Council sponsorship opportunities are now available to promote your brand at this year’s SEMA Show. This is a low-cost, high-value promotional opportunity to gain exposure in front of top companies in various market segments. Depending on the sponsorship level, this may include priority logo placement during the event, premium seating, complimentary drink tickets, exposure in SEMA Member News, SEMA eNews and SEMA websites, and more for as low as $250.

Secure your sponsorship before your competitor does by visiting 2012 SEMA Show Council Reception Sponsorships. The deadline for sponsorship form and logo submission is Friday, August 31, 2012.

To be eligible, you must be a member of the council you intend to sponsor and your company must have submitted a 2012 SEMA Show Exhibitor Space Rental Agreement, provided that your company category is Manufacturer, Publisher/Media, Sole Exclusive Distributor or Business Services. If your company does not fall into these categories, you may also be eligible to sponsor an event.

If you have any questions regarding form submission or eligibility, please contact Monica Terlouw at MonicaT@sema.org (preferred method) or 909-978-6695.

Council sponsorship opportunities are now available to promote your brand at this year’s SEMA Show. This is a low-cost, high-value promotional opportunity to gain exposure in front of top companies in various market segments. Depending on the sponsorship level, this may include priority logo placement during the event, premium seating, complimentary drink tickets, exposure in SEMA Member News, SEMA eNews and SEMA websites, and more for as low as $250.

Secure your sponsorship before your competitor does by visiting 2012 SEMA Show Council Reception Sponsorships. The deadline for sponsorship form and logo submission is Friday, August 31, 2012.

To be eligible, you must be a member of the council you intend to sponsor and your company must have submitted a 2012 SEMA Show Exhibitor Space Rental Agreement, provided that your company category is Manufacturer, Publisher/Media, Sole Exclusive Distributor or Business Services. If your company does not fall into these categories, you may also be eligible to sponsor an event.

If you have any questions regarding form submission or eligibility, please contact Monica Terlouw at MonicaT@sema.org (preferred method) or 909-978-6695.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking public comments on a technical report that suggests new ways to regulate motor-vehicle lighting equipment. The report notes that the lighting standard—Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108—was developed in 1968 and has been incrementally changed during a time when there have been dramatic changes in lighting technology. The report evaluates potential new ways to test to a performance-based standard for which the main goal is to reduce crashes and injuries by adequately increasing vehicle conspicuity and illuminating the roadway. 

The report specifically considers approaches to include whole-vehicle testing for headlighting, asymmetrical headlighting, adaptive forward lighting, headlamp test voltage, sensitivity of headlamps to vertical aim, luminance of signaling and marking lamps, masking of front turn signals and reliability of photometric testing. Comments are due by September 10, 2012. 

For more information or to receive a copy of the report, please contact Stuart Gosswein. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking public comments on a technical report that suggests new ways to regulate motor-vehicle lighting equipment. The report notes that the lighting standard—Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108—was developed in 1968 and has been incrementally changed during a time when there have been dramatic changes in lighting technology. The report evaluates potential new ways to test to a performance-based standard for which the main goal is to reduce crashes and injuries by adequately increasing vehicle conspicuity and illuminating the roadway. 

The report specifically considers approaches to include whole-vehicle testing for headlighting, asymmetrical headlighting, adaptive forward lighting, headlamp test voltage, sensitivity of headlamps to vertical aim, luminance of signaling and marking lamps, masking of front turn signals and reliability of photometric testing. Comments are due by September 10, 2012. 

For more information or to receive a copy of the report, please contact Stuart Gosswein. 

The SEMA Show Website and Exhibitor Manual
It's important that SEMA Show exhibitors know how to navigate the features of the SEMA Show website to plan for the upcoming Show. The site features key information about Show activities, deadlines, marketing opportunities, services and more. The link to the Exhibitor Manual is located on the site at the about the middle of the page in the box titled Exhibitors and at the top if you click on the Exhibitors tab and then Exhibitor Manual option about halfway down the drop-down list. For a direct link, go to www.SEMAShow.com/esm.

Deadline Checklist
Stay on top of your order deadlines by utilizing the Deadline Checklist available with in the Exhibitor Manual. The dates to submit requests, as well as receive advance rates, are all included on the checklist, which is available in PDF format. The checklist will assist exhibitors with Show planning and help to ensure that everything is ordered and in place when the Show opens on October 30. Companies are encouraged to print this page and have it readily available so it can be referenced throughout the year.



