The Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino and The Plaza Hotel & Casino have undergone extensive renovations and have been added to the official block for this year's Show.

SEMA—along with its official housing bureau, Travel Planners—has negotiated discounted hotel rates with several properties for this year's SEMA Show that have not been in the official block in a long time.

Many people know that downtown Las Vegas has numerous hotels that are consistently lower priced than hotels on the Strip. SEMA has partnered with two hotels downtown—the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino and The Plaza Hotel & Casino, both of which have undergone extensive renovations and expansions in the last few years. The Golden Nugget is rated four diamonds by AAA and the Plaza just reopened after a year-long renovation to all new hotel rooms, restaurants and amenities. Rates start as low as $65 per night at the Golden Nugget with Show days $85 per night, and the Plaza is $65 for all nights of the Show. 

With these new hotel partners, SEMA will provide complimentary shuttle service from Downtown Las Vegas to the Las Vegas Convention Center, further saving money and providing value to attendees and exhibitors coming to Las Vegas this year.

If you are looking for a new place to stay on the Strip this year, Mandalay Bay has joined the list of official partner hotels at a low rate of $80 per night on many nights and $110 per night during Show days. This includes all the benefits of the $25 resort fee, which will be waived if you book through SEMA’s official housing bureau, Travel Planners. SEMA will also provide complimentary shuttle service between Mandalay Bay and the Las Vegas Convention Center during the SEMA Show.

If you want to stay in a hotel within walking distance of the Las Vegas Convention Center, and casinos are not your thing, SEMA has added the Embassy Suites at the Las Vegas Convention Center to its list of partner hotels. The Embassy Suites is offering a discounted rate of $169 per night while supplies last. These will go fast, so book soon if you want to stay there.

SEMA and Travel Planners have worked hard to ensure your hotel accommodations are easy to make and affordable. If you ever have any questions, call Travel Planners directly at 800-221-3531. There are numerous travel agencies and brokers soliciting your business, yet SEMA does not approve or support any efforts by such companies. Travel Planners is the only authorized agent of the SEMA Show. All other agencies have no affiliation with SEMA whatsoever and reservations made through such companies will be at your own risk.

NEWS NUGGETS

CAPPS READY TO DEFEND BACK-TO-BACK TITLES IN SONOMA: Ron Capps, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, is one of the most recognizable faces on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour thanks to his NAPA TV commercials and his social media following, but when the NHRA heads to Sonoma for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, he’ll be even more recognizable because Sonoma is home to him.

“The place is like home to me, so is the whole [Western] Swing, but Sonoma is always a place that's got a big gold circle around it,” Capps said. “Every season, we pack the motorhome, and everybody that I went to high school with, I grew up with, my family, everybody is there; we stay in the motorhome up on the hill, and it's just a big homecoming for me. It's good karma; I love that place.”

Not only is Capps a fan of Sonoma because it’s his home track, but he also has been pretty successful at the track set among the beautiful backdrop of the Sonoma Valley with hills of wineries as far as the eye can see. In addition to being the defending event winner, he has won the event the last two times the NHRA has stopped in Sonoma.

“I kind of forgot it was back to back,” Capps said. “I remember winning last year and going to Disneyland with my kids the day after on our way home, and I forgot actually that we won the year before.”

For tickets for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, call Sonoma, 800-870-RACE (7223), or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

Top Fuel leader Spencer Massey was one of seven drivers to clinch Countdown playoff berths in Denver.

SEVEN DRIVERS CLINCH COUNTDOWN POSITIONS IN DENVER: Two more drivers clinched Countdown playoff berths last Sunday as the result of final eliminations at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, bringing the number of drivers who have secured their invitations to the Countdown to the Championship playoffs to seven. Spencer Massey clinched by reaching the Top Fuel semifinals and Andrew Hines by reaching the second round of Pro Stock Motorcycle. In qualifying, Funny Car’s Robert Hight; Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson, Jason Line and Allen Johnson; and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Eddie Krawiec secured berths. The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series regular season concludes Labor Day weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. A six-race playoff series will lead to the crowning of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs.

