Brian Downard of Lokar Performance Products presented a unique seminar this year that incorporated hands-on training with a contest that was recorded for "Motorhead Garage."
	The HRIA’s Education Day gives attendees more than 40 different manufacturer seminars to choose from that cover all aspects of building and restoring hot rods.

By Todd Ryden

What better way to keep up with technology and product knowledge than with the companies that build the products for the hot-rod industry? That’s exactly what SEMA's Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) annual Education Day offers to attendees of the Hotrod & Restoration Trade Show.

This year (March 14–15), HRIA hosted more than 40 seminars that gave attendees direction and information on subjects ranging from vehicle wiring and controlling modern drivetrains, to suspension tuning, charging systems and nearly every other part of a hot-rod project. The "students," made up of jobbers, builders and installers, gathered first-hand knowledge and had the opportunity to talk directly with the speakers. It was similar to walking into the pit garage at a NASCAR race and listening in with the crew chief, and many of the seminars were standing-room only.

This was the 15th year for the Hotrod & Restoration show and plans are already underway to be back in Indianapolis for 2014, with Education Day preceding the show opening.

If you would like more information on the HRIA and how to get involved with Education Day, please contact Zane Clark at 909-978-6696.

The mission of the HRIA is to ensure the future prosperity of the hot-rod industry and to advance and promote awareness of the hobby. HRIA focuses on industry-specific issues and developing effective strategies and programs that will help members improve business practices and procedures. HRIA also works with SEMA's legislative staff to address legislative and/or regulatory matters which may affect the hot-rod industry. 

SEMA News—March 2013

RESEARCH
By Steve Campbell

2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report

Know Your Customers to Build Your Business

		The 136-page 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report—available free of charge to SEMA members—provides insights and sales opportunities among six prominent categories of automotive specialty-equipment purchasers. Ranging from a core group of enthusiasts to the least-savvy consumers of aftermarket parts, these segments and the opportunities they present are fully explored in the report.

From manufacturers and distributors to jobbers and retailers, the automotive specialty-equipment industry is built around meeting consumers’ demands. Understanding which goods and services those consumers are actually interested in requires study of the marketplace, interaction with customers and attention to detail—and that is a pretty fair synopsis of what was done to create the latest offering from the SEMA research team and the Modellers Inc.,a market research and analytics company.

SEMA-member companies rely on the association for targeted, meaningful research that can help them understand and meet their customers’ needs more effectively. They know that the marketplace is comprised of a huge variety of people whose requirements are as diverse as the vehicles they drive and the lifestyles they embrace. But within that mass of differing motivations are some prominent segments that are driven by common attitudes and shared interests. The purpose of the 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report is to point out how those market divisions can be targeted by SEMA-member companies.

In talking about “segments,” the report is not referring to just the various types of vehicle hobbyists serviced by the industry, such as hot rodders, off-roaders or sport-compact tuners. While each of those categories is crucial to the business community that serves it, this new report looks at people and their economic, demographic and vehicular characteristics. The report examines the diversity of attitudes they have about accessorization, specialty-equipment products and working on their vehicles.

“The 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report establishes a baseline of consumer groups, which we will use to structure ongoing research efforts,” the report says. “[Industry professionals] can use this robust segmentation scheme to drive improvements across several facets of your business.”

Reviewing the report and understanding market segmentation allows aftermarket businesses to augment sales efforts in a variety of ways:

		The total audience surveyed by the report can be roughly divided into three enthusiast and three general-interest categories. All had purchased automotive specialty-equipment parts in the past year.

• Identify target consumers: By looking at product purchases, vehicle usage and interests, companies can identify the segment(s) that are likely to be their core customers. Understanding the needs of these key consumers can help each business better serve its customers.
• Expand customer base: Expansion opportunities may exist with customers a business hadn’t previously targeted.
• Secondary segments: By recognizing the different needs and interests of consumers, an aftermarket company may be able to tailor services to a wider variety of customers.
• Vehicle platform and usage: Each business’ target segments may show that owners of vehicles it doesn’t currently support have similar needs or interests in the company’s product types.
• Messaging: Consumer needs and benefits, along with interests and hobbies, can point to refined and targeted messaging that will resonate with a company’s customers.
• Marketing: Purchase and research sites, hobbies/interests and vehicle usage can be used to refine marketing strategies and advertising channels.
• Product development: Vehicle usage, interests/hobbies and parts-purchase patterns can spark ideas for new products, line extensions, feature enhancements and cross-selling opportunities for target consumers.

The genesis of the study was based on requests for this type of research from SEMA members, but its gestation began with a series of interviews with member companies that service different sectors of the industry. These conversations provided the fodder from which a consumer questionnaire was developed. The questions were based on the information that the member companies thought most useful to understanding automotive consumers in general and specialty-equipment consumers specifically.

The researchers next held a series of focus-group meetings with consumers who had been identified as buyers of aftermarket parts. The information resulting from these gatherings led to further refinement of the survey questions, uncovering what the researchers defined as “issues and thinking directly from target consumers.”

The final raw research was acquired through a nationwide online survey of 3,000 specialty-equipment consumers in the spring of 2012. The survey subjects were prequalified as U.S. residents over the age of 18 who had spent more than $100 per year on automotive accessories or modifications, not including routine maintenance. They owned all types of vehicles and included both enthusiasts and casual accessory purchasers, and they represented every demographic slice of society.

“For this research we intentionally looked at a broader group of consumers than in our typical research studies,” the report states. “We did this for a few reasons:

“To make sure we’re not missing someone. There may be some people who are consumers in the market but who we might not typically research, since they don’t look like our traditional buyers.

“To make it applicable to the widest range of parts and accessory applications (Remembering that our industry isn’t solely made up of ‘go fast’ upgrades.)

“To identify opportunities for expansion or extension. We want to identify ways that our membership can grow their market by gaining understanding of the broadest consumer needs.”

Based on the questions and insights from the industry and the focus groups, each of the survey participants was asked to rate a series of statements to gauge their feelings about their vehicles as well as their opinions about accessorizing or modifying their cars and trucks. The resulting analysis coalesced around six groups of consumers that displayed distinct feelings about automobiles and customization. The respondents were also asked about their purchase habits and interests in order to develop an understanding of their underlying motivations. Using this information, the researchers gave the six groups names that reflect their levels of interest in automobiles and specialty parts.

Three of the segments were comprised of what are usually called “Enthusiasts,” and those segments were projected to make up a total of about 9% of all vehicle owners.

“Enthusiasts can be more effectively marketed to by recognizing which segment they belong to and developing messaging and communications strategies geared toward their specific motivations,” the researchers said.

From an enthusiast perspective, the top tier of the group is comprised of “Builders.” These are the core automotive hobbyists who are probably most recognized as “gearheads” or “car guys” by the general public. They’re the people who love the time they spend actually working on their vehicles and derive great satisfaction from doing it.

