Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

CHEVROLET NAMED OFFICIAL TRUCK OF THE NHRA: The NHRA has signed a multiyear agreement with Chevrolet, designating the U.S. vehicle manufacturer as the Official Truck of the NHRA. As the Official Truck of the NHRA, Chevrolet will have a major on-site presence at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. Most notably, the all-new Chevrolet Silverados and Suburbans will be used by the NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA for emergency response and track preparation.

“Chevrolet is proud to partner with the series as the Official Truck of the NHRA and are honored that our Silverados and Suburbans will be utilized by the NHRA Safety Safari,” said Jim Campbell, vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “Our involvement in NHRA allows us to showcase the most dependable, longest-lasting trucks in America to our customers and fans and to fans of NHRA Drag Racing.”

For more on the story visit www.NHRA.com.

BROWN LOOKING TO CONTINUE HOT STREAK IN ATLANTA: Athletes often talk about being in the zone, a feeling where nothing can go wrong. It’s a feeling Top Fuel standout Antron Brown can relate to at the moment, and the 2012 world champion is taking full advantage of a hot streak that has impressed everyone in the motorsports world. Brown has won two straight races in the ultra-competitive Top Fuel ranks and has advanced to the finals in four of the past five events. It makes him the points leader and hottest driver in the class.

“It feels good that we’re in stride right now,” Brown said. “Going into the race, you go with confidence when your car’s running good and how the team is operating. One thing I really love about our team is that it doesn’t matter what we did before our first qualifying run. It matters how we end up in qualifying. It matters how much we grew with each run. We’ll have problems at every race, but we’ll grow from it. We get our car into a zone that it’s ready to race on Sunday.”

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

MELLO YELLO SERIES RETURNS TO ATLANTA DRAGWAY: After a one-year absence, the Pro Stock Motorcycle riders of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series return to Atlanta Dragway for the 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. It marks the third of 16 events for the class and for Pro Stock Motorcycle riders, including standout Scotty Pollacheck, returning to Atlanta is definitely a good thing.

“I’m excited anywhere we go to race and it’s exciting to get back to Atlanta,” Pollacheck said. “It’s a pretty historical track, it’s a big market and it’s always a good place to race. Starting with this race the events for our class start running a lot closer together and we get into the swing of things. That’s always nice.”

For more on the story visit www.NHRA.com.

He Said, She Said

"I look at all these girls, and I’m very proud of them. I’m very happy the NHRA gives us an opportunity to do this. My uncle raced in the Sportsman class on a motorcycle in Baton Rouge, and that’s how I was introduced to racing a motorcycle on the track. I was 18 when I saw that, and I wanted to know how I could do it for a profession. I fell in love with the sport and with the category. I’m a huge Erica Enders fan, and I’m so proud of what she’s doing. But I don’t look at the girls and say, ‘Oh wow, look at what they’re doing,’ because I expect it from them. I look at them as racers, and I think each female that’s out there probably feels the same way."

—Angelle Sampey, who has three Pro Stock Motorcycle world championships and 41 career NHRA victories on women in the NHRA nearing 100 wins by female competitors.

Inside the Numbers

7: Number of wins John Force has at Atlanta Dragway, which leads the Funny Car category and all the categories at the historic venue. His last win at the track came in 2005 when he defeated his teammate Robert Hight in the finals for his second win of the season. A John Force Racing Funny Car has been in the finals for 13 consecutive finals rounds, a stretch dating back to 2013.

“We have been on a tear, and our other cars (Courtney Force in Funny Car and Brittany Force in Top Fuel) are coming around,” Force said. “I feel as a whole team we have come together, and the brain trust will keep us alive and winning. We have been to every final going back to Indy last year, which is 13 finals in a row. Winning is where the focus is, and we won’t forget safety.”

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

Did You Know

FIREADE JOINS FORCES WITH GRAY MOTORSPORTS, PRO STOCK DRIVER SHANE GRAY: Gray Motorsports has signed a multi-race agreement with household and boating extinguisher company FireAde 2000 that will include primary sponsorship of the team’s Pro Stock Chevrolet Camaro driven by Shane Gray at two events during the 2014 season of NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, including the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. The FireAde colors also will fly on the Gray Motorsports Camaro at the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka.

"This is a real neat deal for us to partner with FireAde, especially right there in Atlanta where their headquarters are based," said Gray, a three-time NHRA national event winner. "They've got a great product that is something we should all have in our pit areas and on our tow vehicles out there at the races, and keeping it on the rig and at the shop just gives us peace of mind."