Budget Checklist
The Exhibitor Manual includes a budget checklist that will actually calculate your costs for you. The Budget Checklist is a key component to minimizing costly surprises and be completely in control of what you can expect when you arrive in Las Vegas. Simply go to Exhibitor Manual and the first link under “About the Show” on the left column is the "Budget Checklist." Not only will it make calculations for you, but it also reminds you of most details or line items that come with exhibiting at the SEMA Show.

Are You a First-Time Exhibitor?
In order to assist SEMA Show first-timers, or even those who want to ensure they have completed everything they need for the Show, SEMA has created a First-Timer Cheat Sheet in PDF form with the items that are most frequently rented, along with the prices. Exhibitors can review the form to ensure everything is completed before any important deadline. Exhibitors with any questions or who need assistance regarding these items or any others are encouraged to contact Show Management at 702/450-7662, ext. 120, or e-mail SEMA-Exhibit@convexx.com. If you have specific questions for Freeman, feel free to contact Freeman Exhibitor Service Department at 702-407-4696.

Book Your Hotel Rooms Early 

While many companies assure you of the best rates possible, booking directly through SEMA’s housing bureau assures you a rate always better than what the hotel offers direct. Travel Planners will provide you with customer service throughout the year and upon your arrival in Las Vegas.

Using Travel Planners ensures that exhibitors and attendees receive these exclusive benefits:

• No fees for changes for cancellations. Exhibitors and attendees can change or cancel reservations without a penalty up to 72 hours prior to the event.
• No prepayment is required.
• Points toward your hotel membership/loyalty programs.
• The Travel Planners service desk will be on-site for full support from check-in to check-out.

You can book your housing now by reaching the Housing/Lodging page at www.SEMAShow.com. If you have any questions regarding housing for the upcoming SEMA Show, contact Travel Planners at 800-221-3531 or 212-532-1660. 

Please note: Travel Planners is the only official housing bureau associated with the 2012 SEMA Show. No other travel company is endorsed by or affiliated with SEMA and, in fact, many have created unscrupulous tactics that will cost you money in the long run. Entering into financial agreements with such companies can have costly consequences, and they will not be around when you arrive in Las Vegas for the Show.

Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase 


The New Products Showcase will not only present the hottest new products in the automotive aftermarket, but also it will provide exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their other products, which may not be new to the industry, for all the buyers and media to see. This component of the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase is known as Featured Products. This new area will allow buyers and media to scan your products for more information in case they didn’t catch them the first time they were introduced at the SEMA Show, just the same as buyers and media have been scanning the new products for years.

Take advantage of this free marketing opportunity by entering your product before the October 5 deadline. Your first product entry for either "Ideas Alive" or the featured products section is free if entered by October 5 using your SEMA Organizational ID (10 digits with an "O" at the end) when entering your product online at www.SEMAShow.com/newproducts. Questions? E-mail skaye@convexx.com or call 702/450-7662., ext. 124.

International Buyers' Guide
Can international buyers find you at the SEMA Show and year-round? Promote your brands for free through the 2012 SEMA International Buyers' Guide. To participate, use this form. This export directory is distributed to international buyers at the 2012 SEMA Show and year-round at major trade shows internationally. This benefit is available only to 2012 SEMA Show exhibitors. For more information on the 2012 SEMA International Buyers' Guide, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.



Who Do You Contact?
If you have questions and are not sure who to contact, use the Contact Information sheet (PDF) available through the Exhibitor Manual on www.SEMAShow.com. Access the Exhibitor Manual, and click on the Contact Information link located under the About the Show heading near the top left-hand side of the page. The general phone number at SEMA is 909/396-0289, ConvExx Show Management is 702-450-7662 and MotorMedia is 818-248-4449.

The SEMA Show Website and Exhibitor Manual
It's important that SEMA Show exhibitors know how to navigate the features of the SEMA Show website to plan for the upcoming Show. The site features key information about Show activities, deadlines, marketing opportunities, services and more. The link to the Exhibitor Manual is located on the site at the about the middle of the page in the box titled Exhibitors and at the top if you click on the Exhibitors tab and then Exhibitor Manual option about halfway down the drop-down list. For a direct link, go to www.SEMAShow.com/esm.

