By SEMA Editors
Following are dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.
For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstoreusa.com) at Travel Store USA, 949-930-9268.
Mon, 06/06/2016 - 07:27
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 14:53
By SEMA Editors
 Gordon Central High School qualifitied for the Dual Championship playoffs with a time of 32:04. |
After teams competed at the Lane Automotive Car Show in Watervliet, Michigan, last weekend, two more schools made the cut to compete in the Dual National Championships held later this year at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show. With the addition of these two schools, the playoff team count now stands at 38.
Persistence paid off for Gordon Central High School, who competed at the Chattanooga Cruise-In in Tennessee on April 2. This was their first-ever competition, and they ran a time of 60:16 with penalties. After two more weeks of hard work, they returned to Summit Racing Motorama in Hampton, Georgia. At this event they were on pace to qualify for the Dual Championship, but an incorrect torque sequence of the oil pan cost them a four-minute penalty. The total time of 36:23 was just 2:23 over the time of 34 minutes they needed to qualify.
The team rallied after the penalty and decided to travel 653 miles to the Lane Automotive Car Show. This time, they qualified for the Dual National Championship with a final time of 32:04.
“It feels great to qualify for the Dual Championship this year,” said Coach Tim Watkins. “The students have been working hard to improve and qualify this year since November. Hot Rodders of Tomorrow has great opportunities for students, and they have a chance to receive scholarships and go to college.”
Team Be-Cool, from Elkhart Area Career Center in Indiana, finished in first place with an improved time of 20:24 at the Lane Automotive Car Show. Coming in second was Team Taylor, from Fremd High School in Illinois, with a time of 23:26. And in third place came Team QA1, from Elkhart Area Career Center, with a time of 24:57.
Also heading to the Dual National Championships is Team Weathertech from Lakeshore High School, who qualified with a time of 29:56. With only two events left, time is running out to qualify with a time of 34 minutes or less for the 2016 Dual National Championship at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show. This weekend’s qualifier in Sacramento, California, will be the last chance for West Coast high school teams to compete for a spot in the Dual Championship playoffs this year.
Stay tuned for more information on the last qualifying event at the 11th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing in Joliet, Illinois, in July. Visit www.HotRoddersofTomorrow.com or connect with them on Facebook for more information.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 14:53
By SEMA Editors
Gordon Central High School qualifitied for the Dual Championship playoffs with a time of 32:04. |
After teams competed at the Lane Automotive Car Show in Watervliet, Michigan, last weekend, two more schools made the cut to compete in the Dual National Championships held later this year at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show. With the addition of these two schools, the playoff team count now stands at 38.
Persistence paid off for Gordon Central High School, who competed at the Chattanooga Cruise-In in Tennessee on April 2. This was their first-ever competition, and they ran a time of 60:16 with penalties. After two more weeks of hard work, they returned to Summit Racing Motorama in Hampton, Georgia. At this event they were on pace to qualify for the Dual Championship, but an incorrect torque sequence of the oil pan cost them a four-minute penalty. The total time of 36:23 was just 2:23 over the time of 34 minutes they needed to qualify.
The team rallied after the penalty and decided to travel 653 miles to the Lane Automotive Car Show. This time, they qualified for the Dual National Championship with a final time of 32:04.
“It feels great to qualify for the Dual Championship this year,” said Coach Tim Watkins. “The students have been working hard to improve and qualify this year since November. Hot Rodders of Tomorrow has great opportunities for students, and they have a chance to receive scholarships and go to college.”
Team Be-Cool, from Elkhart Area Career Center in Indiana, finished in first place with an improved time of 20:24 at the Lane Automotive Car Show. Coming in second was Team Taylor, from Fremd High School in Illinois, with a time of 23:26. And in third place came Team QA1, from Elkhart Area Career Center, with a time of 24:57.
