, integrity, industriousness and accomplishments on a national basis have enhanced the stature of, and significantly contributed to, the industry’s growth.

A rule of thumb to qualify could be to ask yourself the following question: “If this person had never existed, how would SEMA and the industry be different?”

Please take a moment to review the SEMA Hall of Fame website, SEMA Hall of Fame criteria and listings of past inductees. In order to assist the Hall of Fame Committee in making their selection, please provide a brief statement, including accomplishments and comments as to why, based on the award criteria, the individual is deserving of this honor. Your completed nomination form is confidential and vital to helping the Hall of Fame Committee make their selection for the 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame.

Please submit your 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame forms before the March 10 deadline.

The 2016 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees were Matt Agosta, Steele Rubber Products; Chip Foose, Foose Design; and Gary Hooker, Hooker Headers.

To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame and for a list of inductees, visit www.sema.org/hof or contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org or 909-978-6692.

By SEMA Editors

(L-R): Matt Agosta, Chip Foose and Gary Hooker were inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 2016.

SEMA is now accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame. As a SEMA member, you have the opportunity to nominate an industry professional for the 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame—an award established to honor outstanding persons in the automotive specialty-equipment industry whose creativity, dignity, integrity, industriousness and accomplishments on a national basis have enhanced the stature of, and significantly contributed to, the industry’s growth.

A rule of thumb to qualify could be to ask yourself the following question: “If this person had never existed, how would SEMA and the industry be different?”

Please take a moment to review the SEMA Hall of Fame website, SEMA Hall of Fame criteria and listings of past inductees. In order to assist the Hall of Fame Committee in making their selection, please provide a brief statement, including accomplishments and comments as to why, based on the award criteria, the individual is deserving of this honor. Your completed nomination form is confidential and vital to helping the Hall of Fame Committee make their selection for the 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame.

Please submit your 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame forms before the March 10 deadline.

The 2016 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees were Matt Agosta, Steele Rubber Products; Chip Foose, Foose Design; and Gary Hooker, Hooker Headers.

To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame and for a list of inductees, visit www.sema.org/hof or contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org or 909-978-6692.

By SEMA Editors

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest classifieds posted to the website.

Technician/Fabricator: Advanced Flow Engineering Inc. is hiring a technician/fabricator responsible for supporting project leaders in the development, prototyping and test fitting of new applications for exhaust. The successful candidate must have a mechanical aptitude, experience working on cars/trucks, at least one year of MIG Welding, tube and metal forming experience and sheetmetal fabrication experience. A clean driving record is necessary.

Product Engineer: Speedway Motors Inc. is hiring a product engineer to serve as a technical resource for the design, manufacture and support of products produced both in-house and sourced. This position works directly with suppliers and the Speedway Motors machine shop. The product engineer will aid in determining the optimal method and materials for use on the company’s products and specifications critical to the form, fit and function of the finished product. The product engineer will also work on prototype components that will be tested in service by Team Speedway. A bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related field is required. Previous engineering experience in a manufacturing environment and automotive background are a plus.

Collision Repair Instructor: VeriFacts Automotive is hiring a collision repair instructor to coach and train techs in the company’s shops. The ideal candidate will have more than 10 years’ hands-on experience with collision repair and I-CAR or ASE certifications.

Outside Salesperson: Competition Specialties is hiring an experienced outside salesperson for the greater Northern California area. Qualified applicants should be self-motivated, professional and confident in their sales ability; detail orientated, people friendly and accountable for their time; work independently, multi-task and communicate effectively with management; and be able to service existing accounts, promote proven marketing programs, write orders and identify, develop and grow new business. Strong consideration will be given to those who have experience and knowledge of the automotive aftermarket and automotive dealership industries.

Automotive Clutch Technician: McLeod Racing LLC is hiring an automotive clutch technician to work with clutch rebuilds and review all RMA-based race and twin-disc street unit rebuilds. Daily duties include receiving and analyzing rebuild units, grinding flywheels, re-riveting disc linings, installing new hubs, rebuilding pressure plates and documenting each step. The successful candidate must have an automotive background and be able to provide educated explanations to customers, analyze mechanical issues and perform quality-control testing.