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

View the complete 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

CHEVROLET NAMED OFFICIAL TRUCK OF THE NHRA: The NHRA has signed a multiyear agreement with Chevrolet, designating the U.S. vehicle manufacturer as the Official Truck of the NHRA. As the Official Truck of the NHRA, Chevrolet will have a major on-site presence at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. Most notably, the all-new Chevrolet Silverados and Suburbans will be used by the NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA for emergency response and track preparation.

“Chevrolet is proud to partner with the series as the Official Truck of the NHRA and are honored that our Silverados and Suburbans will be utilized by the NHRA Safety Safari,” said Jim Campbell, vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “Our involvement in NHRA allows us to showcase the most dependable, longest-lasting trucks in America to our customers and fans and to fans of NHRA Drag Racing.”

For more on the story visit www.NHRA.com.

BROWN LOOKING TO CONTINUE HOT STREAK IN ATLANTA: Athletes often talk about being in the zone, a feeling where nothing can go wrong. It’s a feeling Top Fuel standout Antron Brown can relate to at the moment, and the 2012 world champion is taking full advantage of a hot streak that has impressed everyone in the motorsports world. Brown has won two straight races in the ultra-competitive Top Fuel ranks and has advanced to the finals in four of the past five events. It makes him the points leader and hottest driver in the class.

“It feels good that we’re in stride right now,” Brown said. “Going into the race, you go with confidence when your car’s running good and how the team is operating. One thing I really love about our team is that it doesn’t matter what we did before our first qualifying run. It matters how we end up in qualifying. It matters how much we grew with each run. We’ll have problems at every race, but we’ll grow from it. We get our car into a zone that it’s ready to race on Sunday.”

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

MELLO YELLO SERIES RETURNS TO ATLANTA DRAGWAY: After a one-year absence, the Pro Stock Motorcycle riders of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series return to Atlanta Dragway for the 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. It marks the third of 16 events for the class and for Pro Stock Motorcycle riders, including standout Scotty Pollacheck, returning to Atlanta is definitely a good thing.

“I’m excited anywhere we go to race and it’s exciting to get back to Atlanta,” Pollacheck said. “It’s a pretty historical track, it’s a big market and it’s always a good place to race. Starting with this race the events for our class start running a lot closer together and we get into the swing of things. That’s always nice.”

For more on the story visit www.NHRA.com.

He Said, She Said

"I look at all these girls, and I’m very proud of them. I’m very happy the NHRA gives us an opportunity to do this. My uncle raced in the Sportsman class on a motorcycle in Baton Rouge, and that’s how I was introduced to racing a motorcycle on the track. I was 18 when I saw that, and I wanted to know how I could do it for a profession. I fell in love with the sport and with the category. I’m a huge Erica Enders fan, and I’m so proud of what she’s doing. But I don’t look at the girls and say, ‘Oh wow, look at what they’re doing,’ because I expect it from them. I look at them as racers, and I think each female that’s out there probably feels the same way."

—Angelle Sampey, who has three Pro Stock Motorcycle world championships and 41 career NHRA victories on women in the NHRA nearing 100 wins by female competitors.

Inside the Numbers

7: Number of wins John Force has at Atlanta Dragway, which leads the Funny Car category and all the categories at the historic venue. His last win at the track came in 2005 when he defeated his teammate Robert Hight in the finals for his second win of the season. A John Force Racing Funny Car has been in the finals for 13 consecutive finals rounds, a stretch dating back to 2013.

“We have been on a tear, and our other cars (Courtney Force in Funny Car and Brittany Force in Top Fuel) are coming around,” Force said. “I feel as a whole team we have come together, and the brain trust will keep us alive and winning. We have been to every final going back to Indy last year, which is 13 finals in a row. Winning is where the focus is, and we won’t forget safety.”

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

Did You Know

FIREADE JOINS FORCES WITH GRAY MOTORSPORTS, PRO STOCK DRIVER SHANE GRAY: Gray Motorsports has signed a multi-race agreement with household and boating extinguisher company FireAde 2000 that will include primary sponsorship of the team’s Pro Stock Chevrolet Camaro driven by Shane Gray at two events during the 2014 season of NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, including the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. The FireAde colors also will fly on the Gray Motorsports Camaro at the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka.