Also heading to the Dual National Championships is Team Weathertech from Lakeshore High School, who qualified with a time of 29:56. With only two events left, time is running out to qualify with a time of 34 minutes or less for the 2016 Dual National Championship at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show. This weekend’s qualifier in Sacramento, California, will be the last chance for West Coast high school teams to compete for a spot in the Dual Championship playoffs this year.
Stay tuned for more information on the last qualifying event at the 11th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing in Joliet, Illinois, in July. Visit www.HotRoddersofTomorrow.com or connect with them on Facebook for more information.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 14:53
By SEMA Editors
Gordon Central High School qualifitied for the Dual Championship playoffs with a time of 32:04. |
After teams competed at the Lane Automotive Car Show in Watervliet, Michigan, last weekend, two more schools made the cut to compete in the Dual National Championships held later this year at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show. With the addition of these two schools, the playoff team count now stands at 38.
Persistence paid off for Gordon Central High School, who competed at the Chattanooga Cruise-In in Tennessee on April 2. This was their first-ever competition, and they ran a time of 60:16 with penalties. After two more weeks of hard work, they returned to Summit Racing Motorama in Hampton, Georgia. At this event they were on pace to qualify for the Dual Championship, but an incorrect torque sequence of the oil pan cost them a four-minute penalty. The total time of 36:23 was just 2:23 over the time of 34 minutes they needed to qualify.
The team rallied after the penalty and decided to travel 653 miles to the Lane Automotive Car Show. This time, they qualified for the Dual National Championship with a final time of 32:04.
“It feels great to qualify for the Dual Championship this year,” said Coach Tim Watkins. “The students have been working hard to improve and qualify this year since November. Hot Rodders of Tomorrow has great opportunities for students, and they have a chance to receive scholarships and go to college.”
Team Be-Cool, from Elkhart Area Career Center in Indiana, finished in first place with an improved time of 20:24 at the Lane Automotive Car Show. Coming in second was Team Taylor, from Fremd High School in Illinois, with a time of 23:26. And in third place came Team QA1, from Elkhart Area Career Center, with a time of 24:57.
Also heading to the Dual National Championships is Team Weathertech from Lakeshore High School, who qualified with a time of 29:56. With only two events left, time is running out to qualify with a time of 34 minutes or less for the 2016 Dual National Championship at the SEMA Show and PRI Trade Show. This weekend’s qualifier in Sacramento, California, will be the last chance for West Coast high school teams to compete for a spot in the Dual Championship playoffs this year.
Stay tuned for more information on the last qualifying event at the 11th Annual NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street-Legal Drag Racing in Joliet, Illinois, in July. Visit www.HotRoddersofTomorrow.com or connect with them on Facebook for more information.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 14:03
By SEMA Editors
 Louis Senter |
Louis Senter—one of SEMA’s founding members and a Hall of Famer—died Saturday, May 28. He was 95.
Senter got his start by building and modifying engines for midgets and other forms of oval-track racing. He was the founder of Ansen Automotive and, later, the Senter Wheel Company.
He opened his own machine shop on Crocker Street in downtown Los Angeles called Senter Engineering.
After moving the business to Jefferson Boulevard in 1947, he took on Jack Andrews as a partner. The new partnership also brought a name change from Senter Engineering to Ansen Automotive Engineering—a combination of Andrews and Senter—and was one of the first true speed shops in the city, according to Senter. There, Senter developed a lightened, balanced and polished Ford flathead crankshaft kit. The firm sold complete engines, which were shipped for the most part to NASCAR drivers in the southern states.
During that period, Senter became well acquainted with other industry pioneers, such as Ed Iskenderian, Vic Edelbrock Sr. and Phil Weiand. All of them grew increasingly adept at producing specialty-equipment parts.
In addition, Senter became involved in drag racing. He began at the Santa Ana Blimp Base in Los Angeles—the first strip in the area—and then at the Saugus Drag Strip, where he held races every Sunday.