COUNTDOWN FIELDS TO DATE


Top Fuel


1. Spencer Massey

Funny Car


1. Robert Hight

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson
2. Jason Line

3. Allen Johnson

Pro Stock Motorcycle


1. Eddie Krawiec

2. Andrew Hines

ALLEN JOHNSON RACES TO FULL THROTTLE SERIES LEAD IN PRO STOCK: Allen Johnson has so much confidence in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger that he’s talking about sweeping the Western Swing. The Tennessee driver got off to a great start in the grueling three-races-in-three-weeks test with a win at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. Next up, the NHRA Sonoma Nationals in Wine Country. Johnson has dominated recently in Denver, and his win last weekend was his fourth in the last six consecutive final rounds at the mile-high track. For only the second time in his 17-year career, Johnson moved into the top spot in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points standings. He also clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs.

“You know, this is a tough danged sport,” Johnson said. “I don’t care what anybody says. I don’t care how good your car is running. It’s tough to win. For the rest of the Western Swing, we’ve got the car, and if I can do my job, we can bring out that broom at the end.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS, SONOMA, July 27–29: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 14th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season in the San Francisco Bay area of Northern California, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points in the battles for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-870-RACE (7223) or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS, PACIFIC RACEWAYS, August 3–5: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 15th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season in the Northwest, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points in the battles for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATix.com.

LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS, BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, August 16–19: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 16th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points at the penultimate race in the regular season for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 218-824-7223 or log on to TicketReturn.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

ANOTHER FINAL ROUND FOR COURTNEY FORCE: For the second time in three races, rookie Funny Car driver Courtney Force advanced to the final round in her Traxxas Ford Mustang. In Denver at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, she dropped an incredibly close race to veteran driver Jack Beckman, losing by nine-thousandths of a second in the final, 4.289 seconds to 4.277 seconds. Force reached her first Funny Car final in Chicago two races ago.

“We had a great day. Making it all the way to the final round was huge for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team,” she said. “Going up against someone like [Ron] Capps [in the semifinals] was tough. It’s definitely a challenge taking on someone like that, so getting that win against him was huge. Going to our second final in three races shows that I have a great race car, and we’re constantly fighting for that top 10 spot. We definitely have a shot at it.” With the final-round effort, she moved to sixth place in the Funny Car points order.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

1: TOP FUEL ROOKIE alBALOOSHI EARNS FIRST ROUND-WIN OF SEASON: At the 13th race of the season, Khalid alBalooshi raced to his first eliminations round-victory of the season, outrunning seven-time world champ Tony Schumacher in first-round action at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. The rookie driver had posted 12 first-round losses prior to his breakthrough win behind the wheel of the Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster.

“I saw the win light, but I didn’t believe it,” alBalooshi said. “Before the first round, I felt good; I felt everything was OK. The problem was I felt that way before, but we still lost. Today we won the round, and it felt very good. Everybody on our team, our crew chief [Jason McCulloch] and all of the guys, have been working so hard, and I am happy we won the round. I feel much better with the first-round win, but I am sorry we lost in the second round; I wanted us to get to the semifinals, but I look forward to racing again next weekend.”

DID YOU KNOW…

COUNTDOWN BERTHS UP FOR GRABS FOR 10 DRIVERS IN SONOMA: As many as 10 drivers can punch their tickets to the playoffs by earning a berth to the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship with a strong performance at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals this weekend. Drivers who can clinch are Antron Brown, Tony Schumacher and Steve Torrence in Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Mike Neff and Jack Beckman in Funny Car; Mike Edwards and Vincent Nobile in Pro Stock; and Hector Arana Jr. and Hector Arana Sr. in Pro Stock Motorcycle. For tickets for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, call Sonoma, 800-870-RACE (7223), or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

NEWS NUGGETS

CAPPS READY TO DEFEND BACK-TO-BACK TITLES IN SONOMA: Ron Capps, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, is one of the most recognizable faces on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour thanks to his NAPA TV commercials and his social media following, but when the NHRA heads to Sonoma for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, he’ll be even more recognizable because Sonoma is home to him.

“The place is like home to me, so is the whole [Western] Swing, but Sonoma is always a place that's got a big gold circle around it,” Capps said. “Every season, we pack the motorhome, and everybody that I went to high school with, I grew up with, my family, everybody is there; we stay in the motorhome up on the hill, and it's just a big homecoming for me. It's good karma; I love that place.”

Not only is Capps a fan of Sonoma because it’s his home track, but he also has been pretty successful at the track set among the beautiful backdrop of the Sonoma Valley with hills of wineries as far as the eye can see. In addition to being the defending event winner, he has won the event the last two times the NHRA has stopped in Sonoma.

