Mad as heck with Washington politics? The SEMA Washington Rally is your chance to do something about it.
SEMA will host the Washington Rally on Thursday, September 22. If you’ve never been, it is a unique opportunity to connect with your elected officials in our nation’s capital to discuss the issues that matter most to you, your company and our industry. The Rally is exclusively for SEMA members and there are no registration fees. Click here to register.
Whether it’s standing up for the RPM Act, emissions compliance or vehicle technology, there are many issues facing SEMA members in the nation’s capital. That’s what makes participation in the Washington Rally so important.
SEMA will arrange for meetings with your elected officials and staff will provide you with briefing materials in advance. A member of the SEMA Government Affairs team will even join you in your meetings to ensure everything goes smoothly. Lastly, special guest speakers will join SEMA members at a Capitol Hill luncheon and for a reception and dinner that evening.
Registration closes on September 1. Questions? Please contact Christian Robinson at (202) 794-8279 or christianr@sema.org.
The grand opening of the SEMA Garage Detroit will be held Thursday, August 18, from 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. (EDT), in the new facility at 14655 Jib St., Plymouth, MI 48170.
Be one of the first to view this state-of-the-art facility that will bring automotive aftermarket products to market even faster. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore all the innovative services the new SEMA Garage Detroit will offer and tour the brand-new facility while enjoying food, drinks, music, giveaways and more.
SEMA Show exhibitors and attendees preparing for the 2022 SEMA Show can lock in the guaranteed lowest hotel rate now by booking in the SEMA Show Block.
Making hotel reservations in the Block provides you with the most affordable and convenient options for a wide range of hotels located on and off the Strip.
A number of non-casino properties, such as Vdara, are offering discounted rates for SEMA Show guests.
All of the hotels available through the SEMA Show Block come with a low-price guarantee. To help ensure that your price remains the lowest, SEMA will price-match lower advertised rates, even after your reservations are set. Whether you're looking for your favorite place to stay, or for a hotel within close proximity to the Show, you can book with confidence knowing you will get the rooms you need at the the most affordable price available.
The SEMA Show also provides shuttle service to and from the Show for the hotels listed that are not within walking distance to the Las Vegas Convention Center.
There are more than 45 hotels available in the block. For more information on the hotels listed below, including rating, price per night and distance from the Las Vegas Convention Center, visit www.SEMAShow.com.
Looking for a quiet, no-frills hotel stay? There are a number of non-casino properties that are offering discounted rates for SEMA Show guests.
Check these out and book today:
Courtyard Las Vegas Convention Center – $290 per night
Embassy Suites by Hilton Convention Center Las Vegas $298 – per night
Hilton Grand Vacations Flamingo – $282 per night
Hilton Grand Vacations on Paradise (Convention Center) – $281 per night
Hilton Grand Vacations Club on Strip – $225 per night
Las Vegas Marriott – $309 per night
Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel – $314 per night
Residence Inn Las Vegas Convention Center by Marriott – $279 per night
Spring Hill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center – $299 per night
Applications for SEMA Show exhibitors to be included in the official 2022 SEMA Show Press Conference Schedule are due Friday, August 5.
Exhibitors who have breaking news announcements that will be of interest to a large number of media can utilize press conferences during the 2022 SEMA Show by submitting a press conference application before the August 5 deadline.
Exhibitors who have breaking news announcements that will be of interest to a large number of media can utilize press conferences during the 2022 SEMA Show by submitting a press conference application before the August 5 deadline. After submitting an application, exhibitors should receive an automatic email confirming that the application was received. Those who do not receive the automatic email may have experienced a technical problem and are encouraged to email pr@sema.org for assistance.
Because media are not required or obligated to attend press conferences, many exhibitors opt to utilize other tools for reaching media at the SEMA Show, including submitting a press release in the Exhibitor Online Media Center.
To learn more about press conferences, the online media center or other PR resources for SEMA Show exhibitors, contact pr@sema.org.
Click here for a complete listing of 2022 SEMA Show deadlines.
Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show, the premier gathering for the automotive specialty-equipment industry, is now open at www.semashow.com/register.
Taking place November 1–4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 2022 SEMA Show will build upon the positive momentum following last year’s event, which successfully connected the $47.8 billion industry in person in what was the largest automotive trade show in North America since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020.
“The SEMA Show is where industry professionals go to grow existing relationships, create new ones and push their businesses forward,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “Exhibitors are eager to showcase their products and services to the tens of thousands of qualified professionals in attendance.”
