Prominent rally racer and action sports star Ken Block passed away after a snowmobile accident in Utah on Monday, January 2, according to a statement posted on the Hoonigan website. He was 55 years old.
“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer, and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed," said his team, Hoonigan Racing, in a statement.
Ken Block takes a photo with a fan during an autograph session at the 2022 SEMA Show.
In addition to his autograph sessions and special appearances, Block was a featured speaker at the 2022 SEMA Show Kickoff Breakfast, where he discussed the making of "Electrikhana," a tire-shredding trip on the Las Vegas Strip through the lens of a bespoke, 800-volt, bi-motor, AWD Audi S1, developed and built by Audi.
Block also competed in the American Rally Association (ARA) along with his wife Lucy and 16-year-old daughter Lia, one of three children. Block, a co-founder of the skateboarding brand DC Shoes, was also known for his Gymkhana action videos that received a large following on YouTube and related social media outlets.
The MagnaFlow Group has acquired Camburg Engineering, a leading brand in off-road racing and aftermarket suspension. Founded in 1997, Camburg was built on the philosophy of building durable race-winning technology for challenging off-road environments. The founders of Camburg Engineering, Jerry Zaiden and Jason Campbell, will continue their roles within the business, with their focus on shaping the future of suspension and off-road racing.
Jeep Wrangler High Tide and Limited-Run ‘Jeep Beach’ Models Return for 2023
The Jeep Wrangler High Tide and Wrangler Jeep Beach special-edition models will both return for the ’23 model year.
Jeep brand is once again heading seaside with the Wrangler High Tide and Wrangler Jeep Beach special-edition models, both of which return for the ’23 model year. This year’s Jeep Beach model commemorates the 20th anniversary of Jeep Beach in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“Jeep Beach week in Daytona Beach, Florida, is one of the biggest Jeep vehicle events in America, bringing in more than 200,000 Jeep fans and 20,000 Jeep SUVs in 2022 alone,” said Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand – North America.
The ’23 Jeep Wrangler High Tide, based on the Sport S model and powered by the 3.6L Pentastar V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission. Available for order this month to arrive in time for next April’s Jeep Beach week, the ’23 Jeep Wrangler High Tide is priced at a U.S. MSRP of $51,540 (all prices exclude $1,795 destination charge).
Xcite Automotive Launches the Xcite Trade Network
Xcite Automotive has announced the launch of Xcite Trade Network (XTN) to provide dealers a more efficient, effective, and economical way to purchase and sell wholesale vehicles.
Xcite is leveraging new technologies to provide dealers access to over 60,000 vehicle listings in a marketplace designed to allow dealers to buy and sell confidently and with peace of mind. With the launch of XTN, Xcite Automotive provides one centralized solution to assist its 1300+ dealers in the process of selling and acquiring wholesale vehicles.
Wes Wise Joins AACF Board of Trustees
Wes Wise
The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) announced the election of Wes Wise, vice president, professional sales for O’Reilly Auto Parts, to its board of trustees. Wise joined O’Reilly in 1991 as a merchandising specialist at a store in Springfield, MO, where he held many different management positions within the organization. He was promoted to his present position in January 2022.
“Wes has many years of experience from the store level up and is well connected in the automotive aftermarket,” said Larry Magee, president of AACF. “He is passionate about helping people and will bring another strong voice to our growing board of directors. AACF is very fortunate to have Wes contributing his time and talent to the growth of the Foundation.”
Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA News. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.
Here’s another look at the ’24 Ford F-150, this time a Lariat SuperCrew (with the Sport appearance package).
The ’21 F-150 debuted in June 2020 with all new looks, and now it’s that time again (just on the heels of the new Tundra). Looking at the ’24 F-150, it will have a revised front end with new headlights, grille and front fascia. Around back, the F-150 should feature a revised tailgate (with optional multi-use feature), bumper and taillights. Inside, expect updates to the gauge cluster and center stack.
Power should come from a four-engine suite, but it’s unknown if there will be upgrades to performance.
The following message is from SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola
Dear SEMA Member:
Nominations for the SEMA Board of Directors are
due on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
A strong SEMA Board means wise leadership and an association that serves its members well. As a member of the Association, we are currently seeking your recommendation of industry leaders to serve on the SEMA Board of Directors.
The following seats are open for this year’s election:
Chairman-elect (one open seat)
Distributor/Retailer (one open seat)
Please take a moment and tell us whom you would recommend as a potential nominee for a board member position by completing and submitting a nomination form. To help the vetting process, please include brief information about the nominee’s qualifications, such as background, experience and achievements that would make that nominee an outstanding board candidate.
We urge you to take part in the nominations process—our industry has many individuals who would be an asset to the Board, but we need you to help bring them to the attention of the Nominating Committee.
Thank you for your attention to this important request.
Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest jobs posted to the website.
AMS Performance is hiring a mechanical engineer to design new products for current and future vehicle platforms. This position is responsible for creating a well-scoped product charter and, once approved, create CAD parts, assemblies and drawings. Utilizing in-house rapid prototyping and computational simulation resources, you will validate that fit, form and function are aligned with the project intent. With the design work largely complete, you will work with vendors to produce sample and production components. Engineering support continues after the product is released via design revisions, vendor resourcing, and cost-save initiatives. The ideal candidate must be self-driven, hardworking and have a good understanding of mechanical systems. They must also have the ability to work efficiently and effectively to ensure all details are accounted for during the development process.
Wheel-1 is hiring an aftermarket wheel and tire salesperson with a proven history of “hunting” for new customers. Candidates must thrive in a fast-paced environment and communicate positively with customers and the sales team. Candidates must have experience in the automotive aftermarket wheel industry and be willing to travel. Bilingual (Spanish/English) is preferred.