Next in the enthusiast hierarchy are “Drivers.” These are the folks who work on their vehicles to make them more enjoyable. The Driver group accessorizes and modifies vehicles more from the enjoyment of using their cars and trucks rather than from the pleasure of the effort itself.

The third enthusiast segment is the “In-Crowd.” Vehicles are part of this group’s social life. They belong to car clubs and attend car shows, and their accessorization tends to follow trends. They enjoy the recognition they get from having unique or high-profile vehicles.

“Enthusiasts can still be reached through many of the traditional methods, including car shows, races, automotive magazines, television shows and other automotive events,” the report says. “Increasingly, the Internet is becoming their primary research tool (and frequent shopping method), and they are influenced by social-media activities, such as blogs and automotive forums on their favorite automotive topics. However, these are still very much hands-on type people, and they appreciate dealing with knowledgeable people and having access to reputable information sources, such as local specialty shops, manufacturers websites and customer service representatives.”

The other three segments that fit the demographics of the survey were made up of what might be called “General Market” consumers and comprise 12% of all vehicle owners in the United States. These segments are more likely to purchase accessories and appearance products than performance goods, the report says.

The first of the General Market survey participants were labeled as the “Handyman” group. They tend to be do-it-yourself mechanics who perform their own work in order to save money and prolong the life of their vehicles. They may be open to upgrades as part of their vehicle repairs and maintenance. “The Handyman segment represents an opportunity for manufacturers and sellers of certain types of parts based on a positioning of quality, durability and increased fuel mileage,” the report says.

The next group uses vehicles mainly for transportation from place to place and is mostly concerned about function. Labeled as “Commuters,” they use their cars and trucks as everyday drivers and don’t view their vehicles as a reflection of their interests or lifestyles.

And the final group of participants comprises the “Do It for Me (DIFM)” segment. This group relies on professional mechanics for their vehicle maintenance and upgrades. They’re the least automobile-savvy group, but they do still have some interest in accessories and appearance products.

“Quality parts that can be positioned against OEM replacement parts at a competitive price can be a strong motivator [for the Commuter and DIFM segments], especially if highly recommended by independent installation shops,” the report says. “More expensive parts can still be marketed effectively to this audience if value can be demonstrated through longer life, better mileage, etc. Distribution through the national chain parts stores is likely to reach the widest spectrum of potential non-enthusiast customers.”

The report examines core metrics across the segments—what each group spends, what each one buys, where they get their information, where they like to shop, what types of vehicles they own and advice about how to target each group. The metrics also look at the demographic composition of each group—gender, age, income—as well as the types of media programming, reading and activities they enjoy. It further breaks out what each group looks for in the parts they buy, ranking items such as quality, looks, functionality and reputation. For instance, Builders rank performance at the top of their lists, while Commuters are looking primarily for the lowest price and the best reviews.

The report then delves into greater detail about each group, including information about segment size, annual and total spending levels, attitudes about their vehicles, the modifications they’ve made and specific guidance on how to address or message each segment. The modification information includes not only the types of parts and products purchased, but also the reasons behind the purchases and the emphasis put on various types of products. It reviews the specific types of research and shopping tools each group uses, including where and why.

Each individual profile ultimately provides targeted guidance about how to market to the segment, with information about motivations, emotional responses and product features. It also indicates specific media to target, such as enthusiast magazines and websites or more general media.

The final sections of the 136-page report include a series of appendices that reflect the raw data. They include parts tables that show the percentages of modifications performed by each consumer segment, such as engine work, chassis, suspension and wheel modifications and intake, fuel and exhaust upgrades, as well as the vehicle types owned by the various segments.

The 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report is full of information crucial to aftermarket executives, engineers and developers who wish to understand the automotive specialty-equipment market. But it will also be the basis for further SEMA research, including additional consumer studies, education sessions at upcoming SEMA Shows and webinars discussing how companies may use the data. In fact, all future SEMA consumer research will include segment profiling.

As with nearly all SEMA research information, The 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report is free to SEMA-member companies. It is available as a PDF download.

SEMA News—March 2013

RESEARCH
By Steve Campbell

2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report

Know Your Customers to Build Your Business

		The 136-page 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report—available free of charge to SEMA members—provides insights and sales opportunities among six prominent categories of automotive specialty-equipment purchasers. Ranging from a core group of enthusiasts to the least-savvy consumers of aftermarket parts, these segments and the opportunities they present are fully explored in the report.

From manufacturers and distributors to jobbers and retailers, the automotive specialty-equipment industry is built around meeting consumers’ demands. Understanding which goods and services those consumers are actually interested in requires study of the marketplace, interaction with customers and attention to detail—and that is a pretty fair synopsis of what was done to create the latest offering from the SEMA research team and the Modellers Inc.,a market research and analytics company.

SEMA-member companies rely on the association for targeted, meaningful research that can help them understand and meet their customers’ needs more effectively. They know that the marketplace is comprised of a huge variety of people whose requirements are as diverse as the vehicles they drive and the lifestyles they embrace. But within that mass of differing motivations are some prominent segments that are driven by common attitudes and shared interests. The purpose of the 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report is to point out how those market divisions can be targeted by SEMA-member companies.

In talking about “segments,” the report is not referring to just the various types of vehicle hobbyists serviced by the industry, such as hot rodders, off-roaders or sport-compact tuners. While each of those categories is crucial to the business community that serves it, this new report looks at people and their economic, demographic and vehicular characteristics. The report examines the diversity of attitudes they have about accessorization, specialty-equipment products and working on their vehicles.

“The 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report establishes a baseline of consumer groups, which we will use to structure ongoing research efforts,” the report says. “[Industry professionals] can use this robust segmentation scheme to drive improvements across several facets of your business.”

Reviewing the report and understanding market segmentation allows aftermarket businesses to augment sales efforts in a variety of ways:

		The total audience surveyed by the report can be roughly divided into three enthusiast and three general-interest categories. All had purchased automotive specialty-equipment parts in the past year.

• Identify target consumers: By looking at product purchases, vehicle usage and interests, companies can identify the segment(s) that are likely to be their core customers. Understanding the needs of these key consumers can help each business better serve its customers.
• Expand customer base: Expansion opportunities may exist with customers a business hadn’t previously targeted.
• Secondary segments: By recognizing the different needs and interests of consumers, an aftermarket company may be able to tailor services to a wider variety of customers.
• Vehicle platform and usage: Each business’ target segments may show that owners of vehicles it doesn’t currently support have similar needs or interests in the company’s product types.
• Messaging: Consumer needs and benefits, along with interests and hobbies, can point to refined and targeted messaging that will resonate with a company’s customers.
• Marketing: Purchase and research sites, hobbies/interests and vehicle usage can be used to refine marketing strategies and advertising channels.
• Product development: Vehicle usage, interests/hobbies and parts-purchase patterns can spark ideas for new products, line extensions, feature enhancements and cross-selling opportunities for target consumers.