 After entering a partnership with Jack Andrews, in 1947, Senter (second from left) changed the name of his business from Senter Engineering to Ansen Automotive Engineering. |
 During the ’60s, Ansen Automotive began to build one-piece and two-piece aluminum wheels for first race cars and then street cars using a centrifugal casting machine of Senter’s design. In 1963, Senter developed the Ansen Sprint wheel, which was a slotted aluminum type that could be disassembled to change offsets. |
In late October of 1950, after Senter became the sole owner of Ansen Automotive, the company expanded again into a building on Normandie Boulevard in Los Angeles. During the ensuing years, a number of automotive icons worked there, including Lou Raney, Ed Pink and Jim Kavanaugh.
In 1963, Senter and other manufacturers formed an organization known as the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), later renamed the Specialty Equipment Market Association. Senter said that the organization was designed to formulate safety standards in the high-performance industry and organize the manufacturers for representation in Washington, D.C., to keep SEMA informed about legislation being introduced that might affect the industry.
In the early ’60s, Ansen Automotive moved to a building constructed specifically for the business on Western Avenue in Gardena, California. The company’s catalog grew to more than 100 pages and featured hundreds of parts, including forged pistons and forged-steel rods, aluminum connecting rods and a safety bell housing that became compulsory at all dragstrips. The piston department was later sold to Nick Arias, who is still making pistons today, and the rod department was sold to Miller Rods.
Senter began to pull back from the business in 1969, selling to Whittaker Corp. He stayed with Ansen until 1974 and then became a consultant for W.R. Grace, which included Appliance Industries, Mr. Gasket, Lakewood and Hickey. In 1978, Louis Senter was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.
Senter continued to develop wheel products and companies over the next few years but eventually retired for good. He was named to the Hot Rod Magazine Hall of Fame in 1997, received a Western Racing Association award for his 50-year contribution to racing in 1998 and was named to the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame in 1999.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 14:03
By SEMA Editors
Louis Senter |
Louis Senter—one of SEMA’s founding members and a Hall of Famer—died Saturday, May 28. He was 95.
Senter got his start by building and modifying engines for midgets and other forms of oval-track racing. He was the founder of Ansen Automotive and, later, the Senter Wheel Company.
He opened his own machine shop on Crocker Street in downtown Los Angeles called Senter Engineering.
After moving the business to Jefferson Boulevard in 1947, he took on Jack Andrews as a partner. The new partnership also brought a name change from Senter Engineering to Ansen Automotive Engineering—a combination of Andrews and Senter—and was one of the first true speed shops in the city, according to Senter. There, Senter developed a lightened, balanced and polished Ford flathead crankshaft kit. The firm sold complete engines, which were shipped for the most part to NASCAR drivers in the southern states.
During that period, Senter became well acquainted with other industry pioneers, such as Ed Iskenderian, Vic Edelbrock Sr. and Phil Weiand. All of them grew increasingly adept at producing specialty-equipment parts.
In addition, Senter became involved in drag racing. He began at the Santa Ana Blimp Base in Los Angeles—the first strip in the area—and then at the Saugus Drag Strip, where he held races every Sunday.
After entering a partnership with Jack Andrews, in 1947, Senter (second from left) changed the name of his business from Senter Engineering to Ansen Automotive Engineering. |
During the ’60s, Ansen Automotive began to build one-piece and two-piece aluminum wheels for first race cars and then street cars using a centrifugal casting machine of Senter’s design. In 1963, Senter developed the Ansen Sprint wheel, which was a slotted aluminum type that could be disassembled to change offsets. |
In late October of 1950, after Senter became the sole owner of Ansen Automotive, the company expanded again into a building on Normandie Boulevard in Los Angeles. During the ensuing years, a number of automotive icons worked there, including Lou Raney, Ed Pink and Jim Kavanaugh.
