By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

For more information about the SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

For more information about the SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

For more information about the SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

By Chad Simon

	Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, was featured on the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding the company's experience as a first-time exhibitor.
	Showcasing your products installed on a vehicle at the Show is a great way to get a buyer's attention.
	Fusion Brakes left last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

Clifford Leonard, founder/CEO of Fusion Brakes, based in Orange, California, found out at the 2013 SEMA Show just how much planning and preparation goes into exhibiting at the Show, especially when it's for the first time. Turns out all that hard work has paid off handsomely for the two-year-old start-up manufacturer of high-performance carbon ceramic brakes.

Recently, Fusion Brakes was featured in the Velocity Network's 2013 SEMA Show special regarding their experience as a first-time exhibitor. We caught up with Leonard to dig deeper into how he was able to successfully pull it off, the mistakes he made, what he learned from his mistakes and how he will apply this knowledge when preparing for his second time around at the 2014 SEMA Show.

Leonard had attended the SEMA Show for the past nine years exhibiting with his father’s company, Original Parts Group, but last year was the first time he personally exhibited with his own company. Fusion Brakes exhibited in a 10x20 booth in the First Time & Featured Exhibitors section. This year, the company is upgrading to a 20x20 booth.

“Because I’ve been going to the SEMA Show for so long, I already know how powerful it can be,” Leonard said. “I’ve been to other tradeshows and there is no other trade show that compares to the SEMA Show. The number and quality of buyers and people who attend is unreal in comparison. There is always somebody at the SEMA Show who is ready and willing to check out your booth and products and make that purchase.”

The SEMA Show is the No. 1 gathering of small businesses in the United States, according to Tom Gattuso, SEMA’s trade shows director. “It is the optimal place to introduce a new product to the industry as a whole. The top reason buyers attend the Show is to find new companies and new products,” he said.

As a first-time exhibitor, there are many opportunities to gain recognition. One of the best places to start planning is the Exhibitor Manual—an entire website of pertinent information for a successful exhibit. One of the best ways to gain exposure at the Show is entering new and featured products in the New Products Showcase. Exhibitors can register their first product for free. Another way is to apply for a feature vehicle on which to display your products.

“The main benefit that first-timers can really reap benefits from is participation in the New Products Showcase,” said Gattuso. “That gets their product in front of more than 3,000 media attendees and tens of thousands of buyers, and has been a proven method of driving traffic to an exhibitor’s booth.”

Being a first-time exhibitor was a learning experience for Leonard because he was introduced to buyers from a plethora of different markets he hadn’t yet tapped into.

“You really get a good feel for market validation when people come to your booth and they start talking about putting your products on the Nissan GTR, for example,” said Leonard. “It’s a car we hadn’t planned on doing; we were sort of on the edge. But after the SEMA Show, we got an overwhelming response. We dug up a little more R&D on it, and it turned out to be a rather big market for us to look into.”

Leonard also learned what the market demands and what products buyers were most likely to carry, which helped steer him in the right direction of what he technically should be doing to make money. According to Leonard, he walked away from last year’s Show with about 90–100 leads; at least 80% of them were qualified.

“We closed quite a bit of them and made some deals,” he said. “Even some of the other guys who are waiting on upcoming products, they’re still waiting, which is really cool. They’re willing to work with us and give us some numbers on what they want to order.”

Since Leonard had experience with his father’s company, he already knew some of the ins and outs of exhibiting at the Show, “But man, when you’re in charge and you’re the one doing it and it’s your own company and you don’t have anyone telling you what to do, I had never felt so clueless and unprepared as far as doing it for my first time on my own terms,” he admitted.

His game plan was to follow the SEMA schedule to ensure he hit all his deadlines, but it became complicated trying to manage all the Show preparation while booking appointments with clients and running his business.

Being a first-time exhibitor requires learning by trial and error, and Leonard said he planned to correct some of the errors he made last year; for instance, setting up more meetings, being more organized and starting preparations earlier.

“Last year we felt really up to the edge on deadlines and we felt like we were getting everything done at the last minute,” he said. “We even got behind on printing pamphlets, and in order to get everything printed, I brought my printer with me to the hotel and we were up until 2 a.m. printing out pamphlets.”