"This is a real neat deal for us to partner with FireAde, especially right there in Atlanta where their headquarters are based," said Gray, a three-time NHRA national event winner. "They've got a great product that is something we should all have in our pit areas and on our tow vehicles out there at the races, and keeping it on the rig and at the shop just gives us peace of mind."

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

View the complete 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

CHEVROLET NAMED OFFICIAL TRUCK OF THE NHRA: The NHRA has signed a multiyear agreement with Chevrolet, designating the U.S. vehicle manufacturer as the Official Truck of the NHRA. As the Official Truck of the NHRA, Chevrolet will have a major on-site presence at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. Most notably, the all-new Chevrolet Silverados and Suburbans will be used by the NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA for emergency response and track preparation.

“Chevrolet is proud to partner with the series as the Official Truck of the NHRA and are honored that our Silverados and Suburbans will be utilized by the NHRA Safety Safari,” said Jim Campbell, vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “Our involvement in NHRA allows us to showcase the most dependable, longest-lasting trucks in America to our customers and fans and to fans of NHRA Drag Racing.”

For more on the story visit www.NHRA.com.

BROWN LOOKING TO CONTINUE HOT STREAK IN ATLANTA: Athletes often talk about being in the zone, a feeling where nothing can go wrong. It’s a feeling Top Fuel standout Antron Brown can relate to at the moment, and the 2012 world champion is taking full advantage of a hot streak that has impressed everyone in the motorsports world. Brown has won two straight races in the ultra-competitive Top Fuel ranks and has advanced to the finals in four of the past five events. It makes him the points leader and hottest driver in the class.

“It feels good that we’re in stride right now,” Brown said. “Going into the race, you go with confidence when your car’s running good and how the team is operating. One thing I really love about our team is that it doesn’t matter what we did before our first qualifying run. It matters how we end up in qualifying. It matters how much we grew with each run. We’ll have problems at every race, but we’ll grow from it. We get our car into a zone that it’s ready to race on Sunday.”

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

MELLO YELLO SERIES RETURNS TO ATLANTA DRAGWAY: After a one-year absence, the Pro Stock Motorcycle riders of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series return to Atlanta Dragway for the 34th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. It marks the third of 16 events for the class and for Pro Stock Motorcycle riders, including standout Scotty Pollacheck, returning to Atlanta is definitely a good thing.

“I’m excited anywhere we go to race and it’s exciting to get back to Atlanta,” Pollacheck said. “It’s a pretty historical track, it’s a big market and it’s always a good place to race. Starting with this race the events for our class start running a lot closer together and we get into the swing of things. That’s always nice.”

For more on the story visit www.NHRA.com.

He Said, She Said

"I look at all these girls, and I’m very proud of them. I’m very happy the NHRA gives us an opportunity to do this. My uncle raced in the Sportsman class on a motorcycle in Baton Rouge, and that’s how I was introduced to racing a motorcycle on the track. I was 18 when I saw that, and I wanted to know how I could do it for a profession. I fell in love with the sport and with the category. I’m a huge Erica Enders fan, and I’m so proud of what she’s doing. But I don’t look at the girls and say, ‘Oh wow, look at what they’re doing,’ because I expect it from them. I look at them as racers, and I think each female that’s out there probably feels the same way."

—Angelle Sampey, who has three Pro Stock Motorcycle world championships and 41 career NHRA victories on women in the NHRA nearing 100 wins by female competitors.

Inside the Numbers

7: Number of wins John Force has at Atlanta Dragway, which leads the Funny Car category and all the categories at the historic venue. His last win at the track came in 2005 when he defeated his teammate Robert Hight in the finals for his second win of the season. A John Force Racing Funny Car has been in the finals for 13 consecutive finals rounds, a stretch dating back to 2013.

“We have been on a tear, and our other cars (Courtney Force in Funny Car and Brittany Force in Top Fuel) are coming around,” Force said. “I feel as a whole team we have come together, and the brain trust will keep us alive and winning. We have been to every final going back to Indy last year, which is 13 finals in a row. Winning is where the focus is, and we won’t forget safety.”

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

Did You Know

FIREADE JOINS FORCES WITH GRAY MOTORSPORTS, PRO STOCK DRIVER SHANE GRAY: Gray Motorsports has signed a multi-race agreement with household and boating extinguisher company FireAde 2000 that will include primary sponsorship of the team’s Pro Stock Chevrolet Camaro driven by Shane Gray at two events during the 2014 season of NHRA's Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, including the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. The FireAde colors also will fly on the Gray Motorsports Camaro at the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka.