Hellwig is hiring a director of operations to oversee management of all operations to produce products in the most cost-effective manner within quality standards. Responsibilities include overseeing maximum efficiency in design and production, ensuring inventory and deliverables operate at levels that meet customers’ needs and established financial benchmarks, formulating and recommending policies and programs that guide the company in maintaining and improving its competitive position and the profitability of the operation, and directing activities so that approved deliverables are completed on schedule and within quality standards and cost objectives. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related major or equivalent combination of education and experience; an extensive and diversified background with at least five years of industry experience; and knowledge of the industry, human resources laws and regulations and employee relations skills.
The young man on the floor, Speed Graphic camera in hand, is Robert E. Petersen, circa 1946–1947. Barely in his 20s, Petersen had returned to Los Angeles after serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He wanted to get his job back at MGM Studios, where he had worked in the publicity department. But with so many veterans looking to do the same, MGM couldn’t employ them all, and Petersen was caught up in a round of layoffs. He and another vet in the same situation, Robert Lindsay, decided to form their own PR agency, the Hollywood Publicity Associates. Among their first clients was the Southern California Timing Association.
Formed in 1937 to organize speed trials on Southern California’s dry lakes, the SCTA was facing a crisis: While their members were earnest young men and women in the quest for speed in organized competition, the media at the time were painting a lurid picture of the “Hot Rod Menace:” wheeled delinquents in souped-up jalopies wreaking havoc on public roads. In these newspaper accounts, hot rodders and hoodlums were synonymous terms. The SCTA needed a way to shift public opinion to something far more positive.
Association members came up with an idea to display their race cars in a show as a way to demonstrate that their motivations were far from the outlaw crowd the papers wrote about. They asked the HPA to promote the show, which would take place at the National Guard Armory in Los Angeles in January 1948.
Among the HPA’s tasks was the production of a show program, and Petersen took on the job of selling ads for the program. He called on the parts manufacturers and speed shops that made up the young speed-equipment industry, from Vic Edelbrock, Phil Weiand and Barney Navarro to Blair’s Auto Parts, Bell Auto Parts and SO-CAL Speed Shop. While getting to know those performance pioneers, Petersen saw an opportunity to promote this growing movement with a magazine. He knew cars—he had spent a lot of his youth helping his father, a mechanic for the Department of Water and Power—and he knew photography, thanks to Uncle Sam and his aerial reconnaissance photo training. His HPA partner Lindsay provided the publishing connections, as his father was the founder of the Tailwaggers dog club and produced the club’s magazine.
Petersen and Lindsay considered several titles for their publication, but decided to call it Hot Rod, despite the term’s negative meaning at the time. There was no use dancing around the topic, they felt. The magazine was about hot rods and hot rodding, so the title should be direct and to the point.
The first issue was published in January 1948. In their Editor’s Column, Petersen and Lindsay wrote that “Hot Rod is designed to inform and entertain those interested in automobiles whose engines and bodies have been rebuilt for better performance and appearance.” Those words have remained the guiding principle for Hot Rod editors, writers and photographers for 75 years.
The Internal Revenue Service has set the standard business-mileage deduction at 65.5 cents per mile for 2023, up 3 cents from the previous midyear increase, which set the rate for the second half of 2022. The mileage calculation includes the cost of fuel, along with other vehicle fixed and variable operating expenses, such as depreciation, insurance, tires etc. These rates apply to electric and hybrid-electric automobiles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.
Companies and individuals who use their automobiles (including vans, pickups, and panel trucks) for business have the option of using the standard rate in lieu of keeping records of their actual expenses.
For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.
SEMA-supported bipartisan retirement plan legislation was enacted into law as part of the FY 2023 omnibus spending package. Referred to as the SECURE Act 2.0, the provisions expand the SECURE Act 1.0 reforms enacted in 2019. The revisions include:
Automatic Enrollment: starting in 2025, any 401(k) or 403(b) plans established after December 29, 2022 will be required to automatically enroll workers at between 3% and 10% of pay, unless the employee chooses to opt-out. The savings rate will then increase by 1 percentage point a year until it hits 10% to 15%. The intent of the provision is to expand retirement plan participation.
Catch-Up Contributions: Catch-up limits for workers contributing to their 401(k) accounts who are 50 years and older will rise in 2023 to an extra $7,500 a year. The limit will rise to at least $10,000 a year for people 60 to 63 starting in 2025. The catch-up limits are also subject to inflation adjustments.
Tax Credits for Small Employers: Starting in 2023, employers with 50 or fewer employees, can qualify for a start-up tax credit of 100%, which was previously 50%.
Required Withdrawal: the age at which people must start withdrawing money from a retirement account has been raised from 72 to 73 starting on January 1, 2023, and to 75 starting on Jan. 1, 2033.
For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.
When the 2017 tax law was enacted, it allowed companies to amortize certain tax deductions over one year, but the benefit was only temporary. The business community urged Congress to extend the provisions in 2022; however, despite widespread support in Congress, lawmakers did not enact the extensions. Of particular interest:
Until 2021, companies could take a 100% tax deduction for research and development spending in the year it occurred. Starting in 2022, companies have to deduct their R&D expenses over a five-year time period.
Under the 2017 law, a company could expense 100% of the cost of any Section 179 property (includes equipment, vehicles, and software) and deduct it in the year the property was placed in service between Sept. 28, 2017 and December 31, 2022. The law increased the maximum deduction to $1 million and increased the phase-out threshold to $2.5 million, adjusted for inflation. The Section 179 deduction now phases out over the next four years: 80% in 2023, 60% in 2024, 40% in 2025, and 20% in 2026. Unless the law is changed by 2027, the bonus deduction will disappear and companies will have to go back to spreading-out the depreciation over many years.
For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.