One of the most crucial things exhibitors should do is follow up on leads immediately after the Show because buyers want to follow up with you right away. Leonard admits he didn’t follow up with his leads fast enough. It’s the buyer’s job to complete budgets and figure out what product lines they want to introduce. So by waiting to connect with them, your products are not fresh in their head and they may find other products. If they fill their budget out and you’re not included, it makes it hard for them to make the deal. Leonard plans to reach out to his leads from the previous year since he’s already gotten some traction from them and also include more than just one product in the New Products Showcase.

“Once the Show sneaks up on you and you’re not ready, it can really bite you,” Leonard said. At the same time, you can prepare all you want, but I feel like you can never be truly prepared for the SEMA Show.”

For more information about the SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

The shooters at KGP Photography have conclusive proof that Ford is doubling down on its aluminum trucks, going the F-150 route on its all-new ’17 Super Duty pickups.

Will It Magnet?

A slew of Super Duty prototypes have been testing in the Rocky Mountains, and an F-350 Dually pulling a fifth wheel parked for the day, leaving its truck bed uncovered and exposed. The shooters decided that it was time to make a little introduction: "Magnet, meet Super Duty. Super Duty, say hello to Magnet. Let's see if you two are attracted to each other." The end result is captured on video, and shows that the magnet exhibits zero attraction to the prototype surfaces—even its exposed metal—suggesting that the next Super Duty is following the F-150's lead and going aluminum.

A textual breakdown of the video is below. The shooters caught the Super Duty prototypes testing in a wide variety of body configurations, including Crew Cab, Super Cab, Regular Cab and Crew Cab Chassis Cab.

Video Breakdown

The Super Duty prototype subjected to the magnet was 80% covered, with its bed uncovered due to the fifth-wheel trailer that remained attached while the test truck was parked. The shooters placed the magnet over various sections of the covered truck, and then reached an uncovered portion, clad only in marine vinyl camouflage near the rear wheel arch. The magnet showed no attraction to the prototype, but since portions of the prototype were covered with a car cover, the video is not 100% conclusive. The shooters did some tests after the fact, applying the magnet to a current, steel-bodied F-250, and found that the magnet would still show attraction even when a 1/4-inch piece of foam core board was placed between the truck and the magnet. This helps alleviate some concerns over the covered portion of the prototype and its reaction to the magnet.

In another test, the shooters placed some marine vinyl similar to automotive camouflage between the magnet and a current F-250. Here, it stuck like glue. On a portion of the Super Duty prototype that wasn't obscured by the car cover, the section covered only in vinyl camouflage exhibited no magnetism, which is highly suggestive of aluminum body panels.

Finally, they placed the magnet against that truck bed's bare metal, and still, there was absolutely no magnetic effect. It's here that they can say conclusively that Ford is using aluminum in a large portion of their next-generation Super Duty prototypes. If they're using aluminum here, in the key punishment point of a heavy-duty work truck, it stands to reason that aluminum is being used throughout the rest of the Super Duty prototypes—just as they have on the ’15 Ford F-150.

Two Versions of the Video

The shooters have supplied two versions of the video proving the aluminum makeup of the Super Duty prototype. A shorter, raw version contains only the video of the magnet's interplay with the Super Duty prototype. A second video edit includes portions of their tests of the magnet's reaction to various materials and a current, steel-bodied F-250. The added material helps put the raw "prototype" video in a proper context.

A New Super Duty So Soon?

When the shooters caught the first Super Duty prototypes, testing back in mid-March, many analysts expressed surprise that prototypes had appeared so early, and out of nowhere. Their analysis suggests that Ford has accelerated development on the next-generation Super Duty to make the most of their "aluminum edge"—technology that Ford executives were touting as "game changing" at the F-150 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) debut. If competitors are planning to counter Ford with aluminum-intensive trucks of their own, Ford's decisive move to create an aluminum Super Duty will help them leverage their current advantage as much as possible before their competitors' can react.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography have conclusive proof that Ford is doubling down on its aluminum trucks, going the F-150 route on its all-new ’17 Super Duty pickups.

Will It Magnet?

A slew of Super Duty prototypes have been testing in the Rocky Mountains, and an F-350 Dually pulling a fifth wheel parked for the day, leaving its truck bed uncovered and exposed. The shooters decided that it was time to make a little introduction: "Magnet, meet Super Duty. Super Duty, say hello to Magnet. Let's see if you two are attracted to each other." The end result is captured on video, and shows that the magnet exhibits zero attraction to the prototype surfaces—even its exposed metal—suggesting that the next Super Duty is following the F-150's lead and going aluminum.