“I kind of forgot it was back to back,” Capps said. “I remember winning last year and going to Disneyland with my kids the day after on our way home, and I forgot actually that we won the year before.”

For tickets for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, call Sonoma, 800-870-RACE (7223), or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

Top Fuel leader Spencer Massey was one of seven drivers to clinch Countdown playoff berths in Denver.

SEVEN DRIVERS CLINCH COUNTDOWN POSITIONS IN DENVER: Two more drivers clinched Countdown playoff berths last Sunday as the result of final eliminations at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, bringing the number of drivers who have secured their invitations to the Countdown to the Championship playoffs to seven. Spencer Massey clinched by reaching the Top Fuel semifinals and Andrew Hines by reaching the second round of Pro Stock Motorcycle. In qualifying, Funny Car’s Robert Hight; Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson, Jason Line and Allen Johnson; and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Eddie Krawiec secured berths. The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series regular season concludes Labor Day weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. A six-race playoff series will lead to the crowning of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs.

COUNTDOWN FIELDS TO DATE


Top Fuel


1. Spencer Massey

Funny Car


1. Robert Hight

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson
2. Jason Line

3. Allen Johnson

Pro Stock Motorcycle


1. Eddie Krawiec

2. Andrew Hines

ALLEN JOHNSON RACES TO FULL THROTTLE SERIES LEAD IN PRO STOCK: Allen Johnson has so much confidence in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger that he’s talking about sweeping the Western Swing. The Tennessee driver got off to a great start in the grueling three-races-in-three-weeks test with a win at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. Next up, the NHRA Sonoma Nationals in Wine Country. Johnson has dominated recently in Denver, and his win last weekend was his fourth in the last six consecutive final rounds at the mile-high track. For only the second time in his 17-year career, Johnson moved into the top spot in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points standings. He also clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs.

“You know, this is a tough danged sport,” Johnson said. “I don’t care what anybody says. I don’t care how good your car is running. It’s tough to win. For the rest of the Western Swing, we’ve got the car, and if I can do my job, we can bring out that broom at the end.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS, SONOMA, July 27–29: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 14th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season in the San Francisco Bay area of Northern California, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points in the battles for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-870-RACE (7223) or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS, PACIFIC RACEWAYS, August 3–5: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 15th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season in the Northwest, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points in the battles for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATix.com.

LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS, BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, August 16–19: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 16th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points at the penultimate race in the regular season for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 218-824-7223 or log on to TicketReturn.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

ANOTHER FINAL ROUND FOR COURTNEY FORCE: For the second time in three races, rookie Funny Car driver Courtney Force advanced to the final round in her Traxxas Ford Mustang. In Denver at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, she dropped an incredibly close race to veteran driver Jack Beckman, losing by nine-thousandths of a second in the final, 4.289 seconds to 4.277 seconds. Force reached her first Funny Car final in Chicago two races ago.

“We had a great day. Making it all the way to the final round was huge for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team,” she said. “Going up against someone like [Ron] Capps [in the semifinals] was tough. It’s definitely a challenge taking on someone like that, so getting that win against him was huge. Going to our second final in three races shows that I have a great race car, and we’re constantly fighting for that top 10 spot. We definitely have a shot at it.” With the final-round effort, she moved to sixth place in the Funny Car points order.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

1: TOP FUEL ROOKIE alBALOOSHI EARNS FIRST ROUND-WIN OF SEASON: At the 13th race of the season, Khalid alBalooshi raced to his first eliminations round-victory of the season, outrunning seven-time world champ Tony Schumacher in first-round action at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. The rookie driver had posted 12 first-round losses prior to his breakthrough win behind the wheel of the Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster.

“I saw the win light, but I didn’t believe it,” alBalooshi said. “Before the first round, I felt good; I felt everything was OK. The problem was I felt that way before, but we still lost. Today we won the round, and it felt very good. Everybody on our team, our crew chief [Jason McCulloch] and all of the guys, have been working so hard, and I am happy we won the round. I feel much better with the first-round win, but I am sorry we lost in the second round; I wanted us to get to the semifinals, but I look forward to racing again next weekend.”