The genesis of the study was based on requests for this type of research from SEMA members, but its gestation began with a series of interviews with member companies that service different sectors of the industry. These conversations provided the fodder from which a consumer questionnaire was developed. The questions were based on the information that the member companies thought most useful to understanding automotive consumers in general and specialty-equipment consumers specifically.

The researchers next held a series of focus-group meetings with consumers who had been identified as buyers of aftermarket parts. The information resulting from these gatherings led to further refinement of the survey questions, uncovering what the researchers defined as “issues and thinking directly from target consumers.”

The final raw research was acquired through a nationwide online survey of 3,000 specialty-equipment consumers in the spring of 2012. The survey subjects were prequalified as U.S. residents over the age of 18 who had spent more than $100 per year on automotive accessories or modifications, not including routine maintenance. They owned all types of vehicles and included both enthusiasts and casual accessory purchasers, and they represented every demographic slice of society.

“For this research we intentionally looked at a broader group of consumers than in our typical research studies,” the report states. “We did this for a few reasons:

“To make sure we’re not missing someone. There may be some people who are consumers in the market but who we might not typically research, since they don’t look like our traditional buyers.

“To make it applicable to the widest range of parts and accessory applications (Remembering that our industry isn’t solely made up of ‘go fast’ upgrades.)

“To identify opportunities for expansion or extension. We want to identify ways that our membership can grow their market by gaining understanding of the broadest consumer needs.”

Based on the questions and insights from the industry and the focus groups, each of the survey participants was asked to rate a series of statements to gauge their feelings about their vehicles as well as their opinions about accessorizing or modifying their cars and trucks. The resulting analysis coalesced around six groups of consumers that displayed distinct feelings about automobiles and customization. The respondents were also asked about their purchase habits and interests in order to develop an understanding of their underlying motivations. Using this information, the researchers gave the six groups names that reflect their levels of interest in automobiles and specialty parts.

Three of the segments were comprised of what are usually called “Enthusiasts,” and those segments were projected to make up a total of about 9% of all vehicle owners.

“Enthusiasts can be more effectively marketed to by recognizing which segment they belong to and developing messaging and communications strategies geared toward their specific motivations,” the researchers said.

From an enthusiast perspective, the top tier of the group is comprised of “Builders.” These are the core automotive hobbyists who are probably most recognized as “gearheads” or “car guys” by the general public. They’re the people who love the time they spend actually working on their vehicles and derive great satisfaction from doing it.

Next in the enthusiast hierarchy are “Drivers.” These are the folks who work on their vehicles to make them more enjoyable. The Driver group accessorizes and modifies vehicles more from the enjoyment of using their cars and trucks rather than from the pleasure of the effort itself.

The third enthusiast segment is the “In-Crowd.” Vehicles are part of this group’s social life. They belong to car clubs and attend car shows, and their accessorization tends to follow trends. They enjoy the recognition they get from having unique or high-profile vehicles.

“Enthusiasts can still be reached through many of the traditional methods, including car shows, races, automotive magazines, television shows and other automotive events,” the report says. “Increasingly, the Internet is becoming their primary research tool (and frequent shopping method), and they are influenced by social-media activities, such as blogs and automotive forums on their favorite automotive topics. However, these are still very much hands-on type people, and they appreciate dealing with knowledgeable people and having access to reputable information sources, such as local specialty shops, manufacturers websites and customer service representatives.”

The other three segments that fit the demographics of the survey were made up of what might be called “General Market” consumers and comprise 12% of all vehicle owners in the United States. These segments are more likely to purchase accessories and appearance products than performance goods, the report says.

The first of the General Market survey participants were labeled as the “Handyman” group. They tend to be do-it-yourself mechanics who perform their own work in order to save money and prolong the life of their vehicles. They may be open to upgrades as part of their vehicle repairs and maintenance. “The Handyman segment represents an opportunity for manufacturers and sellers of certain types of parts based on a positioning of quality, durability and increased fuel mileage,” the report says.

The next group uses vehicles mainly for transportation from place to place and is mostly concerned about function. Labeled as “Commuters,” they use their cars and trucks as everyday drivers and don’t view their vehicles as a reflection of their interests or lifestyles.

And the final group of participants comprises the “Do It for Me (DIFM)” segment. This group relies on professional mechanics for their vehicle maintenance and upgrades. They’re the least automobile-savvy group, but they do still have some interest in accessories and appearance products.

“Quality parts that can be positioned against OEM replacement parts at a competitive price can be a strong motivator [for the Commuter and DIFM segments], especially if highly recommended by independent installation shops,” the report says. “More expensive parts can still be marketed effectively to this audience if value can be demonstrated through longer life, better mileage, etc. Distribution through the national chain parts stores is likely to reach the widest spectrum of potential non-enthusiast customers.”

The report examines core metrics across the segments—what each group spends, what each one buys, where they get their information, where they like to shop, what types of vehicles they own and advice about how to target each group. The metrics also look at the demographic composition of each group—gender, age, income—as well as the types of media programming, reading and activities they enjoy. It further breaks out what each group looks for in the parts they buy, ranking items such as quality, looks, functionality and reputation. For instance, Builders rank performance at the top of their lists, while Commuters are looking primarily for the lowest price and the best reviews.

The report then delves into greater detail about each group, including information about segment size, annual and total spending levels, attitudes about their vehicles, the modifications they’ve made and specific guidance on how to address or message each segment. The modification information includes not only the types of parts and products purchased, but also the reasons behind the purchases and the emphasis put on various types of products. It reviews the specific types of research and shopping tools each group uses, including where and why.

Each individual profile ultimately provides targeted guidance about how to market to the segment, with information about motivations, emotional responses and product features. It also indicates specific media to target, such as enthusiast magazines and websites or more general media.

The final sections of the 136-page report include a series of appendices that reflect the raw data. They include parts tables that show the percentages of modifications performed by each consumer segment, such as engine work, chassis, suspension and wheel modifications and intake, fuel and exhaust upgrades, as well as the vehicle types owned by the various segments.

The 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report is full of information crucial to aftermarket executives, engineers and developers who wish to understand the automotive specialty-equipment market. But it will also be the basis for further SEMA research, including additional consumer studies, education sessions at upcoming SEMA Shows and webinars discussing how companies may use the data. In fact, all future SEMA consumer research will include segment profiling.

As with nearly all SEMA research information, The 2012 SEMA Consumer Segmentation Report is free to SEMA-member companies. It is available as a PDF download.

	The ’14 Camaro models feature a revised exterior design that integrates high-performance aerodynamics for more efficient cooling and stability at high speeds.

By SEMA News staff

Chevrolet revealed the restyled ’14 Camaro line at the New York Auto Show, including the return of the Z/28, the most iconic model in Camaro history. The announcement brought heavy applause from media in the gallery.