Deadline Checklist
Stay on top of your order deadlines by utilizing the Deadline Checklist available with in the Exhibitor Manual. The dates to submit requests, as well as receive advance rates, are all included on the checklist, which is available in PDF format. The checklist will assist exhibitors with Show planning and help to ensure that everything is ordered and in place when the Show opens on October 30. Companies are encouraged to print this page and have it readily available so it can be referenced throughout the year.



Budget Checklist
The Exhibitor Manual includes a budget checklist that will actually calculate your costs for you. The Budget Checklist is a key component to minimizing costly surprises and be completely in control of what you can expect when you arrive in Las Vegas. Simply go to Exhibitor Manual and the first link under “About the Show” on the left column is the "Budget Checklist." Not only will it make calculations for you, but it also reminds you of most details or line items that come with exhibiting at the SEMA Show.

Are You a First-Time Exhibitor?
In order to assist SEMA Show first-timers, or even those who want to ensure they have completed everything they need for the Show, SEMA has created a First-Timer Cheat Sheet in PDF form with the items that are most frequently rented, along with the prices. Exhibitors can review the form to ensure everything is completed before any important deadline. Exhibitors with any questions or who need assistance regarding these items or any others are encouraged to contact Show Management at 702/450-7662, ext. 120, or e-mail SEMA-Exhibit@convexx.com. If you have specific questions for Freeman, feel free to contact Freeman Exhibitor Service Department at 702-407-4696.

Book Your Hotel Rooms Early 

While many companies assure you of the best rates possible, booking directly through SEMA’s housing bureau assures you a rate always better than what the hotel offers direct. Travel Planners will provide you with customer service throughout the year and upon your arrival in Las Vegas.

Using Travel Planners ensures that exhibitors and attendees receive these exclusive benefits:

• No fees for changes for cancellations. Exhibitors and attendees can change or cancel reservations without a penalty up to 72 hours prior to the event.
• No prepayment is required.
• Points toward your hotel membership/loyalty programs.
• The Travel Planners service desk will be on-site for full support from check-in to check-out.

You can book your housing now by reaching the Housing/Lodging page at www.SEMAShow.com. If you have any questions regarding housing for the upcoming SEMA Show, contact Travel Planners at 800-221-3531 or 212-532-1660. 

Please note: Travel Planners is the only official housing bureau associated with the 2012 SEMA Show. No other travel company is endorsed by or affiliated with SEMA and, in fact, many have created unscrupulous tactics that will cost you money in the long run. Entering into financial agreements with such companies can have costly consequences, and they will not be around when you arrive in Las Vegas for the Show.

Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase 


The New Products Showcase will not only present the hottest new products in the automotive aftermarket, but also it will provide exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their other products, which may not be new to the industry, for all the buyers and media to see. This component of the Ideas Alive: Featuring the New Products Showcase is known as Featured Products. This new area will allow buyers and media to scan your products for more information in case they didn’t catch them the first time they were introduced at the SEMA Show, just the same as buyers and media have been scanning the new products for years.

Take advantage of this free marketing opportunity by entering your product before the October 5 deadline. Your first product entry for either "Ideas Alive" or the featured products section is free if entered by October 5 using your SEMA Organizational ID (10 digits with an "O" at the end) when entering your product online at www.SEMAShow.com/newproducts. Questions? E-mail skaye@convexx.com or call 702/450-7662., ext. 124.

International Buyers' Guide
Can international buyers find you at the SEMA Show and year-round? Promote your brands for free through the 2012 SEMA International Buyers' Guide. To participate, use this form. This export directory is distributed to international buyers at the 2012 SEMA Show and year-round at major trade shows internationally. This benefit is available only to 2012 SEMA Show exhibitors. For more information on the 2012 SEMA International Buyers' Guide, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.



Who Do You Contact?
If you have questions and are not sure who to contact, use the Contact Information sheet (PDF) available through the Exhibitor Manual on www.SEMAShow.com. Access the Exhibitor Manual, and click on the Contact Information link located under the About the Show heading near the top left-hand side of the page. The general phone number at SEMA is 909/396-0289, ConvExx Show Management is 702-450-7662 and MotorMedia is 818-248-4449.