"This is a real neat deal for us to partner with FireAde, especially right there in Atlanta where their headquarters are based," said Gray, a three-time NHRA national event winner. "They've got a great product that is something we should all have in our pit areas and on our tow vehicles out there at the races, and keeping it on the rig and at the shop just gives us peace of mind."

For more on this story visit www.NHRA.com.

View the complete 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

If you're looking for evidence that Ford will produce a second-generation Raptor based on its all-new F-150, this may be the smoking gun. 

The shooters at KGP Photography caught this test mule, which combines the aluminum Crew Cab from the ’15 F-150 with the front and rear sections from the current Ford Raptor. The new kick up at the truck's C-pillar and the transition between the cab and the front and rear fenders make it clear that Ford is mixing and matching parts as it begins adapting the Raptor's baja-busting bits to the all-new F-Series platform.

The mule also shows signs of an altered hood with a camouflaged design marked by a noteworthy bump in the center. A new grille is also grafted on, and sits uncomfortably between the headlights of the current Raptor. The grille behind the camouflage is revealed to have a mesh finish with a couple of horizontal bars. In this guise, it appears that the bold "Ford" letters emblazoned on the current Raptor's grille are MIA, but it's still too early to make any styling determinations on this initial test mule.

The shooters at KGP look forward to getting a closer look at this mule to see what it's really made of underneath. But for now, this appears to be clear-cut evidence that a Raptor 2.0 is now a real engineering project that looks destined for production.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

If you're looking for evidence that Ford will produce a second-generation Raptor based on its all-new F-150, this may be the smoking gun. 

The shooters at KGP Photography caught this test mule, which combines the aluminum Crew Cab from the ’15 F-150 with the front and rear sections from the current Ford Raptor. The new kick up at the truck's C-pillar and the transition between the cab and the front and rear fenders make it clear that Ford is mixing and matching parts as it begins adapting the Raptor's baja-busting bits to the all-new F-Series platform.

The mule also shows signs of an altered hood with a camouflaged design marked by a noteworthy bump in the center. A new grille is also grafted on, and sits uncomfortably between the headlights of the current Raptor. The grille behind the camouflage is revealed to have a mesh finish with a couple of horizontal bars. In this guise, it appears that the bold "Ford" letters emblazoned on the current Raptor's grille are MIA, but it's still too early to make any styling determinations on this initial test mule.

The shooters at KGP look forward to getting a closer look at this mule to see what it's really made of underneath. But for now, this appears to be clear-cut evidence that a Raptor 2.0 is now a real engineering project that looks destined for production.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

If you're looking for evidence that Ford will produce a second-generation Raptor based on its all-new F-150, this may be the smoking gun. 

The shooters at KGP Photography caught this test mule, which combines the aluminum Crew Cab from the ’15 F-150 with the front and rear sections from the current Ford Raptor. The new kick up at the truck's C-pillar and the transition between the cab and the front and rear fenders make it clear that Ford is mixing and matching parts as it begins adapting the Raptor's baja-busting bits to the all-new F-Series platform.

The mule also shows signs of an altered hood with a camouflaged design marked by a noteworthy bump in the center. A new grille is also grafted on, and sits uncomfortably between the headlights of the current Raptor. The grille behind the camouflage is revealed to have a mesh finish with a couple of horizontal bars. In this guise, it appears that the bold "Ford" letters emblazoned on the current Raptor's grille are MIA, but it's still too early to make any styling determinations on this initial test mule.

The shooters at KGP look forward to getting a closer look at this mule to see what it's really made of underneath. But for now, this appears to be clear-cut evidence that a Raptor 2.0 is now a real engineering project that looks destined for production.

Photo credit: KGP Photography

	Exhibitor Summit attendees were given insight into helping maximize media coverage at the SEMA Show.

• Supply print journalists with simple word documents with high-res jpegs. Avoid PDFs, EPSs and other file formats that are difficult to copy and paste or have limited compatibilities.

• Call the media back. Companies featured in the media are typically those who called back in a timely manner. Surprisingly, companies often do not return phone calls, which means they will not be included in the coverage.

• Participate in the New Products Showcase. All three of the media panelists said that they rely on the showcase for content. Since exhibitors can submit one product at no cost, it's a no-brainer!

• Develop a relationship with key targets. Set realistic goals and rather than trying to be included in all media outlets, target those that are relevant to your product. Then, develop a relationship with those editors. It's unlikely that you will see results overnight, so cultivate a relationship and plan for the future.