The ’14 Camaro models feature a revised exterior design that integrates high-performance aerodynamics for more efficient cooling and stability at high speeds. The new Camaro Z/28 also features a full aerodynamics package that creates downforce at speed, which helps make it the most track-capable offering in Camaro’s history.

“As the ultimate track-capable Camaro, this car restores the mission of the original Z/28, and serves as a testament to the expertise of Chevrolet as the best-selling brand of performance cars,” said Mark Reuss, president, GM North America. “The build sheet is the wish list of any racer: lightweight, high-revving, dry-sump LS7 engine; carbon-ceramic brakes; integrated coolers for track use; true aerodynamic downforce, and a significant reduction in curb weight. This car could only come from Chevrolet, and could only be called the Z/28.”

	Like the original, the ’14 Camaro Z/28 is offered only with a manual transmission.

The first Camaro Z/28 was introduced in 1967, created to compete in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am 2 class. It featured a smaller, lighter, 302-cid V8 for improved weight balance, as well as quick-ratio steering and a heavy-duty suspension for track use. In keeping with its road-racing focus, the ’67 Camaro Z/28 was not available with an automatic transmission or air conditioning.

While the new Camaro Z/28 is not intended to compete in a specific race series, it is solely focused on track capability. In initial testing, the Camaro Z/28 is three seconds faster per lap than the Camaro ZL1. That extra speed comes from three areas: 

• Increased grip: The Z/28 is capable of 1.05 g in cornering acceleration, due to comprehensive chassis revisions.

• Increased stopping power: the Z/28 features Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes capable of 1.5 g in deceleration, and consistent brake feel, lap after lap.

• Reduced curb weight: The naturally aspirated Z/28 weighs 300 lbs. less than the supercharged Camaro ZL1, with changes ranging from lightweight wheels to thinner rear-window glass.

Like the original, the ’14 Camaro Z/28 is offered only with a manual transmission. In a nod to modern convenience, air-conditioning is available, but only as an option.

“We set out to make the fastest road-racing Camaro possible that was still street-legal,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “While the Camaro ZL1 offers exceptional performance on the street, the drag strip, and the track, the Z/28 is entirely focused on the track performance. The Z/28 will be too track-focused for most drivers, but offers road-racers one of the most capable track cars ever offered from an automaker.”

The new ’14 Camaro line will arrive at Chevrolet dealers later in 2013. The Camaro Z/28 is expected to be appearing at track events across the United States in spring 2014.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NEWS NUGGETS

FREE NHRA DRIVER AUTOGRAPH SESSION TO KICK OFF LAS VEGAS EVENT: A free NHRA driver autograph session and fanfest, Thursday, April 4, at the New York New York Hotel & Casino will kick off the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The autograph session will take place from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. in the Staten Island Room, near the Sporting House Bar & Grill. The first 200 fans in line will receive a free Summit Racing hat. The event also will include driver question-and-answer sessions, music and door prizes. NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series drivers scheduled to participate include defending Top Fuel champion and points leader Antron Brown, 2012 Funny Car titleholder Jack Beckman, Tony Schumacher, Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, 2012 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Top Fuel winner Spencer Massey, Johnny Gray, Khalid alBalooshi, Shawn Langdon, Alexis DeJoria, Todd Lesenko, Terry McMillen, Tony Pedregon, David Grubnic, Del Worsham, Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Shane Gray, Terry Haddock, Jeff Arend, and Allen Johnson, who swept both 2012 Las Vegas national events in the Pro Stock category.

The SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals will be held April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series delivers the biggest names in professional drag racing twice each year to the facility. Pro (Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock) qualifying will take place Friday and Saturday, and eliminations will be held Sunday. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free. For tickets and information, call Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 800-644-4444, or log on to www.lvms.com.

TASCA SEEKING YOUNG ARTIST TO CREATE SPECIAL RACE CAR DESIGN: Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III has taken part in a very special program in each of his five years as a professional NHRA competitor. The program reaches above and beyond the reward of competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series for the established driver and his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford team, and the group hopes to bring a little joy to the lives of young individuals coping with the effects of juvenile diabetes while bringing attention to an important cause created to aid in research of the disease. The program invites children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to create a design for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Funny Car. Thanks to Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and its Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands, the young artist with the winning design will be awarded a trip to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, June 27–30, where he or she will have the opportunity to see his or her design in person and in action on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)-themed Ford Shelby Mustang.

“The designs these kids come up with are just incredible,” said Tasca, who recently participated in a T1D for a Day challenge to see what it’s like to live with T1D. “It really is an honor to help spread the word about JDRF and tell the story of what these kids live with every day. Their strength is amazing.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

COMING ATTRACTIONS



SUMMITRACING.COM NHRA NATIONALS, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 5–7: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fourth of 24 races on the circuit. Drivers in the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock classes will earn points toward the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com.

DOLLAR GENERAL NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS, zMAX Dragway, April 19–21: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Bellagio of Dragstrips in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the fifth of 24 events. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will compete in a four-wide configuration and earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season points standings. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-455-FANS or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

O'REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS, Royal Purple Raceway, April 26–28: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Lone Star State for the sixth of 24 events of the 2013 season. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

FRESH OFF A VICTORY, PRO STOCK'S JOHNSON READY TO GO FOR TWO IN A ROW: After a tough start to the 2013 season, Defending NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson returned to his winning ways with a victory at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. This was the first win at this track for the Tennessee native, and he looks to continue riding this momentum as the Mello Yello Series heads to Las Vegas.

“I think we’re one of the premier teams in Pro Stock now, and I think anyone would tell you that," Johnson said. "We’ve got a crew that makes great decisions based on scientific methods and data, and we keep improving those decision-making tools. We’ll be right there again [for the championship].”




INSIDE THE NUMBERS

$12,025: AMOUNT NHRA DRIVERS HELPED SONOMA RACEWAY RAISE FOR CHARITY: Lucas Oil Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Hector Arana Jr. and Adam Arana and Funny Car driver Josh Crawford helped raise more than $12,000 for charity last Saturday as part of Sonoma Raceway's NHRA Tour de Charity. The Arana brothers and Crawford raced against fans at the Sonoma Raceway Karting Center in the sold-out event that raised $12,025 for Speedway Children's Charities. The event has raised more than $122,000 in its 11 years.

"I've never really done an event like this, and I loved it," Arana Jr. said. "It's great interacting with the fans and having the time to really talk to them. Plus, I had a really good time racing with my brother, even though he beat me."

For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com.




DID YOU KNOW…

COUGHLIN NAMED FAN-VOTE WINNER IN K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR: NHRA Pro Stock fans have spoken, and their choice for the No. 8 starting spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge for the second year in a row is Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger. Coughlin will go for his fourth victory in the bonus event for qualified Pro Stock teams starting with a first-round meeting with event top seed Allen Johnson, driver of the Team Mopar Dodge Avenger.