	Tanner Foust hits the dirt at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Photo: Jakub Nitka/ERC24.com

Tanner Foust Leads Global Rallycross Championship
Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust has a strong lead in the Global Rallycross Championship points after a big race weekend that saw an estimated 45,000 fans in the grandstands at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Saturday.

Foust scored the No. 1 position in qualifying last Friday and then won Saturday's first heat race to bypass the last-chance qualifier and advance directly to the 10-car final. He lined up on the first row of the grid for the race alongside Rockstar Energy and Ford teammate Brian Deegan and rival Travis Pastrana. Foust got an early lead but stalled as he got a bump coming over the pit-lane crossover section, and he was forced to battle traffic for the remaining laps. He clawed his way back into podium contention but crossed the line in a close fourth place, behind Deegan.

Foust's result was enough to keep him in the lead of the championship standings with 62 points. He is now 12 points ahead of closest challenger Samuel Hubinette, who finished second last weekend.

Before he returns to U.S. competition, Foust will once again turn his attention overseas where he is currently third in the competitive European Rallycross Championship rankings. Foust will run back-to-back ERC races in Belgium (August 4–5) and the Netherlands (August 11–12).

	Brian Vickers’ virtual garage includes his Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Toyota Camry.

NASCAR Star Brian Vickers and MyClassicGarage Team Up for Race Weekend at Lenox Industrial Tools
MyClassicGarage—an online resource and tool for car collectors—and NASCAR driver Brian Vickers teamed up during the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup race when MyClassicGarage became the primary sponsor of Vickers’ racecar during his fourth career start of the 2012 season last Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. To kick-off race weekend, Vickers claimed his personal, virtual garage on the MyClassicGarage website. Called the Sheriff’s Shop, Vickers’ virtual garage includes his vintage ’66 Corvette and the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Toyota Camry.

Dave Brown and Karl Chicca scored a win for the Hawk Brakes/San Rafael Mitsubishi at the Nitto Tires United States Touring Car Championship.

Brown/Chicca Make It Three Different Teams in Three Races This Season
The team of Dave Brown and Karl Chicca managed to score a win for the Hawk Brakes/San Rafael Mitsubishi at the Nitto Tires United States Touring Car Championship, June 17, 2012, at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California. Brown became the third driver to score a win this season in as many races. Robert Thorne crossed the line in second place but was later disqualified for avoidable body contact. Scoring second place was Felipe Cabezas who has not finished worse than fourth this season in his TNI Racing Mazdaspeed 3. Taking the last podium position was Pete Bovenberg who has had a terrible season this year in the MBO Motorsports Honda Civic.  

Thorne qualified on pole in his Auto Parts Warehouse Volvo C30 alongside the Mitsubishi of Brown. At the green, Brown used the all-wheel-drive grip of the Mitsubishi to jump to the lead and never looked back. He led every lap of the race and won comfortably.

Cabezas prevailed in opening stage of the race and managed to pull away without any problems. Bovenberg has had a rocky season with a 15th-place finish and an eighth-place finish.   

In the GT class, Ken Kurtz used his V8 engine to muscle his way to a victory in his Yokohama/TPIS Pontiac Firebird. Robin Riner’s R&D Builders Ford Mustang finished second and kept his points lead. Dave Levey finished third in the LIC Motorsports Subaru WRX STi in his first USTCC race.

The teams will compete next be at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, California, August 18–19, 2012. 

Team Bully Dog Wins Pro Street, Logs New Personal Best
The most recent long haul on the National Hot Rod Diesel Association’s (NHRDA) Pro Street circuit had Team Bully Dog winding their way through the north woods of Minnesota to Brainerd International Raceway.

The team discovered a fault in the race truck’s transmission during the test and tune on Friday and after helping another team get running, they sacrificed some sleep to get it fixed. After the late night, Team Bully Dog's Jarid Vollmer took to the track, competing in both his own Pro Street class as well as the Pro Stock class.

