Dan R. Gresham of Coutant Capital received the prestigious Chairman's Service Award at the 2011 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet in Las Vegas.

Each year, the SEMA Chairman of the Board has the opportunity to present the Chairman’s Service award to one outstanding individual. That prerogative, however, is not necessarily acted on annually, making the award especially prestigious.

At the 2011 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, SEMA Chairman Paul "Scooter" Brothers explained the honor he felt in presenting the Chairman's Service Award to Daniel R. Gresham.

"My choice for this award is a man who’s been invaluable to me, SEMA and the industry as a whole," said Brothers. "His wisdom and guidance have helped with huge SEMA projects, such as the Data Pool, as well as some exciting future SEMA initiatives, so his outstanding service is not over yet."

Brothers went on to note that Gresham's commitment to SEMA and the industry had gotten in the way of retirement. "He thought he had retired to spend more time with his wife and take some exotic motorcycle trips to such places as Argentina and Siberia, but we stole him away and dragged him back into service," explained Brothers.

Concluding his remarks and welcoming Gresham to the stage, Brothers invoked a challenge, "My personal task for the rest of this year is to convince him, and more importantly his wife, to serve another year."

Gresham has more than 30 years of management and investing experience. He earned a BA in economics from Davidson College in 1968 and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, including a tour in Vietnam. He then obtained his MBA from Tulane University in 1973.

After leaving graduate school Gresham joined Allied Signal where he worked as a financial analyst for two years. From there he moved to Continental Can Co., where he served in a variety of staff and operating positions.

In 1987 Gresham and the previous chairman of Continental formed a leveraged buyout firm, New Canaan Investments, and made a series of investments both in the United States and Europe. In 1996, Gresham and his partners at NCI joined with Fremont Partners in the acquisition of Kerr Group, Inc., a publicly-traded specialty plastic closure company.

Following his work on Kerr with Fremont in 1996, Gresham and his partners purchased Dynojet Research Inc., where he assumed the role of CEO. Dynojet has a large presence in the motorcycle aftermarket parts industry as well as the automotive aftermarket as a developer of diagnostic performance testing equipment.

In 2000, Dynojet was sold and Gresham retired to his home on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. In early 2004, he failed retirement and reentered the performance world. He and his new partners purchased MSD Ignition where he currently serves as CEO. Gresham has been married to Judy for 39 years, and the couple has a son who is a Navy F-18 pilot.

Join SEMA in congratulating the recipient of the prestigious Chairman's Service Award—Dan Gresham.

	Dan R. Gresham of Coutant Capital received the prestigious Chairman's Service Award at the 2011 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet in Las Vegas.

Each year, the SEMA Chairman of the Board has the opportunity to present the Chairman’s Service award to one outstanding individual. That prerogative, however, is not necessarily acted on annually, making the award especially prestigious.

At the 2011 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet in Las Vegas, SEMA Chairman Paul "Scooter" Brothers explained the honor he felt in presenting the Chairman's Service Award to Daniel R. Gresham.

"My choice for this award is a man who’s been invaluable to me, SEMA and the industry as a whole," said Brothers. "His wisdom and guidance have helped with huge SEMA projects, such as the Data Pool, as well as some exciting future SEMA initiatives, so his outstanding service is not over yet."

Brothers went on to note that Gresham's commitment to SEMA and the industry had gotten in the way of retirement. "He thought he had retired to spend more time with his wife and take some exotic motorcycle trips to such places as Argentina and Siberia, but we stole him away and dragged him back into service," explained Brothers.

Concluding his remarks and welcoming Gresham to the stage, Brothers invoked a challenge, "My personal task for the rest of this year is to convince him, and more importantly his wife, to serve another year."

Gresham has more than 30 years of management and investing experience. He earned a BA in economics from Davidson College in 1968 and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, including a tour in Vietnam. He then obtained his MBA from Tulane University in 1973.

After leaving graduate school Gresham joined Allied Signal where he worked as a financial analyst for two years. From there he moved to Continental Can Co., where he served in a variety of staff and operating positions.

In 1987 Gresham and the previous chairman of Continental formed a leveraged buyout firm, New Canaan Investments, and made a series of investments both in the United States and Europe. In 1996, Gresham and his partners at NCI joined with Fremont Partners in the acquisition of Kerr Group, Inc., a publicly-traded specialty plastic closure company.

Following his work on Kerr with Fremont in 1996, Gresham and his partners purchased Dynojet Research Inc., where he assumed the role of CEO. Dynojet has a large presence in the motorcycle aftermarket parts industry as well as the automotive aftermarket as a developer of diagnostic performance testing equipment.

In 2000, Dynojet was sold and Gresham retired to his home on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. In early 2004, he failed retirement and reentered the performance world. He and his new partners purchased MSD Ignition where he currently serves as CEO. Gresham has been married to Judy for 39 years, and the couple has a son who is a Navy F-18 pilot.

Join SEMA in congratulating the recipient of the prestigious Chairman's Service Award—Dan Gresham.