Anticipation for this year's SEMA Show ramped up in recent weeks as exhibitors selected their booth locations during Priority Space Selection, a weeks-long process that took place May 2–18.
“Enthusiasm for the 2022 Show continues to exceed last year’s, with more than 1 million sq. ft. of exhibitor space already committed for the 2022 SEMA Show and confirmed spaces running 25% above last year,” said Warren Kosikov, SEMA vice president of sales.
Attendees at the 2022 SEMA Show will learn about the latest products, trends and technology in the industry from manufacturers exhibiting throughout the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, including the surrounding parking lots. Educational seminars led by industry experts and networking events that bring market niches together will also be available during the four-day trade event.
“Our industry continues to thrive despite current challenges in the marketplace, and last year’s event proved that the value of conducting business and networking face-to-face can never be replaced,” said Gattuso. “Our mission is to help continue that momentum by providing an unparalleled experience that builds meaningful business relationships.”
Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show is offered in three categories—attendee, exhibitor and media—and everyone must qualify to attend. Attendees are encouraged to register early at www.semashow.com/register so they can secure their credentials and receive updates on breaking news from the 2022 SEMA Show.
Attendees are encouraged to check the floorplan to see where the companies they need to interact with will be located at the 2022 SEMA Show.
For more information about qualifying documents and the 2022 SEMA Show, log on to www.semashow.com.
Exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show are invited to expand their reach, product exposure and Show-floor presence by offering products to builders through the Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list. The list connects manufacturers with builders looking to create or complete a vehicle project.
The list, which will be updated in SEMA eNews, features product offers and contact information provided by confirmed SEMA Show exhibitors. Builders interested in obtaining a product use the information to contact exhibitors directly. With each project vehicle required to be supported by a current 2022 SEMA Show exhibitor, all product-placement decisions, negotiations and agreements are the responsibility of the exhibiting manufacturer and the builder.
The list is open to exhibitors of the 2022 SEMA Show only. To be included in the list, complete the form.
Exhibitors: Each submission will appear on a first-come, first-served basis. As participation increases, all submissions will also be archived on www.SEMAShow.com.
Note: For verification purposes, the Project-Vehicle Builders form must be used to participate in the program; email submissions will not be included in the list. Participation in the list does not guarantee product or vehicle placement at the 2022 SEMA Show.
The SEMA Professional Resytlers Organization (PRO) will celebrate the talents and craftmanship of automotive restylers at the 2022 SEMA Show, through its PRO Cup Challenge.
Now in its third year, the SEMA PRO Cup Challenge promotes the accessorization of new cars and trucks and is a great way for restylers to showcase their talents to dealerships and consumers.
Now in its third year, the SEMA PRO Cup Challenge promotes the accessorization of new cars and trucks and is a great way for restylers to showcase their talents to dealerships and consumers. Restylers enter the competition by creating a package for a new-model car or truck that is marketable, easy to replicate and profitable. If selected to compete, the build will be transported to and from the SEMA Show, where it will be displayed and voted on in the PRO Booth #50185, and may win an award!
The essence of the program is to inspire and motivate others—including consumers, dealers and restylers—to customize their vehicles. Winning packages will be announced and celebrated during the PRO Happy Hour, Wednesday, November 2, at the SEMA Show.
Past participants have been featured in industry magazines, on the evening news and in SEMA publications. If you have what it takes to create a vehicle package with a maximum MSRP price of $15,000, maximum labor hours of 40 hours per package installed and a wholesale cost no more than $11,000 to the dealer, we encourage you to apply by the August 8 deadline at www.sema.org/pro-cup-challenge.
The California 300 Off-Road Race to Take Over Barstow, California, October 12–16
The California 300 will take place on a newly mapped 75-mile racecourse in Barstow, California, and will be a four lap race.
The Martelli Brothers have announced they are bringing their Mint 400 level of off-road event promotion home to California this fall for a brand-new major off-road desert race named The California 300. The announcement comes after more than a decade of promoting and producing two of the most popular and visible off-road desert races in the sport, The Mint 400 and The UTV World Championship.
The new event will be held near the historic off-road riding and testing area of Barstow, California—the birthplace of some of the sport’s greatest racers, builders, fabricators and industry’s technological wizards. The new event will feature 40+ classes, pre-running and a public poker run, as well as professional media coverage by Mad Media—the Martelli Brothers owned media group that has set the standard for off-road television and livestream coverage.