Vollmer first qualified for Pro Stock, clocking a 9.46-second quarter-mile at 152.81 mph. He followed this up with a Pro Street qualifying run of 9.57 seconds at 149.46 mph. In the Pro Street finals, Vollmer chased down a personal best of 9.38 seconds at 153.54 mph, winning that class. A nitro issue during the Pro Stock finale pushed Vollmer’s time back to a 10.78 at 91.22 mph, and resulted in some minor engine damage.

	B-Spec cars have been running both Pirelli World Challenge and SCCA Club Racing this season. Photo: Mark Weber/SCCA

Pirelli World Challenge, SCCA Announce Partnership for B-Spec Shootout at National Championship Runoffs
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and Pirelli World Challenge have announced the “B-Spec Shootout Presented by Pirelli World Challenge” at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs as part of the subclass of the Showroom Stock C race. Top finishers in the race can win cash and entries into the Pirelli World Challenge Championships Touring Car-B class for the 2013 season.

While not an official SCCA National class in 2012, B-Spec will run within the Showroom Stock C race, Thursday, Sept. 20—the opening day of four days of National Championship races at Road America.

As part of the partnership with Pirelli World Challenge, winners will receive $3,000 and have all 2013 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car B entry fees waived, with $1,500 going to the runner-up and $500 to third place. The second- and third-place finishers will also get a two-race entry fee and a single-race entry fee waiver for TCB in 2013, respectively.

In addition, The B-Spec Shootout will get a full post-race podium celebration, coverage on SCCA.com and during the live Runoffs broadcast on SpeedcastTV.com. The streaming web program will include a piece on the birth of the B-Spec concept and the successful debut season of Touring Car B in Pirelli World Challenge.

The B-Spec rule set was developed by the SCCA to allow drivers to use the same car in a number of platforms, including SCCA Club Racing and the Pirelli World Challenge, with minimal changes. Already this season, Joel Lipperini has run a SafeRacer National Series race at Lime Rock Park, then driven overnight to finish second in the Pirelli World Challenge race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in the same weekend.

As part of the program, each B-Spec competitor in SSC will run special Pirelli World Challenge B-Spec Shootout numberboards. Numberboards and numbers for each side of the car will be supplied by SCCA. Drivers may run any SSC-eligible tire brand and may also run for that brand’s contingency program.

	For the third time this year, both Scott-Eklund Racing 600 bhp, 2L, 16-valve Saab 9-3s made it to the final.

Scott-Eklund Racing Secures First GRC Podium
Scott-Eklund Racing secured its first podium in the Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) with a fighting second place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Saturday July 14. 



American Samuel Hubinette, driving the Eneos Motor Oil-backed Saab 9-3, finished second in his qualifying heat to advance into the final for the fourth time this year and, after a battle with Travis Pastrana, crossed the line more than a second adrift at the flag. After a strong finish both in Charlotte and Texas, the result puts 41-year-old Hubinette into second place overall in the points table.



For the third time this year, both 600 bhp, 2L, 16-valve Saab 9-3s made it to the final. Scott-Eklund Racing Team Principal Andy Scott recovered well from a broken right rear wheel in qualifying to line up on the second row for his heat. 



A great start for the Dumfries fisherman allowed him to battle for the lead going into the tight first corner, but a hit from Ken Block on the descent from the first ramp jump saw Scott sidelined with steering damage.



The Scott-Eklund Racing team made rapid repairs to the Scott Trawlers-backed Saab 9-3 to allow him to take up a place in the Last Chance Qualifying race, from which the top four would advance into the final. With limited time between the restarted heat and the LCQ, a full repair could not be carried out, with Trawlers taking up position with the steering not fully fixed.



Despite that handicap, the British Rallycross vice champion progressed through the field well, taking the long jump on the opening lap and steadily moving up the order to take fourth to put him into the final alongside his teammate Hubinette.



At the start, Hubinette made a good getaway and was immediately pushing hard for the final podium spot. He drew alongside Pastrana to move ahead as they entered the crossover, but as the pair ran nose-to-tail, Hubinette was tapped from behind and forced wide, allowing Pastrana through and into the lead, which he held to the flag.

A solid drive by Trawlers, with the steering not fully operational, netted a strong sixth place to move him up to eighth place in the points, just 12 points adrift of Hubinette.

	The Quarter Mile Foundation has now recorded 179 pioneer interviews for the PROJECT 1320 documentary film about the early days of drag racing and the performance automotive aftermarket.