The 29th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge will be conducted during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, Saturday, April 6, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event will be televised by ESPN2HD. Coughlin won the fan vote by a wide margin, receiving roughly one-third of the total votes cast by NHRA fans since voting began in February. Coughlin has scored victories in the K&N Horsepower Challenge in 2009, 2000 and 1999.

“It’s an honor to win the final spot for the K&N Horsepower Challenge,” Coughlin said. “A big thank you to all of our fans and friends that propelled us to this position. We look forward to answering the effort with a big win in Vegas.”

The K&N Horsepower Challenge is a race within a race, showcasing the top drivers in NHRA Pro Stock competition, for which the winner receives $50,000. The runner-up will receive $10,000, the two semifinalists will each receive $3,000 and the four first-round finishers will each receive $2,500. As part of the program, a $3,000 bonus is awarded to the No. 1 qualifier at each NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event. In addition, eight fans were selected in an online drawing on the K&N website as part of the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes. Those eight winners will receive a trip for two to the race, where each fan will be paired with a driver in the K&N Horsepower Challenge. The fan paired with the winning driver will leave the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in a ’13 K&N Horsepower Challenge special-edition Toyota Tacoma—a midsize pickup created by Toyota Racing Development and K&N Filters for this event with modifications that include a supercharger, custom wheel and tire package, shocks and springs.

For tickets for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, log on to www.lvms.com or call 800-644-4444.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NEWS NUGGETS

FREE NHRA DRIVER AUTOGRAPH SESSION TO KICK OFF LAS VEGAS EVENT: A free NHRA driver autograph session and fanfest, Thursday, April 4, at the New York New York Hotel & Casino will kick off the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The autograph session will take place from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. in the Staten Island Room, near the Sporting House Bar & Grill. The first 200 fans in line will receive a free Summit Racing hat. The event also will include driver question-and-answer sessions, music and door prizes. NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series drivers scheduled to participate include defending Top Fuel champion and points leader Antron Brown, 2012 Funny Car titleholder Jack Beckman, Tony Schumacher, Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, 2012 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Top Fuel winner Spencer Massey, Johnny Gray, Khalid alBalooshi, Shawn Langdon, Alexis DeJoria, Todd Lesenko, Terry McMillen, Tony Pedregon, David Grubnic, Del Worsham, Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Shane Gray, Terry Haddock, Jeff Arend, and Allen Johnson, who swept both 2012 Las Vegas national events in the Pro Stock category.

The SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals will be held April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series delivers the biggest names in professional drag racing twice each year to the facility. Pro (Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock) qualifying will take place Friday and Saturday, and eliminations will be held Sunday. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free. For tickets and information, call Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 800-644-4444, or log on to www.lvms.com.

TASCA SEEKING YOUNG ARTIST TO CREATE SPECIAL RACE CAR DESIGN: Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III has taken part in a very special program in each of his five years as a professional NHRA competitor. The program reaches above and beyond the reward of competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series for the established driver and his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford team, and the group hopes to bring a little joy to the lives of young individuals coping with the effects of juvenile diabetes while bringing attention to an important cause created to aid in research of the disease. The program invites children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to create a design for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Funny Car. Thanks to Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and its Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands, the young artist with the winning design will be awarded a trip to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, June 27–30, where he or she will have the opportunity to see his or her design in person and in action on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)-themed Ford Shelby Mustang.

“The designs these kids come up with are just incredible,” said Tasca, who recently participated in a T1D for a Day challenge to see what it’s like to live with T1D. “It really is an honor to help spread the word about JDRF and tell the story of what these kids live with every day. Their strength is amazing.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

COMING ATTRACTIONS



SUMMITRACING.COM NHRA NATIONALS, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 5–7: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fourth of 24 races on the circuit. Drivers in the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock classes will earn points toward the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com.

DOLLAR GENERAL NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS, zMAX Dragway, April 19–21: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Bellagio of Dragstrips in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the fifth of 24 events. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will compete in a four-wide configuration and earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season points standings. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-455-FANS or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

O'REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS, Royal Purple Raceway, April 26–28: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Lone Star State for the sixth of 24 events of the 2013 season. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

FRESH OFF A VICTORY, PRO STOCK'S JOHNSON READY TO GO FOR TWO IN A ROW: After a tough start to the 2013 season, Defending NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson returned to his winning ways with a victory at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. This was the first win at this track for the Tennessee native, and he looks to continue riding this momentum as the Mello Yello Series heads to Las Vegas.

“I think we’re one of the premier teams in Pro Stock now, and I think anyone would tell you that," Johnson said. "We’ve got a crew that makes great decisions based on scientific methods and data, and we keep improving those decision-making tools. We’ll be right there again [for the championship].”




INSIDE THE NUMBERS

$12,025: AMOUNT NHRA DRIVERS HELPED SONOMA RACEWAY RAISE FOR CHARITY: Lucas Oil Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Hector Arana Jr. and Adam Arana and Funny Car driver Josh Crawford helped raise more than $12,000 for charity last Saturday as part of Sonoma Raceway's NHRA Tour de Charity. The Arana brothers and Crawford raced against fans at the Sonoma Raceway Karting Center in the sold-out event that raised $12,025 for Speedway Children's Charities. The event has raised more than $122,000 in its 11 years.

"I've never really done an event like this, and I loved it," Arana Jr. said. "It's great interacting with the fans and having the time to really talk to them. Plus, I had a really good time racing with my brother, even though he beat me."

For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com.




DID YOU KNOW…

COUGHLIN NAMED FAN-VOTE WINNER IN K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR: NHRA Pro Stock fans have spoken, and their choice for the No. 8 starting spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge for the second year in a row is Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger. Coughlin will go for his fourth victory in the bonus event for qualified Pro Stock teams starting with a first-round meeting with event top seed Allen Johnson, driver of the Team Mopar Dodge Avenger.

The 29th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge will be conducted during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, Saturday, April 6, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event will be televised by ESPN2HD. Coughlin won the fan vote by a wide margin, receiving roughly one-third of the total votes cast by NHRA fans since voting began in February. Coughlin has scored victories in the K&N Horsepower Challenge in 2009, 2000 and 1999.

“It’s an honor to win the final spot for the K&N Horsepower Challenge,” Coughlin said. “A big thank you to all of our fans and friends that propelled us to this position. We look forward to answering the effort with a big win in Vegas.”

The K&N Horsepower Challenge is a race within a race, showcasing the top drivers in NHRA Pro Stock competition, for which the winner receives $50,000. The runner-up will receive $10,000, the two semifinalists will each receive $3,000 and the four first-round finishers will each receive $2,500. As part of the program, a $3,000 bonus is awarded to the No. 1 qualifier at each NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event. In addition, eight fans were selected in an online drawing on the K&N website as part of the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes. Those eight winners will receive a trip for two to the race, where each fan will be paired with a driver in the K&N Horsepower Challenge. The fan paired with the winning driver will leave the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in a ’13 K&N Horsepower Challenge special-edition Toyota Tacoma—a midsize pickup created by Toyota Racing Development and K&N Filters for this event with modifications that include a supercharger, custom wheel and tire package, shocks and springs.