DID YOU KNOW…

COUNTDOWN BERTHS UP FOR GRABS FOR 10 DRIVERS IN SONOMA: As many as 10 drivers can punch their tickets to the playoffs by earning a berth to the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship with a strong performance at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals this weekend. Drivers who can clinch are Antron Brown, Tony Schumacher and Steve Torrence in Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Mike Neff and Jack Beckman in Funny Car; Mike Edwards and Vincent Nobile in Pro Stock; and Hector Arana Jr. and Hector Arana Sr. in Pro Stock Motorcycle. For tickets for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, call Sonoma, 800-870-RACE (7223), or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

NEWS NUGGETS

CAPPS READY TO DEFEND BACK-TO-BACK TITLES IN SONOMA: Ron Capps, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car, is one of the most recognizable faces on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour thanks to his NAPA TV commercials and his social media following, but when the NHRA heads to Sonoma for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, he’ll be even more recognizable because Sonoma is home to him.

“The place is like home to me, so is the whole [Western] Swing, but Sonoma is always a place that's got a big gold circle around it,” Capps said. “Every season, we pack the motorhome, and everybody that I went to high school with, I grew up with, my family, everybody is there; we stay in the motorhome up on the hill, and it's just a big homecoming for me. It's good karma; I love that place.”

Not only is Capps a fan of Sonoma because it’s his home track, but he also has been pretty successful at the track set among the beautiful backdrop of the Sonoma Valley with hills of wineries as far as the eye can see. In addition to being the defending event winner, he has won the event the last two times the NHRA has stopped in Sonoma.

“I kind of forgot it was back to back,” Capps said. “I remember winning last year and going to Disneyland with my kids the day after on our way home, and I forgot actually that we won the year before.”

For tickets for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, call Sonoma, 800-870-RACE (7223), or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

Top Fuel leader Spencer Massey was one of seven drivers to clinch Countdown playoff berths in Denver.

SEVEN DRIVERS CLINCH COUNTDOWN POSITIONS IN DENVER: Two more drivers clinched Countdown playoff berths last Sunday as the result of final eliminations at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, bringing the number of drivers who have secured their invitations to the Countdown to the Championship playoffs to seven. Spencer Massey clinched by reaching the Top Fuel semifinals and Andrew Hines by reaching the second round of Pro Stock Motorcycle. In qualifying, Funny Car’s Robert Hight; Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson, Jason Line and Allen Johnson; and Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Eddie Krawiec secured berths. The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series regular season concludes Labor Day weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus. A six-race playoff series will lead to the crowning of the 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series champs.

COUNTDOWN FIELDS TO DATE


Top Fuel


1. Spencer Massey

Funny Car


1. Robert Hight

Pro Stock

1. Greg Anderson
2. Jason Line

3. Allen Johnson

Pro Stock Motorcycle


1. Eddie Krawiec

2. Andrew Hines

ALLEN JOHNSON RACES TO FULL THROTTLE SERIES LEAD IN PRO STOCK: Allen Johnson has so much confidence in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger that he’s talking about sweeping the Western Swing. The Tennessee driver got off to a great start in the grueling three-races-in-three-weeks test with a win at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. Next up, the NHRA Sonoma Nationals in Wine Country. Johnson has dominated recently in Denver, and his win last weekend was his fourth in the last six consecutive final rounds at the mile-high track. For only the second time in his 17-year career, Johnson moved into the top spot in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points standings. He also clinched his spot in the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s playoffs.

“You know, this is a tough danged sport,” Johnson said. “I don’t care what anybody says. I don’t care how good your car is running. It’s tough to win. For the rest of the Western Swing, we’ve got the car, and if I can do my job, we can bring out that broom at the end.”

COMING ATTRACTIONS

NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS, SONOMA, July 27–29: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 14th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season in the San Francisco Bay area of Northern California, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points in the battles for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-870-RACE (7223) or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS, PACIFIC RACEWAYS, August 3–5: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 15th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season in the Northwest, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points in the battles for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATix.com.

LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS, BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, August 16–19: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 16th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points at the penultimate race in the regular season for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 218-824-7223 or log on to TicketReturn.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

ANOTHER FINAL ROUND FOR COURTNEY FORCE: For the second time in three races, rookie Funny Car driver Courtney Force advanced to the final round in her Traxxas Ford Mustang. In Denver at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, she dropped an incredibly close race to veteran driver Jack Beckman, losing by nine-thousandths of a second in the final, 4.289 seconds to 4.277 seconds. Force reached her first Funny Car final in Chicago two races ago.