Quarter Mile Foundation Adds 16 More Pioneer Interviews
The Quarter Mile Foundation’s efforts to capture first-person interviews of many of the surviving pioneers of drag racing were boosted by the addition of 15 more veterans (plus a spouse) at the recent 11th Annual York – U.S. 30 Reunion and Nostalgia Nationals at the York (Pennsylvania) Expo Center, July 13–14, 2012).

Using facilities within the York Expo Center at York Fairgrounds to record the interviews, the Foundation added a number of East Coast racers, promoters, photographers, journalists and aftermarket figures to the historical record of the sport.

The interviewees were:

• Margaret Altizer
• Arnie (“The Farmer”) Beswick
• Francis Butler
• Gordy Foust
• Dave Hale  
• Ben Koch
• Judy (“Miss Mighty Mopar”) Lilly
• Larry Lombardo
• Bob (“Beaver Bob”) McCardle
• Bill Pratt
• Frank Spittle
• Jere Stahl
• Jim Stuempfle
• Chuck Stolze 
• Arlen (“Akron Arlen”)  Vanke

The Foundation expanded the interview of former NHRA Division One Director and York Reunion promoter Darwin Doll, whose interview was shortened at the 2011 event. Additionally, Margaret Altizer, the wife of Gene Altizer (S&S Racing Team), added a wife’s unique perspective of the powerhouse “Gasser” teams in the ’60s, as well as her continued involvement with the team’s strong presence in the today’s drag-racing nostalgia movement.

The Foundation has now recorded 179 pioneer interviews for the PROJECT 1320 documentary film about the early days of drag racing and the performance automotive aftermarket. The Foundation will film more pioneer interviews at the NHRA’s MAC Tools U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis over the Labor Day weekend.

	Tanner Foust hits the dirt at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Photo: Jakub Nitka/ERC24.com

Tanner Foust Leads Global Rallycross Championship
Rockstar Energy Drink driver Tanner Foust has a strong lead in the Global Rallycross Championship points after a big race weekend that saw an estimated 45,000 fans in the grandstands at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Saturday.

Foust scored the No. 1 position in qualifying last Friday and then won Saturday's first heat race to bypass the last-chance qualifier and advance directly to the 10-car final. He lined up on the first row of the grid for the race alongside Rockstar Energy and Ford teammate Brian Deegan and rival Travis Pastrana. Foust got an early lead but stalled as he got a bump coming over the pit-lane crossover section, and he was forced to battle traffic for the remaining laps. He clawed his way back into podium contention but crossed the line in a close fourth place, behind Deegan.

Foust's result was enough to keep him in the lead of the championship standings with 62 points. He is now 12 points ahead of closest challenger Samuel Hubinette, who finished second last weekend.

Before he returns to U.S. competition, Foust will once again turn his attention overseas where he is currently third in the competitive European Rallycross Championship rankings. Foust will run back-to-back ERC races in Belgium (August 4–5) and the Netherlands (August 11–12).

	Brian Vickers’ virtual garage includes his Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Toyota Camry.

NASCAR Star Brian Vickers and MyClassicGarage Team Up for Race Weekend at Lenox Industrial Tools
MyClassicGarage—an online resource and tool for car collectors—and NASCAR driver Brian Vickers teamed up during the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup race when MyClassicGarage became the primary sponsor of Vickers’ racecar during his fourth career start of the 2012 season last Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. To kick-off race weekend, Vickers claimed his personal, virtual garage on the MyClassicGarage website. Called the Sheriff’s Shop, Vickers’ virtual garage includes his vintage ’66 Corvette and the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Toyota Camry.

Dave Brown and Karl Chicca scored a win for the Hawk Brakes/San Rafael Mitsubishi at the Nitto Tires United States Touring Car Championship.

Brown/Chicca Make It Three Different Teams in Three Races This Season
The team of Dave Brown and Karl Chicca managed to score a win for the Hawk Brakes/San Rafael Mitsubishi at the Nitto Tires United States Touring Car Championship, June 17, 2012, at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, California. Brown became the third driver to score a win this season in as many races. Robert Thorne crossed the line in second place but was later disqualified for avoidable body contact. Scoring second place was Felipe Cabezas who has not finished worse than fourth this season in his TNI Racing Mazdaspeed 3. Taking the last podium position was Pete Bovenberg who has had a terrible season this year in the MBO Motorsports Honda Civic.  