In 1963, Senter and other manufacturers formed an organization known as the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), later renamed the Specialty Equipment Market Association. Senter said that the organization was designed to formulate safety standards in the high-performance industry and organize the manufacturers for representation in Washington, D.C., to keep SEMA informed about legislation being introduced that might affect the industry.
In the early ’60s, Ansen Automotive moved to a building constructed specifically for the business on Western Avenue in Gardena, California. The company’s catalog grew to more than 100 pages and featured hundreds of parts, including forged pistons and forged-steel rods, aluminum connecting rods and a safety bell housing that became compulsory at all dragstrips. The piston department was later sold to Nick Arias, who is still making pistons today, and the rod department was sold to Miller Rods.
Senter began to pull back from the business in 1969, selling to Whittaker Corp. He stayed with Ansen until 1974 and then became a consultant for W.R. Grace, which included Appliance Industries, Mr. Gasket, Lakewood and Hickey. In 1978, Louis Senter was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.
Senter continued to develop wheel products and companies over the next few years but eventually retired for good. He was named to the Hot Rod Magazine Hall of Fame in 1997, received a Western Racing Association award for his 50-year contribution to racing in 1998 and was named to the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame in 1999.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 14:03
By SEMA Editors
Louis Senter |
Louis Senter—one of SEMA’s founding members and a Hall of Famer—died Saturday, May 28. He was 95.
Senter got his start by building and modifying engines for midgets and other forms of oval-track racing. He was the founder of Ansen Automotive and, later, the Senter Wheel Company.
He opened his own machine shop on Crocker Street in downtown Los Angeles called Senter Engineering.
After moving the business to Jefferson Boulevard in 1947, he took on Jack Andrews as a partner. The new partnership also brought a name change from Senter Engineering to Ansen Automotive Engineering—a combination of Andrews and Senter—and was one of the first true speed shops in the city, according to Senter. There, Senter developed a lightened, balanced and polished Ford flathead crankshaft kit. The firm sold complete engines, which were shipped for the most part to NASCAR drivers in the southern states.
During that period, Senter became well acquainted with other industry pioneers, such as Ed Iskenderian, Vic Edelbrock Sr. and Phil Weiand. All of them grew increasingly adept at producing specialty-equipment parts.
In addition, Senter became involved in drag racing. He began at the Santa Ana Blimp Base in Los Angeles—the first strip in the area—and then at the Saugus Drag Strip, where he held races every Sunday.
After entering a partnership with Jack Andrews, in 1947, Senter (second from left) changed the name of his business from Senter Engineering to Ansen Automotive Engineering. |
During the ’60s, Ansen Automotive began to build one-piece and two-piece aluminum wheels for first race cars and then street cars using a centrifugal casting machine of Senter’s design. In 1963, Senter developed the Ansen Sprint wheel, which was a slotted aluminum type that could be disassembled to change offsets. |
In late October of 1950, after Senter became the sole owner of Ansen Automotive, the company expanded again into a building on Normandie Boulevard in Los Angeles. During the ensuing years, a number of automotive icons worked there, including Lou Raney, Ed Pink and Jim Kavanaugh.
In 1963, Senter and other manufacturers formed an organization known as the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA), later renamed the Specialty Equipment Market Association. Senter said that the organization was designed to formulate safety standards in the high-performance industry and organize the manufacturers for representation in Washington, D.C., to keep SEMA informed about legislation being introduced that might affect the industry.
In the early ’60s, Ansen Automotive moved to a building constructed specifically for the business on Western Avenue in Gardena, California. The company’s catalog grew to more than 100 pages and featured hundreds of parts, including forged pistons and forged-steel rods, aluminum connecting rods and a safety bell housing that became compulsory at all dragstrips. The piston department was later sold to Nick Arias, who is still making pistons today, and the rod department was sold to Miller Rods.