	Exhibitor Summit attendees were given insight into helping maximize media coverage at the SEMA Show.

• Supply print journalists with simple word documents with high-res jpegs. Avoid PDFs, EPSs and other file formats that are difficult to copy and paste or have limited compatibilities.

• Call the media back. Companies featured in the media are typically those who called back in a timely manner. Surprisingly, companies often do not return phone calls, which means they will not be included in the coverage.

• Participate in the New Products Showcase. All three of the media panelists said that they rely on the showcase for content. Since exhibitors can submit one product at no cost, it's a no-brainer!

• Develop a relationship with key targets. Set realistic goals and rather than trying to be included in all media outlets, target those that are relevant to your product. Then, develop a relationship with those editors. It's unlikely that you will see results overnight, so cultivate a relationship and plan for the future.

By SEMA Editors

Honda is offering the ’15 Fit for project vehicle builds culminating in a display at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Honda is offering the ’15 Fit for project car builds culminating in a display at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Approved projects will maintain at least the original engine (no engine swaps, but other power-adding options are open), maintain the original five-door configuration and honor Honda logo usage restrictions. Themes that support some or all of the stock ’15 Fit’s strengths are encouraged, with uniqueness, style and ambition earning extra consideration.

The all-new ’15 Honda Fit is a premium small car that offers a class-leading combination of fuel-efficiency, passenger and cargo space, standard feature content and innovative connectivity technology, according to the manufacturer. It's powered by a 130hp 1.5L DOHC 16-valve direct-injected i-VTEC engine and an available six-speed manual transmission. The Fit has the ability to both comfortably seat five passengers and haul a cargo despite its small size.

Proposal Submission Deadline: June 2, 2014
Award Recipient Notification Date: by June 16, 2014
Vehicle Delivery: Late June/Early July 2014

Project Car Offer and Benefits

• Giveaway of a ’15 Honda Fit EX with a six-speed manual transmission (black exterior and black interior) to create and promote accessories and/or vendor capabilities. Value of the giveaway vehicle will be less than $22,000.

• Promotion of the project vehicle build process via a Honda-branded website and social media channels.

• Display of the modified Fit in the official Honda display at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

• Potential display of the modified Fit at major auto shows around the country and at Honda promotional events.

• Potential media coverage of the modified Fit and therefore the vendor name from the SEMA Show and through other media outreach.

Requirements

Honda requests that interested parties submit their detailed project proposals to hondaevents@hna.honda.com before June 1, 2014. Include details in the categories listed below:

• Vehicle Theme: Describe very clearly your overall build theme, target audience, etc.

• Proposed vehicle modifications.

• New products potentially being developed for the Fit through the project.

• Promotional, media and social media outreach plan prior to and beyond the SEMA Show (i.e. tour of events, specific magazine feature articles, online promotion, etc.). Having your own Tumblr page is preferred for integration with Honda's promotional plans.

• Examples of previous project vehicles and promotional activities by the applicant.

• Detailed renderings of the proposed vehicle in .jpg format.

For Customizers:

Aftermarket companies requesting vehicles should have the following capabilities:

• Be financially and technically capable of building a one-off show car without financial or parts support from American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

• Be willing to partner with other non-competing aftermarket companies or enthusiast publications to enhance the vehicle project.

• A history of active promotion of vehicle projects with an established marketing plan.

For Project Vehicle Recipients:

• Commit to creating weekly progress reports during the vehicle build process, including photos, video and commentary. (Likely to be featured on a Tumblr page created by and for each participant.)

• Grant Honda the right to use content from the weekly progress reports and assist Honda in acquiring usage rights from any sponsors or individuals whose logos or images might appear in that content.

• Commit to make the vehicle available to Honda or its dealers, if requested, for additional shows and exhibits for a minimum of two years from the initial delivery date.

• Commit to feature the vehicle with the Honda and model logos intact and visible.

• Commit to provide regular reports to Honda Public Relations regarding media coverage and event activity for the project vehicle for a minimum of two years from the initial delivery date.

• Commit to have the completed vehicle available for photography in Torrance, California, by Monday, October 27, 2014.

• Pay applicable federal and state gift taxes on the value of the giveaway vehicle. Value of vehicle will not exceed $22,000.

To obtain digital images of the vehicle for your rendering, submit a request to hondaevents@hna.honda.com. These images or renderings based upon them may not be used for any outside promotion. Full details about and viewable photos of the ’15 Honda Fit are available at www.hondanews.com.