“We had a great day. Making it all the way to the final round was huge for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team,” she said. “Going up against someone like [Ron] Capps [in the semifinals] was tough. It’s definitely a challenge taking on someone like that, so getting that win against him was huge. Going to our second final in three races shows that I have a great race car, and we’re constantly fighting for that top 10 spot. We definitely have a shot at it.” With the final-round effort, she moved to sixth place in the Funny Car points order.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

1: TOP FUEL ROOKIE alBALOOSHI EARNS FIRST ROUND-WIN OF SEASON: At the 13th race of the season, Khalid alBalooshi raced to his first eliminations round-victory of the season, outrunning seven-time world champ Tony Schumacher in first-round action at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals. The rookie driver had posted 12 first-round losses prior to his breakthrough win behind the wheel of the Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster.

“I saw the win light, but I didn’t believe it,” alBalooshi said. “Before the first round, I felt good; I felt everything was OK. The problem was I felt that way before, but we still lost. Today we won the round, and it felt very good. Everybody on our team, our crew chief [Jason McCulloch] and all of the guys, have been working so hard, and I am happy we won the round. I feel much better with the first-round win, but I am sorry we lost in the second round; I wanted us to get to the semifinals, but I look forward to racing again next weekend.”

DID YOU KNOW…

COUNTDOWN BERTHS UP FOR GRABS FOR 10 DRIVERS IN SONOMA: As many as 10 drivers can punch their tickets to the playoffs by earning a berth to the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship with a strong performance at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals this weekend. Drivers who can clinch are Antron Brown, Tony Schumacher and Steve Torrence in Top Fuel; Ron Capps, Mike Neff and Jack Beckman in Funny Car; Mike Edwards and Vincent Nobile in Pro Stock; and Hector Arana Jr. and Hector Arana Sr. in Pro Stock Motorcycle. For tickets for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, call Sonoma, 800-870-RACE (7223), or log on to RaceSonoma.com.

	The current edition of Current Topics in the SEMA Market Update asks consumer opinion leaders to name their choices for the hottest products from the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase at the 2011 SEMA Show.

The SEMA Market Update is a regularly published report that tracks industry and economic trends affecting the $30 billion specialty-equipment industry. Each update tracks a regular set of trends and contains a "Current Topics" section that provides SEMA members with new research or information sources to better understand changes in the industry.



Q1 2012 continued to provide mixed messages on the economic recovery. Overall, the U.S. economy is forecast to grow over the next few years, but many are expecting somewhat slower growth than previously forecast. Instability in the job market and overseas, along with the impending election, has created some uncertainty about U.S. recovery.

Automotive indicators continue to show strong growth, with a boost in sales of small and midsize cars. Industry optimism remained high heading into Q2, with most companies expecting sales to be up over last year. 



In this edition of Current Topics, we asked a group of consumer “opinion leaders” to tell us what were the hot products from the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase at the 2011 SEMA Show.

This report, along with all SEMA market research, is available for download at www.sema.org/research.

	The current edition of Current Topics in the SEMA Market Update asks consumer opinion leaders to name their choices for the hottest products from the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase at the 2011 SEMA Show.

The SEMA Market Update is a regularly published report that tracks industry and economic trends affecting the $30 billion specialty-equipment industry. Each update tracks a regular set of trends and contains a "Current Topics" section that provides SEMA members with new research or information sources to better understand changes in the industry.



Q1 2012 continued to provide mixed messages on the economic recovery. Overall, the U.S. economy is forecast to grow over the next few years, but many are expecting somewhat slower growth than previously forecast. Instability in the job market and overseas, along with the impending election, has created some uncertainty about U.S. recovery.

Automotive indicators continue to show strong growth, with a boost in sales of small and midsize cars. Industry optimism remained high heading into Q2, with most companies expecting sales to be up over last year. 



In this edition of Current Topics, we asked a group of consumer “opinion leaders” to tell us what were the hot products from the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase at the 2011 SEMA Show.

This report, along with all SEMA market research, is available for download at www.sema.org/research.

	The current edition of Current Topics in the SEMA Market Update asks consumer opinion leaders to name their choices for the hottest products from the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase at the 2011 SEMA Show.