For tickets for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, log on to www.lvms.com or call 800-644-4444.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NEWS NUGGETS

FREE NHRA DRIVER AUTOGRAPH SESSION TO KICK OFF LAS VEGAS EVENT: A free NHRA driver autograph session and fanfest, Thursday, April 4, at the New York New York Hotel & Casino will kick off the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The autograph session will take place from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. in the Staten Island Room, near the Sporting House Bar & Grill. The first 200 fans in line will receive a free Summit Racing hat. The event also will include driver question-and-answer sessions, music and door prizes. NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series drivers scheduled to participate include defending Top Fuel champion and points leader Antron Brown, 2012 Funny Car titleholder Jack Beckman, Tony Schumacher, Funny Car points leader Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, 2012 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Top Fuel winner Spencer Massey, Johnny Gray, Khalid alBalooshi, Shawn Langdon, Alexis DeJoria, Todd Lesenko, Terry McMillen, Tony Pedregon, David Grubnic, Del Worsham, Greg Anderson, Jason Line, Shane Gray, Terry Haddock, Jeff Arend, and Allen Johnson, who swept both 2012 Las Vegas national events in the Pro Stock category.

The SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals will be held April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series delivers the biggest names in professional drag racing twice each year to the facility. Pro (Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock) qualifying will take place Friday and Saturday, and eliminations will be held Sunday. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free. For tickets and information, call Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 800-644-4444, or log on to www.lvms.com.

TASCA SEEKING YOUNG ARTIST TO CREATE SPECIAL RACE CAR DESIGN: Funny Car driver Bob Tasca III has taken part in a very special program in each of his five years as a professional NHRA competitor. The program reaches above and beyond the reward of competing in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series for the established driver and his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford team, and the group hopes to bring a little joy to the lives of young individuals coping with the effects of juvenile diabetes while bringing attention to an important cause created to aid in research of the disease. The program invites children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to create a design for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Funny Car. Thanks to Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and its Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands, the young artist with the winning design will be awarded a trip to the O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, June 27–30, where he or she will have the opportunity to see his or her design in person and in action on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)-themed Ford Shelby Mustang.

“The designs these kids come up with are just incredible,” said Tasca, who recently participated in a T1D for a Day challenge to see what it’s like to live with T1D. “It really is an honor to help spread the word about JDRF and tell the story of what these kids live with every day. Their strength is amazing.”

Visit www.nhra.com for more on this story.

COMING ATTRACTIONS



SUMMITRACING.COM NHRA NATIONALS, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 5–7: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fourth of 24 races on the circuit. Drivers in the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock classes will earn points toward the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com.

DOLLAR GENERAL NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS, zMAX Dragway, April 19–21: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Bellagio of Dragstrips in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the fifth of 24 events. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will compete in a four-wide configuration and earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season points standings. The 2012 winners of the event were Spencer Massey (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-455-FANS or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

O'REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA SPRINGNATIONALS, Royal Purple Raceway, April 26–28: The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series heads to the Lone Star State for the sixth of 24 events of the 2013 season. Drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points toward the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2012 winners of the event were Morgan Lucas (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Vincent Nobile (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 281-383-7223 or visit www.royalpurpleraceway.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

FRESH OFF A VICTORY, PRO STOCK'S JOHNSON READY TO GO FOR TWO IN A ROW: After a tough start to the 2013 season, Defending NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion Allen Johnson returned to his winning ways with a victory at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. This was the first win at this track for the Tennessee native, and he looks to continue riding this momentum as the Mello Yello Series heads to Las Vegas.

“I think we’re one of the premier teams in Pro Stock now, and I think anyone would tell you that," Johnson said. "We’ve got a crew that makes great decisions based on scientific methods and data, and we keep improving those decision-making tools. We’ll be right there again [for the championship].”




INSIDE THE NUMBERS

$12,025: AMOUNT NHRA DRIVERS HELPED SONOMA RACEWAY RAISE FOR CHARITY: Lucas Oil Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Hector Arana Jr. and Adam Arana and Funny Car driver Josh Crawford helped raise more than $12,000 for charity last Saturday as part of Sonoma Raceway's NHRA Tour de Charity. The Arana brothers and Crawford raced against fans at the Sonoma Raceway Karting Center in the sold-out event that raised $12,025 for Speedway Children's Charities. The event has raised more than $122,000 in its 11 years.

"I've never really done an event like this, and I loved it," Arana Jr. said. "It's great interacting with the fans and having the time to really talk to them. Plus, I had a really good time racing with my brother, even though he beat me."

For more on this story, visit www.nhra.com.




DID YOU KNOW…

COUGHLIN NAMED FAN-VOTE WINNER IN K&N HORSEPOWER CHALLENGE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR: NHRA Pro Stock fans have spoken, and their choice for the No. 8 starting spot in the K&N Horsepower Challenge for the second year in a row is Jeg Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger. Coughlin will go for his fourth victory in the bonus event for qualified Pro Stock teams starting with a first-round meeting with event top seed Allen Johnson, driver of the Team Mopar Dodge Avenger.

The 29th annual K&N Horsepower Challenge will be conducted during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, Saturday, April 6, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event will be televised by ESPN2HD. Coughlin won the fan vote by a wide margin, receiving roughly one-third of the total votes cast by NHRA fans since voting began in February. Coughlin has scored victories in the K&N Horsepower Challenge in 2009, 2000 and 1999.

“It’s an honor to win the final spot for the K&N Horsepower Challenge,” Coughlin said. “A big thank you to all of our fans and friends that propelled us to this position. We look forward to answering the effort with a big win in Vegas.”

The K&N Horsepower Challenge is a race within a race, showcasing the top drivers in NHRA Pro Stock competition, for which the winner receives $50,000. The runner-up will receive $10,000, the two semifinalists will each receive $3,000 and the four first-round finishers will each receive $2,500. As part of the program, a $3,000 bonus is awarded to the No. 1 qualifier at each NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event. In addition, eight fans were selected in an online drawing on the K&N website as part of the K&N Horsepower Challenge Sweepstakes. Those eight winners will receive a trip for two to the race, where each fan will be paired with a driver in the K&N Horsepower Challenge. The fan paired with the winning driver will leave the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in a ’13 K&N Horsepower Challenge special-edition Toyota Tacoma—a midsize pickup created by Toyota Racing Development and K&N Filters for this event with modifications that include a supercharger, custom wheel and tire package, shocks and springs.

For tickets for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 5–7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, log on to www.lvms.com or call 800-644-4444.

SEMA News—March 2013

INTERNET
By Joe Dysart

Recruiting With Social Media

For Many Businesses, Better Candidates at Reduced Cost

Social media is now a serious player in employee recruitment, in many cases significantly reducing the cost per hire for companies while simultaneously bringing in higher-quality talent, according to many recruiters.