A textual breakdown of the video is below. The shooters caught the Super Duty prototypes testing in a wide variety of body configurations, including Crew Cab, Super Cab, Regular Cab and Crew Cab Chassis Cab.

Video Breakdown

The Super Duty prototype subjected to the magnet was 80% covered, with its bed uncovered due to the fifth-wheel trailer that remained attached while the test truck was parked. The shooters placed the magnet over various sections of the covered truck, and then reached an uncovered portion, clad only in marine vinyl camouflage near the rear wheel arch. The magnet showed no attraction to the prototype, but since portions of the prototype were covered with a car cover, the video is not 100% conclusive. The shooters did some tests after the fact, applying the magnet to a current, steel-bodied F-250, and found that the magnet would still show attraction even when a 1/4-inch piece of foam core board was placed between the truck and the magnet. This helps alleviate some concerns over the covered portion of the prototype and its reaction to the magnet.

In another test, the shooters placed some marine vinyl similar to automotive camouflage between the magnet and a current F-250. Here, it stuck like glue. On a portion of the Super Duty prototype that wasn't obscured by the car cover, the section covered only in vinyl camouflage exhibited no magnetism, which is highly suggestive of aluminum body panels.

Finally, they placed the magnet against that truck bed's bare metal, and still, there was absolutely no magnetic effect. It's here that they can say conclusively that Ford is using aluminum in a large portion of their next-generation Super Duty prototypes. If they're using aluminum here, in the key punishment point of a heavy-duty work truck, it stands to reason that aluminum is being used throughout the rest of the Super Duty prototypes—just as they have on the ’15 Ford F-150.

Two Versions of the Video

The shooters have supplied two versions of the video proving the aluminum makeup of the Super Duty prototype. A shorter, raw version contains only the video of the magnet's interplay with the Super Duty prototype. A second video edit includes portions of their tests of the magnet's reaction to various materials and a current, steel-bodied F-250. The added material helps put the raw "prototype" video in a proper context.

A New Super Duty So Soon?

When the shooters caught the first Super Duty prototypes, testing back in mid-March, many analysts expressed surprise that prototypes had appeared so early, and out of nowhere. Their analysis suggests that Ford has accelerated development on the next-generation Super Duty to make the most of their "aluminum edge"—technology that Ford executives were touting as "game changing" at the F-150 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) debut. If competitors are planning to counter Ford with aluminum-intensive trucks of their own, Ford's decisive move to create an aluminum Super Duty will help them leverage their current advantage as much as possible before their competitors' can react.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

The shooters at KGP Photography have conclusive proof that Ford is doubling down on its aluminum trucks, going the F-150 route on its all-new ’17 Super Duty pickups.

Will It Magnet?

A slew of Super Duty prototypes have been testing in the Rocky Mountains, and an F-350 Dually pulling a fifth wheel parked for the day, leaving its truck bed uncovered and exposed. The shooters decided that it was time to make a little introduction: "Magnet, meet Super Duty. Super Duty, say hello to Magnet. Let's see if you two are attracted to each other." The end result is captured on video, and shows that the magnet exhibits zero attraction to the prototype surfaces—even its exposed metal—suggesting that the next Super Duty is following the F-150's lead and going aluminum.

A textual breakdown of the video is below. The shooters caught the Super Duty prototypes testing in a wide variety of body configurations, including Crew Cab, Super Cab, Regular Cab and Crew Cab Chassis Cab.

Video Breakdown

The Super Duty prototype subjected to the magnet was 80% covered, with its bed uncovered due to the fifth-wheel trailer that remained attached while the test truck was parked. The shooters placed the magnet over various sections of the covered truck, and then reached an uncovered portion, clad only in marine vinyl camouflage near the rear wheel arch. The magnet showed no attraction to the prototype, but since portions of the prototype were covered with a car cover, the video is not 100% conclusive. The shooters did some tests after the fact, applying the magnet to a current, steel-bodied F-250, and found that the magnet would still show attraction even when a 1/4-inch piece of foam core board was placed between the truck and the magnet. This helps alleviate some concerns over the covered portion of the prototype and its reaction to the magnet.