Thorne qualified on pole in his Auto Parts Warehouse Volvo C30 alongside the Mitsubishi of Brown. At the green, Brown used the all-wheel-drive grip of the Mitsubishi to jump to the lead and never looked back. He led every lap of the race and won comfortably.

Cabezas prevailed in opening stage of the race and managed to pull away without any problems. Bovenberg has had a rocky season with a 15th-place finish and an eighth-place finish.   

In the GT class, Ken Kurtz used his V8 engine to muscle his way to a victory in his Yokohama/TPIS Pontiac Firebird. Robin Riner’s R&D Builders Ford Mustang finished second and kept his points lead. Dave Levey finished third in the LIC Motorsports Subaru WRX STi in his first USTCC race.

The teams will compete next be at Thunderhill Raceway in Willows, California, August 18–19, 2012. 

Team Bully Dog Wins Pro Street, Logs New Personal Best
The most recent long haul on the National Hot Rod Diesel Association’s (NHRDA) Pro Street circuit had Team Bully Dog winding their way through the north woods of Minnesota to Brainerd International Raceway.

The team discovered a fault in the race truck’s transmission during the test and tune on Friday and after helping another team get running, they sacrificed some sleep to get it fixed. After the late night, Team Bully Dog's Jarid Vollmer took to the track, competing in both his own Pro Street class as well as the Pro Stock class.

Vollmer first qualified for Pro Stock, clocking a 9.46-second quarter-mile at 152.81 mph. He followed this up with a Pro Street qualifying run of 9.57 seconds at 149.46 mph. In the Pro Street finals, Vollmer chased down a personal best of 9.38 seconds at 153.54 mph, winning that class. A nitro issue during the Pro Stock finale pushed Vollmer’s time back to a 10.78 at 91.22 mph, and resulted in some minor engine damage.

	B-Spec cars have been running both Pirelli World Challenge and SCCA Club Racing this season. Photo: Mark Weber/SCCA

Pirelli World Challenge, SCCA Announce Partnership for B-Spec Shootout at National Championship Runoffs
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and Pirelli World Challenge have announced the “B-Spec Shootout Presented by Pirelli World Challenge” at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs as part of the subclass of the Showroom Stock C race. Top finishers in the race can win cash and entries into the Pirelli World Challenge Championships Touring Car-B class for the 2013 season.

While not an official SCCA National class in 2012, B-Spec will run within the Showroom Stock C race, Thursday, Sept. 20—the opening day of four days of National Championship races at Road America.

As part of the partnership with Pirelli World Challenge, winners will receive $3,000 and have all 2013 Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car B entry fees waived, with $1,500 going to the runner-up and $500 to third place. The second- and third-place finishers will also get a two-race entry fee and a single-race entry fee waiver for TCB in 2013, respectively.

In addition, The B-Spec Shootout will get a full post-race podium celebration, coverage on SCCA.com and during the live Runoffs broadcast on SpeedcastTV.com. The streaming web program will include a piece on the birth of the B-Spec concept and the successful debut season of Touring Car B in Pirelli World Challenge.

The B-Spec rule set was developed by the SCCA to allow drivers to use the same car in a number of platforms, including SCCA Club Racing and the Pirelli World Challenge, with minimal changes. Already this season, Joel Lipperini has run a SafeRacer National Series race at Lime Rock Park, then driven overnight to finish second in the Pirelli World Challenge race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in the same weekend.

As part of the program, each B-Spec competitor in SSC will run special Pirelli World Challenge B-Spec Shootout numberboards. Numberboards and numbers for each side of the car will be supplied by SCCA. Drivers may run any SSC-eligible tire brand and may also run for that brand’s contingency program.

	For the third time this year, both Scott-Eklund Racing 600 bhp, 2L, 16-valve Saab 9-3s made it to the final.

Scott-Eklund Racing Secures First GRC Podium
Scott-Eklund Racing secured its first podium in the Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) with a fighting second place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Saturday July 14. 