The California 300 will take place on a newly mapped 75-mile racecourse, and will be a four-lap race. The elite Unlimited Truck class will battle it out against each other in their own dedicated race on Saturday, October 15, with Class 1, Unlimited Truck SPECs and other select classes racing earlier that day. Limited class racing will take place on Friday, October 14, highlighted by the inclusion of the UTV World Championship races. Pre-running, technical Inspection, an off-road festival and a public poker run will take place earlier in the week.
Details regarding racer registration, sponsorship packages, exhibitor vending, spectator tickets, camping and parking passes will all be released over the coming months and race registration will be available through Off-RoadRacer.com soon.
Schumacher, Hight and Coughlin Jr. Close Out Western Swing With Wins at Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals
Tony Schumacher held off points leader Brittany Force in the final round, going 3.977 seconds at 251.34 mph in his 11,000hp Okuma dragster.
Eight-time Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher picked up his first win since 2020, powering to his 86th career victory on Sunday at the 33rd annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won at the 13th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and the final stop during the three-race NHRA Western Swing.
Schumacher held off points leader Brittany Force in the final round, going 3.977 seconds at 251.34 mph in his 11,000hp Okuma dragster. Force set the track speed record on Sunday with a run of 332.43 and stretched her points lead to 71 points over Mike Salinas.
Hight wrapped up a nearly perfect Western Swing with another spectacular Sunday performance, delivering a stellar 3.975 at 319.98 in his 11,000hp Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS to slip past J.R. Todd in the final round. Hight’s points lead now stands at 228 points over Matt Hagan.
Coughlin Jr. broke through in a major way on Sunday in Pro Stock, getting his first career win as a professional, going 6.638 at 208.68 in his JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in the final round to slip past teammate and points leader Erica Enders, who extended her points lead to 103 points over Stanfield in the process.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action August 12–14 with the 33rd annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas.
Camping World to End 14-Year Title Sponsorship of NASCAR Truck Series
Camping World has announced the company will end its 14-year sponsorship of the NASCAR Truck Series. Camping World most recently renewed its entitlement sponsorship in a seven-year deal that began in 2016 and ends in 2022. The title changed names during the sponsorship, with the series known as the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series in 2019, and the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series in 2020. The name reverted to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starting in 2021. NASCAR has not yet announced a new title sponsor. For more information, visit nascar.com.
IMS Announces IMSA Battle on the Bricks for 2023
For the first time since 2014, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on September 15–17, 2023, as the headline event of a full weekend of IMSA sports car action billed as the “IMSA Battle on the Bricks” around the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course. The two-hour, 40-minute WeatherTech Championship event will be held on Sunday, September 17, with live NBC network television coverage.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will headline the action on Saturday, September 16, with a four-hour, bumper-to-bumper traffic jam of production-based race cars. The weekend also will include other IMSA-sanctioned single-make series to be announced later.
Looking forward, IMSA will return to the Racing Capital of the World in 2024 and 2025, as well, for longer endurance races. Fans who purchase race tickets or infield camping in 2023 will have first access to secure those spots for the 2024 IMSA endurance race. For more information, visit ims.com or imsa.com.
Tyler Epp
Tyler Epp Named President of Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix
Tyler Epp has been named president of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix event, as announced by the event’s managing partner, Tom Garfinkel. Epp previously served as the event’s senior vice president and chief operating officer (COO) and has more than 20 years of senior management experience spanning multiple sports.
As part of the announcement, Richard Cregan moves into a consultancy role, where he will continue to provide his knowledge and experience to support Epp and the management team. Epp’s experience includes roles with the Kansas City Chiefs football and San Diego Padres baseball teams. He also served as the general manager of the Hall of Fame Racing, a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior, he was vice president of business development for Sports Management Network, a motorsports representation and consulting firm.
Additionally, Epp spent five years with Chip Ganassi Racing, the motorsports organization with teams that competed in NASCAR, IndyCar, and GrandAm Series. He got his start in the industry as a marketing assistant at Kansas Speedway. The dates for the 2023 Miami Grand Prix will be announced later.
Matt Jones Takes Operations Helm at Art Morrison Enterprises
(L–R): Matt Jones, his wife Jeanette, and Art Morrison.
Matt Jones, who joined Art Morrison Enterprises (AME) in 2005 was hand-selected by Art Morrison to purchase the controlling interest in AME. Over his nearly 20-year tenure, Jones has worked closely with company founder Art Morrison and the late Craig Morrison in numerous instrumental roles including lead engineer, operations manager and now president.