Senter began to pull back from the business in 1969, selling to Whittaker Corp. He stayed with Ansen until 1974 and then became a consultant for W.R. Grace, which included Appliance Industries, Mr. Gasket, Lakewood and Hickey. In 1978, Louis Senter was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.
Senter continued to develop wheel products and companies over the next few years but eventually retired for good. He was named to the Hot Rod Magazine Hall of Fame in 1997, received a Western Racing Association award for his 50-year contribution to racing in 1998 and was named to the Dry Lakes Hall of Fame in 1999.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 13:46
By AJ Carney
SEMA invites industry professionals to its final Town Hall Meeting of 2016 in Livonia, Michigan, where members and prospective members will gather at Roush Retail and Automotive Museum for an evening of tours, shop talk and networking with local industry leaders. |
SEMA invites industry professionals to its Town Hall Meeting in Livonia, Michigan, where members and prospective members will gather at Roush Retail and Automotive Museum, Wednesday July 13, from 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and the SEMA team.
SEMA's Town Hall Meetings provide both members and prospective members with the opportunity to learn about the association’s current programs and objectives while networking with automotive aftermarket professionals from the same geographic region. These personal interactions give members a chance to share the business challenges and opportunities they face. As SEMA staff interacts with attendees, they also gain valuable feedback, which helps identify how current benefits can enhance members’ business operations to better meet their needs.
“As a new member within SEMA, my experience at the Town Hall Meeting in St. Charles [Illinois] was certainly without regret. I found the topics discussed within the panel very informative. I was able to capture industry-related subjects that are worth discussing within the Mecum organization. Debra Fickler provided me knowledge that will allow me to make an intelligent decision as to which committee to join. Lastly, what an honor it was listening to the legendary Vic Edelbrock tell his story and how he has impacted the industry for so many years.”
—Christine Giovingo, Mecum Auctions
“Hosting the SEMA Town Hall was certainly one of the best events we’ve been involved with. As a warehouse distributor [WD], having the event at our facility allowed us to network with a cross-section of industry people that we normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to. They included customers, retailers, other WDs and manufacturers. The SEMA Town Hall is an asset to our industry. It gives everyone involved the opportunity to learn more about our industry and its members in an intimate setting.”
—Daryl Sampson, Turn 14 Distribution
SEMA has led Town Hall Meetings in several cities across the United States. Attend a Town Hall near you.
For more information or to register, visit SEMA's Town Hall Meetings website or contact Andrea “AJ” Carney at 909-978-6697 or andreac@sema.org.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 13:46
By AJ Carney
SEMA invites industry professionals to its final Town Hall Meeting of 2016 in Livonia, Michigan, where members and prospective members will gather at Roush Retail and Automotive Museum for an evening of tours, shop talk and networking with local industry leaders. |
SEMA invites industry professionals to its Town Hall Meeting in Livonia, Michigan, where members and prospective members will gather at Roush Retail and Automotive Museum, Wednesday July 13, from 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m., for an evening of networking with local industry leaders and the SEMA team.
SEMA's Town Hall Meetings provide both members and prospective members with the opportunity to learn about the association’s current programs and objectives while networking with automotive aftermarket professionals from the same geographic region. These personal interactions give members a chance to share the business challenges and opportunities they face. As SEMA staff interacts with attendees, they also gain valuable feedback, which helps identify how current benefits can enhance members’ business operations to better meet their needs.
“As a new member within SEMA, my experience at the Town Hall Meeting in St. Charles [Illinois] was certainly without regret. I found the topics discussed within the panel very informative. I was able to capture industry-related subjects that are worth discussing within the Mecum organization. Debra Fickler provided me knowledge that will allow me to make an intelligent decision as to which committee to join. Lastly, what an honor it was listening to the legendary Vic Edelbrock tell his story and how he has impacted the industry for so many years.”