“Underneath the iceberg of vacant jobs advertised on job boards and newspapers, a strong, invisible current of talent is ingeniously using social media to identify and strategize their next career moves,” said Charles Van Heerden, general manager at WaveBox Consulting.

Jill Erickson agreed. She is the chief revenue officer at Gild, a recruiting agency specializing in computer programmer hires.

“Digital and social media are completely remodeling the way organizations identify, engage and recruit today’s best candidates,” she said.

A full 75% of recruiter respondents to the “2012 Talent Acquisition/Recruiting Survey” by Staffing Industry Analysts thought that the use of social media in recruiting was a wise move. And a Jobvite survey of more than 1,000 recruiting pros found that 49% of those who use social media to recruit reported that the tool brought in higher-quality job candidates.

Of course, not everyone is convinced. More than half (55%) of 200 human resources directors surveyed in the United Kingdom during the spring of 2012 saw social media as an ineffective recruitment tool. And an additional 15% of that group remained unconvinced that social media was worth the investment.

“While professional networking sites such as LinkedIn continue to connect business professionals, our research shows that hiring managers still prefer more traditional recruitment methods, such as using online job boards, employee referrals and recruitment consultancies,” said Phil Sheridan, a U.K.-based managing director at Robert Half, the recruiting consulting firm that conducted the survey. “It seems most employers still believe this to be the most effective approach for screening candidates and assessing competencies.”

But while there are plenty of naysayers, proponents countered that the disenchanted just may be doing it wrong. Too many businesses, they said, make the mistake of simply broadcasting job openings on the social networks and hoping for the applicants to roll in. (If you tweet it, they will come.)

While that method generally yields marginal results, businesses experiencing the greatest success using social media for recruiting realized that their presence on communities such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter must be a credible, ongoing, two-way conversation.

“The importance of reputation management cannot be overemphasized,” said WaveBox’s Van Heerden, “and a high level of authenticity needs to exist.”

	At Facebook, staffers make it easy for employers and job candidates to connect.

Moreover, many human resources departments overlook the fact that all those social interactions company employees are engaging in on the networks every day can easily be transformed into recruiting opportunities with just a little ingenuity.

Bottom line: If you’re considering adding social media to your web recruiting mix, experts such as Van Heerden and others suggest that you incorporate these best practices into your strategy:

Think Long-Term: Generally, social-media recruiting is an ongoing investment centered on building and nurturing relationships. If you’re looking for a quick hit, you’ll have only marginal results.

Cultivate Two-Way Conversations: Companies that see social media as just another broadcasting medium are doomed. Social media is by its nature a two-way conversation. So you’ll want someone on staff continually interacting with prospective job candidates on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networks where your candidates congregate.

Create a Social-Media Talent Pool: As you monitor the conversations your company is engaging in with prospective candidates, top talent will naturally emerge. Once you’ve identified these individuals, filling your next position can be as easy as cherry picking from la crème de la crème.

Enlist Employees as Company Emissaries: Employees encouraged to participate beyond company walls on social media naturally gravitate toward those of like minds and skills. Chances are, they’ll also have a very good idea about who the best candidates are based on those interactions. Offer a commission for successful employee recommendations arising from those conversations, and you’ll soon have a reliable, new source for future employees.

Develop a Company Alumni Network: Employees who leave your business on friendly terms can become excellent scouts for future hires. Actively create and nurture an alumni network of these former employees, and encourage them to socialize freely on the social networks with your current employees. The next time you have a position to fill, your alumni will be a great go-to source.

Go Graphic: Pinterest, one of the fastest-growing social networks on the web, got popular by inviting people to post image collections of the things and thoughts that move them. Many businesses are leveraging this environment to create vibrant image collections of what it’s like to work at their companies.

Consider Human Resources Software That Is Driven by Social Media: Human resources packages, such as those from Jobvite, make the most of social media in the prospecting and hiring process. Find a package that’s right for your business, and commit to it.

Closely Integrate Mobile Into Any Effort: The world—along with social media and web recruiting—is quickly embracing mobile as the primary device for computing. Stay ahead of the trend. Ensure that every facet of your social-media recruiting is easily accessible via mobile.

Evaluate Targeted Facebook Advertising: Facebook enables you to advertise job openings using highly specific search criteria, including age, sex, location and specific keywords related to the position. Once you’ve tweaked the optimum combination of variables, Facebook calculates how many of its members fit your search parameters and allows you to advertise on a pay-per-click or pay-per-impression basis. You can also pre-set the maximum budget you’re willing to spend, and you can run your ad on Facebook continuously or during a certain period.

Work Those Twitter Hashtags: You can bring in a highly specific group of job applicants on Twitter using well-thought-out hashtags. One example: Tweeting #secretarialjob will trigger a torrent of interest, most of it unwanted. By comparison, #secretarialjobKansasCity is a bull’s-eye.

Create a Social-Media Recruiting Position: Not every business can afford the luxury. But those with deeper pockets should have a full-time staff position dedicated to leveraging social media in web recruiting. Technology, culture and perceived cool morph at a blistering pace on the social networks. You’ll get the most bang for the buck with someone who knows what’s what—and what’s so yesterday.

Joe Dysart is an Internet speaker and business consultant based in Manhattan.
For more information: 646-233-4089; joe@joedysart.com
visit www.joedysart.com.

SEMA News—March 2013

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

Considering Mexico

Strong Growth and Fatter Pocketbooks Warrant a Closer Look at the Potential in Latin America’s Second-Largest Economy

	The SEMA Show is an excellent venue to connect with buyers from more than 100 countries. Pictured here is the annual International Happy Hour bringing together U.S. exhibitors and international retailers and distributors.

Automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers might want to take a look at selling into Mexico, the second-largest export market for the United States.

According to the International Monetary Fund, 85% of the world’s growth—and new customers—over the next five years are located outside the United States, and our neighbor to the South is an increasingly interesting market.

Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, has a population of 116 million and is enjoying healthy economic growth. It also has a growing middle class and is finally witnessing a reduction in the mostly drug-related violence that peaked over the past five years.

Among the positive indicators:

• Economy Strong, Middle Class Growing: In sharp contrast to the economic woes of 2007–2008, when Mexico’s economy shrank by 6%, its economy grew 4% last year—quicker than even Brazil’s. Credit is increasingly available, inflation is under control and more of the population is joining the middle class, according to a new study put out by the Wilson Center based in Washington, D.C.
• Sizable Passenger Vehicle Market and Healthy Annual Sales: Mexico has 20 million motor vehicles in circulation, with strong annual sales of about 1 million.
• Mexicans Love Trucks: Mexican motorists enjoy and use light trucks. Between 2005–2011, 40% of all vehicles sold in Mexico were pickups and SUVs.
• Similar Vehicle Demographics: Many of the vehicles sold in Mexico are the same models that sell well in the United States. Between 2005–2011, the best-selling pickups in Mexico were Ford’s F-150 and F-250, with 232,810 units sold. The Chevrolet Silverado was also a top model, with 164,928 sold during that period. Jeep sales were also strong, with 145,397 sold between 2005–2011, and Ford also sold 13,511 Mustangs between those same years.