The prime motivator in the development of the AME Multi-Link I.R.S., Jones has been an automotive enthusiast all his life. His silver ’69 Camaro became the development “mule” for many of AME’s suspension components, which scored high marks in several “suspension shootouts” held by leading enthusiast publications.
Meyer Distributing Announces Calgary, AB Location
Meyer Distributing Inc. has announced the addition of its Calgary, Alberta, location. The cross-dock will have a direct, next-day feed from Meyer’s Hermiston, Oregon, distribution hub, which houses one of the largest inventories of automotive accessories, exhaust, and RV parts in the region.
The Mustang convertible features a CAD-designed, hand-built body, Coyote V8 engine, 10-speed automatic transmission and more than 4,200 hours of custom touches by Ringbrothers.
Ringbrothers has unveiled its latest creation—a custom-built ’64.5 Ford Mustang convertible known as “CAGED.” The design objective was to subtly evolve and modernize the original Mustang’s lines and proportions while honoring the aesthetic of Ford’s original pony car. The result is a modern appeal and unbridled performance mating the design of a 20th-century icon with the technology of the 21st.
Born from an original ’64.5 Mustang convertible, nearly every component is a Ringbrothers-built one-off piece, with the only factory Mustang parts being the center caps for the wheels. The Ringbrothers team conducted extensive metalwork converting the Roadster Shop FAST TRACK chassis back into a unibody, as well as widening and lengthening the bodywork by one inch. The BASF Glasurit “Burgundy Brave” finish was then applied, and all the chrome and stainless-steel trim was treated with Cerakote Titanium C-105P.
The redesigned front grille is set back 2 in. and feeds air into a Ford Performance 5.0L Coyote V8 crate engine filled with Motul engine oil for protection and performance. The Coyote sings its tune thanks to custom-built headers by Ringbrothers and a Flowmaster exhaust system. Drive routes through Ford’s 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission. The Mustang grips the tarmac thanks to a set of Continental tires wrapped around one-off 18-in. EVOD Industries wheels mirroring the style of the Mustang’s iconic Rally wheels. Handling comes courtesy of Penske Racing Shocks RS Edition performance coilovers front and rear, an independent rear suspension and a set of Baer Brakes for stopping power.
Advanced Plating Hires Jason Latham as Special Projects and Aftermarket Automotive Manager
Advanced Plating has announced the addition of Jason Latham as special projects and aftermarket automotive manager, handling sales from hot-rod shops and customer service programs. Latham has been a part of the aftermarket and custom automotive industry for 20 years between Big Oak Garage and Wizards Polishes. He will begin with Advanced Plating on August 15.
Mullen Automotive Opens New Automotive Development Center
Mullen’s new Automotive Development Center opened to support growing Mullen automotive team.
Mullen Automotive Inc., an emerging electric-vehicle manufacturer, has announced the opening of a new automotive development center at 100 Technology Drive, Irvine, CA, 92618
Located in the heart of Irvine’s technology corridor and in close proximity to the Irvine Spectrum Center, the 16,000-sq.-ft. facility is now open in support of Mullen’s expanding automotive team. As the company continues to grow, various automotive teams are being strategically split between the Mullen Monrovia and Irvine locations. Currently, it is planned that Irvine Automotive Development Center will be home to the engineering design and development, styling, program management, marketing and finance teams, whereas battery, powertrain, thermal and infotainment teams will be located at the high-voltage facility in Monrovia, California.
Mullen recently announced the “Strikingly Different” U.S. Test Drive Tour for the Mullen FIVE EV crossover, covering 19 cities across the United States. The tour will begin this fall in Southern California and work its way throughout the country. Further details can be found here, or place your Mullen FIVE reservation here.
Dan Robinson
Dan Robinson Joins Five Star Race Car Bodies
Five Star Race Car Bodies—the manufacturer of race car bodies and components based in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin—has appointed Dan Robinson to the newly created role of MD3 key accounts manager. MD3 is the provider of dirt late model, dirt modified and street stock body panels.
Robinson has several years of experience in the racing industry beginning in 2009 as the series director, promoter and general manager of Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. In 2018, he became the director of racing operations with Lucas Oil Products before being promoted to vice president of motorsports operations.
At the beginning of the year, Robinson was appointed COO at marketing and multimedia company XR, where he helped organize events and streaming broadcasts for races including the Bristol Dirt Nationals.
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.
IMS Announces IMSA Battle on the Bricks for 2023