—Christine Giovingo, Mecum Auctions
“Hosting the SEMA Town Hall was certainly one of the best events we’ve been involved with. As a warehouse distributor [WD], having the event at our facility allowed us to network with a cross-section of industry people that we normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to. They included customers, retailers, other WDs and manufacturers. The SEMA Town Hall is an asset to our industry. It gives everyone involved the opportunity to learn more about our industry and its members in an intimate setting.”
—Daryl Sampson, Turn 14 Distribution
SEMA has led Town Hall Meetings in several cities across the United States. Attend a Town Hall near you.
For more information or to register, visit SEMA's Town Hall Meetings website or contact Andrea “AJ” Carney at 909-978-6697 or andreac@sema.org.
Thu, 06/02/2016 - 13:36
Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Johnny Greaves races to PRO 4WD victory in Texas. Photo credit: TORC Series |
Johnny Greaves wins PRO 4WD opener at TORC: The Off-Road Championship
Four-time defending champion Johnny Greaves drove his Monster Energy Toyota to an early win in PRO 4WD, Keegan Kincaid finessed his way to the top PRO 2WD podium spot, and Kyle Hart ran a perfect race in Atturo Tire PRO Light in the 2016 season opener of TORC: The Off-Road Championship presented by AMSOIL at Texas Motor Speedway. In the second night of championship racing, Chad Hord earned his first win in PRO 4WD, while Kincaid and Hart both fought for back-to-back wins in PRO 2WD and Atturo Tire PRO Light.
Precision Turbo and Engine Named Official Turbocharger of the OTTPA
Precision Turbo and Engine (PTE) has announced it has been named the Official Turbocharger of the Outlaw Truck and Tractor Pulling Association (OTTPA) for the 2016–2019 pulling seasons. The Outlaws kicked off their season last weekend in Beggs, Oklahoma, and have a full summer with pulls from South Dakota to Texas. Precision Turbo & Engine will be highlighted on the big screen, in the souvenir book, through PA announcements at each event and on the Outlaw show on Velocity and Rev’n this fall.
 Team BILSTEIN Racer Jerett Brooks’ #77 Pro Lite truck in action at Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, Lake Elsinore, California. |
Team Bilstein Racer Jerett Brooks Dominates Pro Lite Class
Team BILSTEIN racer Jerett Brooks is the current leader in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series (LOORRS) Pro Lite class point standings and is widely considered the favorite to win the Pro Lite Championship this year. Brooks finished in first place four times out of the first six rounds, securing victories by leading each race from start to finish. He also has one second-place finish to his credit. This month, he had another strong performance in rounds five and six of the LOORRS at Tooele, Utah. From his No. 1 starting position, Brooks came out on top in both races, claiming two first place finishes.
 EnerSys is sponsoring driver Greg Adler’s ULTRA4 Racing and Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) vehicles this year. |
EnerSys Sponsors Greg Adler’s 2016 ULTRA4 Racing and LOORRS Vehicles
EnerSys will once again sponsor driver Greg Adler’s ULTRA4 Racing and Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series (LOORRS) vehicles this year. As associate sponsor, the ODYSSEY battery logo is prominently displayed on the rear bedside on both of Adler’s ULTRA4 vehicles and on his LOORRS Pro 4 vehicle, on all team apparel and all team racing publicity materials.
Quarter Mile Foundation Adds New V.I.P. Sponsors for Larry Morgan Roast Event
The Quarter Mile Foundation’s June 23 fundraiser roast of Pro Stock drag racer Larry Morgan has expanded the lineup of V.I.P. sponsors. The Roast will be held at The Colonnade, north of Milan, Ohio, during the NHRA/Mello Yello Summit Racing Equipment Nationals drag-race weekend. The new V.I.P. sponsors include Holley Performance Products, Lucas Oil Company and Speed City Performance. These companies join previously announced sponsors: National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), JEGS High Performance and the JEGS Foundation, Joe Hrudka and Country Corvette. Tickets may be ordered through Event Brite or by visiting the Quarter Mile Foundation’s website.