The SEMA Market Update is a regularly published report that tracks industry and economic trends affecting the $30 billion specialty-equipment industry. Each update tracks a regular set of trends and contains a "Current Topics" section that provides SEMA members with new research or information sources to better understand changes in the industry.



Q1 2012 continued to provide mixed messages on the economic recovery. Overall, the U.S. economy is forecast to grow over the next few years, but many are expecting somewhat slower growth than previously forecast. Instability in the job market and overseas, along with the impending election, has created some uncertainty about U.S. recovery.

Automotive indicators continue to show strong growth, with a boost in sales of small and midsize cars. Industry optimism remained high heading into Q2, with most companies expecting sales to be up over last year. 



In this edition of Current Topics, we asked a group of consumer “opinion leaders” to tell us what were the hot products from the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase at the 2011 SEMA Show.

This report, along with all SEMA market research, is available for download at www.sema.org/research.

	The 4x4 double-cab HiLux being made available to members is pictured in Dubai right before it was shipped to the United States. The first measuring session will take place July 31 and August 1 at SEMA Headquarters.

SEMA is importing the Toyota HiLux 4x4 double cab to the United States as part of a new program to provide SEMA members access to vehicles that are popular overseas but not sold in the United States. With sales of nearly 14 million units in 135 countries worldwide since its introduction, the HiLux is the ideal vehicle for companies looking to prototype new products to enter markets overseas. The HiLux is a top-selling vehicle in key countries/regions, including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South Africa, Central America and the Middle East. Manufacturing companies interested in gathering measurements and specs needed to create products for the popular truck model are encouraged to attend one of the following sessions:

• July 31 – SEMA Headquarters in Diamond Bar, California
• August 1 – SEMA Headquarters in Diamond Bar, California
• August 14 – Link Engineering Facility in Dearborn, Michigan
• August 22 – Clemson University in Greenville, South Carolina

The program is made possible by a Department of Commerce Market Development Cooperator Program grant from the U.S. government, which is working in partnership with SEMA to identify and create export opportunities for SEMA members.

Register now to participate in one of the four ’12 Toyota HiLux Measuring Sessions.

	The 4x4 double-cab HiLux being made available to members is pictured in Dubai right before it was shipped to the United States. The first measuring session will take place July 31 and August 1 at SEMA Headquarters.

SEMA is importing the Toyota HiLux 4x4 double cab to the United States as part of a new program to provide SEMA members access to vehicles that are popular overseas but not sold in the United States. With sales of nearly 14 million units in 135 countries worldwide since its introduction, the HiLux is the ideal vehicle for companies looking to prototype new products to enter markets overseas. The HiLux is a top-selling vehicle in key countries/regions, including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South Africa, Central America and the Middle East. Manufacturing companies interested in gathering measurements and specs needed to create products for the popular truck model are encouraged to attend one of the following sessions:

• July 31 – SEMA Headquarters in Diamond Bar, California
• August 1 – SEMA Headquarters in Diamond Bar, California
• August 14 – Link Engineering Facility in Dearborn, Michigan
• August 22 – Clemson University in Greenville, South Carolina

The program is made possible by a Department of Commerce Market Development Cooperator Program grant from the U.S. government, which is working in partnership with SEMA to identify and create export opportunities for SEMA members.

Register now to participate in one of the four ’12 Toyota HiLux Measuring Sessions.

	Bob Phibbs

Do you try to motivate everyone on your sales team using exactly the same techniques? This "one-size-fits-all" approach can produce mediocre results. It sounds great to create an incentive program to juice sales, but what motivates a driver personality style is much different than an amiable personality. Understanding all four (including the expressive and the amiable) with their strengths and weaknesses have consistently led to higher sales in many different industries.

Join Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor, and the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) for a webinar, Thursday, August 2, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), as they explore four personality styles and how to keep these very different personality types motivated.

Phibbs has helped hundreds of small- and medium-sized businesses in every major industry. He is a nationally recognized expert on business strategy, customer service, sales and marketing. With more than 30 years' experience beginning in the trenches of retail and extending to senior management positions, he has been a corporate officer, franchisor and entrepreneur.

If you are trying to get more from your team, join Phibbs and SEI, Thursday, August 2, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT). Register today!

Participate live or download the webinar when it’s convenient. And remember: SEMA webinars are free to SEMA members and only $29 for non-members.