American Samuel Hubinette, driving the Eneos Motor Oil-backed Saab 9-3, finished second in his qualifying heat to advance into the final for the fourth time this year and, after a battle with Travis Pastrana, crossed the line more than a second adrift at the flag. After a strong finish both in Charlotte and Texas, the result puts 41-year-old Hubinette into second place overall in the points table.



For the third time this year, both 600 bhp, 2L, 16-valve Saab 9-3s made it to the final. Scott-Eklund Racing Team Principal Andy Scott recovered well from a broken right rear wheel in qualifying to line up on the second row for his heat. 



A great start for the Dumfries fisherman allowed him to battle for the lead going into the tight first corner, but a hit from Ken Block on the descent from the first ramp jump saw Scott sidelined with steering damage.



The Scott-Eklund Racing team made rapid repairs to the Scott Trawlers-backed Saab 9-3 to allow him to take up a place in the Last Chance Qualifying race, from which the top four would advance into the final. With limited time between the restarted heat and the LCQ, a full repair could not be carried out, with Trawlers taking up position with the steering not fully fixed.



Despite that handicap, the British Rallycross vice champion progressed through the field well, taking the long jump on the opening lap and steadily moving up the order to take fourth to put him into the final alongside his teammate Hubinette.



At the start, Hubinette made a good getaway and was immediately pushing hard for the final podium spot. He drew alongside Pastrana to move ahead as they entered the crossover, but as the pair ran nose-to-tail, Hubinette was tapped from behind and forced wide, allowing Pastrana through and into the lead, which he held to the flag.

A solid drive by Trawlers, with the steering not fully operational, netted a strong sixth place to move him up to eighth place in the points, just 12 points adrift of Hubinette.

	The Quarter Mile Foundation has now recorded 179 pioneer interviews for the PROJECT 1320 documentary film about the early days of drag racing and the performance automotive aftermarket.

Quarter Mile Foundation Adds 16 More Pioneer Interviews
The Quarter Mile Foundation’s efforts to capture first-person interviews of many of the surviving pioneers of drag racing were boosted by the addition of 15 more veterans (plus a spouse) at the recent 11th Annual York – U.S. 30 Reunion and Nostalgia Nationals at the York (Pennsylvania) Expo Center, July 13–14, 2012).

Using facilities within the York Expo Center at York Fairgrounds to record the interviews, the Foundation added a number of East Coast racers, promoters, photographers, journalists and aftermarket figures to the historical record of the sport.

The interviewees were:

• Margaret Altizer
• Arnie (“The Farmer”) Beswick
• Francis Butler
• Gordy Foust
• Dave Hale  
• Ben Koch
• Judy (“Miss Mighty Mopar”) Lilly
• Larry Lombardo
• Bob (“Beaver Bob”) McCardle
• Bill Pratt
• Frank Spittle
• Jere Stahl
• Jim Stuempfle
• Chuck Stolze 
• Arlen (“Akron Arlen”)  Vanke

The Foundation expanded the interview of former NHRA Division One Director and York Reunion promoter Darwin Doll, whose interview was shortened at the 2011 event. Additionally, Margaret Altizer, the wife of Gene Altizer (S&S Racing Team), added a wife’s unique perspective of the powerhouse “Gasser” teams in the ’60s, as well as her continued involvement with the team’s strong presence in the today’s drag-racing nostalgia movement.

The Foundation has now recorded 179 pioneer interviews for the PROJECT 1320 documentary film about the early days of drag racing and the performance automotive aftermarket. The Foundation will film more pioneer interviews at the NHRA’s MAC Tools U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis over the Labor Day weekend.

The photo gallery located at www.semaphotos.com features thousands of pictures of products featured in the Show's New Products Showcase, vehicles on display and exhibiting companies from the 2011 SEMA Show. Each week in SEMA eNews, a new collection of vehicle photos is highlighted. In the spotlight this week are vehicles from Chevrolet.

In addition to the vehicle photos, the product photos also include key details, such as product name, a brief description and exhibitor contact information.

The photo gallery located at www.semaphotos.com features thousands of pictures of products featured in the Show's New Products Showcase, vehicles on display and exhibiting companies from the 2011 SEMA Show. Each week in SEMA eNews, a new collection of vehicle photos is highlighted. In the spotlight this week are vehicles from Chevrolet.

In addition to the vehicle photos, the product photos also include key details, such as product name, a brief description and exhibitor contact information.