• 	Mexicans are big fans of musclecars, both classic and more current models. Between 2005–2011, 13,511 Mustangs were sold in Mexico.
  	The Automechanika show attracts buyers from throughout Latin America.

  Mexico as an Entryway: The country is an increasingly important gateway to the rest of Latin America. Mexico has free-trade agreements with 44 countries—more than any other country in the world—including the 2004 North American Free Trade Agreement, which eliminated most tariffs between Mexico, Canada and the United States.
• No Argentinian or Brazilian Tariffs: Among the many trade deals negotiated by Mexico is its most recently modified pact with Argentina, which allows Mexico to export up to $600 million in Mexican vehicles to that country without tariffs. Mexico also has a free-trade deal with Brazil. Both Brazil and Argentina are notorious for their high tariffs, but their agreements with Mexico allow vehicles and parts—up to a certain limit—to be shipped to those countries tariff free.
• OEM Production: There are nine manufacturers producing vehicles in Mexico, including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and others. These days, Marcos Alvarez, business director of Big Country America, is quite optimistic about sales opportunities in Mexico and indirectly to the rest of Latin America. Alvarez notes, “International eyes are on Mexico now under what has been called MEMO [Mexican Moment], as quality, lead times, trust and currency and political stability are bringing back manufacturing from Asia to Mexico.” By selling to the vehicle manufacturers’ Mexican operations, SEMA members can find an additional route to reach South and Central American markets.

There are two excellent upcoming opportunities to explore the Mexican market. For the first, you don’t even need to leave the United States.

The annual SEMA Show, held each year in early November, draws more than 130,000 visitors, and 25% of all buyers attending the trade-only event come from outside the United States, including large numbers from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Another first-rate automotive event where companies should consider exhibiting is the annual PAACE Automechanika show, which will be held July 10–12, 2013, at Centro Banamex in Mexico City. The 2012 event boasted 14% growth, with 541 exhibiting companies from 20 countries and 19,763 visits by specialized buyers from more than 33 countries.

This year, PAACE Automechanika will feature a specialized vehicle area where the cars will be categorized as “Import,” “Euro,” “Racing” and “Classic.”

For more information about SEMA’s international programs, both year-round and at the SEMA Show, contact SEMA Director of International Relations Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

For more information about PAACE Automechanika, contact paminfo@usa.messefrankfurt.com.

SEMA News—March 2013

INTERNATIONAL
By Linda Spencer

Considering Mexico

Strong Growth and Fatter Pocketbooks Warrant a Closer Look at the Potential in Latin America’s Second-Largest Economy

	The SEMA Show is an excellent venue to connect with buyers from more than 100 countries. Pictured here is the annual International Happy Hour bringing together U.S. exhibitors and international retailers and distributors.

Automotive specialty-equipment manufacturers might want to take a look at selling into Mexico, the second-largest export market for the United States.

According to the International Monetary Fund, 85% of the world’s growth—and new customers—over the next five years are located outside the United States, and our neighbor to the South is an increasingly interesting market.

Mexico is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, has a population of 116 million and is enjoying healthy economic growth. It also has a growing middle class and is finally witnessing a reduction in the mostly drug-related violence that peaked over the past five years.

Among the positive indicators:

• Economy Strong, Middle Class Growing: In sharp contrast to the economic woes of 2007–2008, when Mexico’s economy shrank by 6%, its economy grew 4% last year—quicker than even Brazil’s. Credit is increasingly available, inflation is under control and more of the population is joining the middle class, according to a new study put out by the Wilson Center based in Washington, D.C.
• Sizable Passenger Vehicle Market and Healthy Annual Sales: Mexico has 20 million motor vehicles in circulation, with strong annual sales of about 1 million.
• Mexicans Love Trucks: Mexican motorists enjoy and use light trucks. Between 2005–2011, 40% of all vehicles sold in Mexico were pickups and SUVs.
• Similar Vehicle Demographics: Many of the vehicles sold in Mexico are the same models that sell well in the United States. Between 2005–2011, the best-selling pickups in Mexico were Ford’s F-150 and F-250, with 232,810 units sold. The Chevrolet Silverado was also a top model, with 164,928 sold during that period. Jeep sales were also strong, with 145,397 sold between 2005–2011, and Ford also sold 13,511 Mustangs between those same years.

• 	Mexicans are big fans of musclecars, both classic and more current models. Between 2005–2011, 13,511 Mustangs were sold in Mexico.
  	The Automechanika show attracts buyers from throughout Latin America.

  Mexico as an Entryway: The country is an increasingly important gateway to the rest of Latin America. Mexico has free-trade agreements with 44 countries—more than any other country in the world—including the 2004 North American Free Trade Agreement, which eliminated most tariffs between Mexico, Canada and the United States.
• No Argentinian or Brazilian Tariffs: Among the many trade deals negotiated by Mexico is its most recently modified pact with Argentina, which allows Mexico to export up to $600 million in Mexican vehicles to that country without tariffs. Mexico also has a free-trade deal with Brazil. Both Brazil and Argentina are notorious for their high tariffs, but their agreements with Mexico allow vehicles and parts—up to a certain limit—to be shipped to those countries tariff free.
• OEM Production: There are nine manufacturers producing vehicles in Mexico, including Ford, GM, Chrysler, Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and others. These days, Marcos Alvarez, business director of Big Country America, is quite optimistic about sales opportunities in Mexico and indirectly to the rest of Latin America. Alvarez notes, “International eyes are on Mexico now under what has been called MEMO [Mexican Moment], as quality, lead times, trust and currency and political stability are bringing back manufacturing from Asia to Mexico.” By selling to the vehicle manufacturers’ Mexican operations, SEMA members can find an additional route to reach South and Central American markets.

There are two excellent upcoming opportunities to explore the Mexican market. For the first, you don’t even need to leave the United States.

The annual SEMA Show, held each year in early November, draws more than 130,000 visitors, and 25% of all buyers attending the trade-only event come from outside the United States, including large numbers from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Another first-rate automotive event where companies should consider exhibiting is the annual PAACE Automechanika show, which will be held July 10–12, 2013, at Centro Banamex in Mexico City. The 2012 event boasted 14% growth, with 541 exhibiting companies from 20 countries and 19,763 visits by specialized buyers from more than 33 countries.

This year, PAACE Automechanika will feature a specialized vehicle area where the cars will be categorized as “Import,” “Euro,” “Racing” and “Classic.”

For more information about SEMA’s international programs, both year-round and at the SEMA Show, contact SEMA Director of International Relations Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.

For more information about PAACE Automechanika, contact paminfo@usa.messefrankfurt.com.