In another test, the shooters placed some marine vinyl similar to automotive camouflage between the magnet and a current F-250. Here, it stuck like glue. On a portion of the Super Duty prototype that wasn't obscured by the car cover, the section covered only in vinyl camouflage exhibited no magnetism, which is highly suggestive of aluminum body panels.

Finally, they placed the magnet against that truck bed's bare metal, and still, there was absolutely no magnetic effect. It's here that they can say conclusively that Ford is using aluminum in a large portion of their next-generation Super Duty prototypes. If they're using aluminum here, in the key punishment point of a heavy-duty work truck, it stands to reason that aluminum is being used throughout the rest of the Super Duty prototypes—just as they have on the ’15 Ford F-150.

Two Versions of the Video

The shooters have supplied two versions of the video proving the aluminum makeup of the Super Duty prototype. A shorter, raw version contains only the video of the magnet's interplay with the Super Duty prototype. A second video edit includes portions of their tests of the magnet's reaction to various materials and a current, steel-bodied F-250. The added material helps put the raw "prototype" video in a proper context.

A New Super Duty So Soon?

When the shooters caught the first Super Duty prototypes, testing back in mid-March, many analysts expressed surprise that prototypes had appeared so early, and out of nowhere. Their analysis suggests that Ford has accelerated development on the next-generation Super Duty to make the most of their "aluminum edge"—technology that Ford executives were touting as "game changing" at the F-150 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) debut. If competitors are planning to counter Ford with aluminum-intensive trucks of their own, Ford's decisive move to create an aluminum Super Duty will help them leverage their current advantage as much as possible before their competitors' can react.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Patrik Sandell drives the Kobalt Tools/Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST to victory in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Olsbergs MSE)

Patrik Sandell Wins Red Bull Global Rallycross
Patrik Sandell from the Olsbergs MSE team scored the win in the Kobalt Tools Ford Fiesta ST last weekend at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Through two days of tough heat racing, Sandell never finished lower than second to bypass the Last Chance Qualifier and advance directly to the Final, where he had a front-row starting position. The Kobalt Tools driver held the lead position for all 10 laps to the checkered flag. Sandell is now tied for third in the championship standings.

The Olsbergs MSE team returns to Red Bull Global Rallycross, July 19–20, in New York. World RX drivers Andreas Bakkerud and Reinis Nitiss will appear next weekend in Kuovola, Finland, for the Finnish round of the World Rallycross Championship.

Doug Peterson Wins at Road America, Retains Championship Lead
Doug Peterson, in the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette, emerged victorious from the VP Small Engine Fuels 100 Miles of Madness at Road America, Round 6 of the 2014 Trans Am Championship, outlasting Amy Ruman, Cliff Ebben and Tony Ave in the TA Class. Peterson now has a 14-point lead over Ruman, with 167 points to her 153. Simon Gregg continues to hold third with 143 points.

Trans Am will now enter a one-month mid-season break in preparation for THE 3Dimensional Services Next Dimension 100 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, August 17, for Round Seven of the 2014 Trans Am Championship.

	Team Falken's Justin Pawlak and Darren McNamara are in sixth and eighth position, respectively, in the overall championship.

Team Falken Departs Formula Drift's 'New Jersey Gauntlet' With Two Drivers in Top 10
Team Falken had a strong showing at New Jersey’s Wall Speedway for Round 4 of the 2014 Formula Drift series and maintains two drivers—Justin Pawlak and Darren McNamara in sixth and eighth position, respectively—in the overall championship.

It was also the strongest performance of the season for third Team Falken driver, Daijiro Yoshihara, who qualified fourth, and advanced to the top eight as did McNamara, who lost to eventual Gauntlet winner Fredric Aasbo. Team Falken will travel next to Monroe, Washington, for the “Throwdown,” when Formula D visits Evergreen Speedway, July 18–19.

Hawk Performance and CRP Racing Sweep the Weekend at Road America
Hawk Performance and the CRP Racing Team sweeps the Pirelli World Challenge weekend at Road America with Mike Skeen behind the wheel of the team’s Audi R8. Halfway through both Friday and Saturday races, Skeen made a move on the race-leading Cadillac, made the pass and never looked back as he raced toward the checkered flag.