The U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a preliminary finding that certain steel wheels from China are being sold at less than fair value in the United States. The subject wheels range from 18 to 24.5 in. in diameter, and include rims and discs whether imported as an assembly or separately. The wheels are typically used in commercial vehicles (trucks, buses, trailers, etc.) but passenger car wheels within that size range falls within the scope of the investigation. Last March, two U.S. auto wheel manufacturers submitted petitions claiming that at least two dozen Chinese producers and exporters were “dumping” the wheels in the U.S. market. Calculations for the preliminary dumping margins range from 110.58% to 193.54% ad valorem and countervailing duties range from 26.24% to 40.30% ad valorem. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.                

The U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a preliminary finding that certain steel wheels from China are being sold at less than fair value in the United States. The subject wheels range from 18 to 24.5 in. in diameter, and include rims and discs whether imported as an assembly or separately. The wheels are typically used in commercial vehicles (trucks, buses, trailers, etc.) but passenger car wheels within that size range falls within the scope of the investigation. Last March, two U.S. auto wheel manufacturers submitted petitions claiming that at least two dozen Chinese producers and exporters were “dumping” the wheels in the U.S. market. Calculations for the preliminary dumping margins range from 110.58% to 193.54% ad valorem and countervailing duties range from 26.24% to 40.30% ad valorem. 

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.                

The Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF) is a national treasure and unique resource of international significance central to the history of motorsports. Since the first speed record attempts in 1914, hundreds of land speed records have been set and broken at the BSF in a variety of automotive and motorcycle classes. For decades, the Salt Flats have decreased in size, strength and thickness because salt has been removed by an adjoining potash mining operation and not adequately replaced.

Preservation of the Salt Flats is under the authority of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM has issued an “Environmental Assessment” of the current mining operation that addresses future salt removal and replenishment. SEMA submitted comments to the BLM as part of the Save the Salt Coalition, a diverse group of racing enthusiast organizations. The Coalition urged the agency to adopt “Alternative B,” which requires a mandatory salt replenishment program. Salt removed from the BSF to obtain potash will be replaced in the same amount or more. The current mine owner, Intrepid Potash–Wendover LLC, supports this approach.

Alternative B would essentially restart a 1997–2002 program in which the previous mine owner pumped brine water back onto the salt flats at an annual rate of 1.5 million tons of salt. The project stabilized the salt flats, significantly improving the underground aquifer while hardening the salt crust. However, the BLM allowed the program to expire. The new program will be mandatory and verifiable. The Coalition will also be pursuing supplemental programs for replenishing the salt, beyond that mandated by the BLM. 

Click here for a pdf copy of the Coalition comments.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org or visit www.savethesalt.org. 

The Bonneville Salt Flats (BSF) is a national treasure and unique resource of international significance central to the history of motorsports. Since the first speed record attempts in 1914, hundreds of land speed records have been set and broken at the BSF in a variety of automotive and motorcycle classes. For decades, the Salt Flats have decreased in size, strength and thickness because salt has been removed by an adjoining potash mining operation and not adequately replaced.

Preservation of the Salt Flats is under the authority of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM has issued an “Environmental Assessment” of the current mining operation that addresses future salt removal and replenishment. SEMA submitted comments to the BLM as part of the Save the Salt Coalition, a diverse group of racing enthusiast organizations. The Coalition urged the agency to adopt “Alternative B,” which requires a mandatory salt replenishment program. Salt removed from the BSF to obtain potash will be replaced in the same amount or more. The current mine owner, Intrepid Potash–Wendover LLC, supports this approach.

Alternative B would essentially restart a 1997–2002 program in which the previous mine owner pumped brine water back onto the salt flats at an annual rate of 1.5 million tons of salt. The project stabilized the salt flats, significantly improving the underground aquifer while hardening the salt crust. However, the BLM allowed the program to expire. The new program will be mandatory and verifiable. The Coalition will also be pursuing supplemental programs for replenishing the salt, beyond that mandated by the BLM. 

Click here for a pdf copy of the Coalition comments.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org or visit www.savethesalt.org. 

Congressman John Campbell (R-CA) has introduced a bipartisan bill, supported by SEMA, to enable low-volume car manufacturers to provide a range of specialty vehicles for customers nationwide. The legislation directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a regulatory structure to facilitate the production of these cars. Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) have joined as original co-sponsors of “The Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act” (H.R. 3274).

Vehicles produced by low-volume manufacturers include replica street rods, customs and sports cars. They are primarily used in exhibitions, parades and occasional transportation. Vehicles included in this new program would meet current emissions standards. The legislation would permit companies to install EPA-certified clean engines. The vehicles could also incorporate alternative energy technology, encouraging green companies to build low-emission cars.

The United States currently has just one system for regulating cars, which is designed for companies that mass-produce millions of vehicles. The “Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2011” creates an alternative regulatory framework for American manufacturers producing 1,000 or fewer vehicles a year. This approach acknowledges the unique circumstances associated with limited-production custom vehicles.

“Rep. Campbell’s bill will allow U.S. companies to produce safe, clean, one-of-a-kind vehicles that are virtually impossible to build under today’s one-size-fits-all regulatory framework,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “This program will create skilled-labor jobs in the auto industry and help meet consumer demand for these niche vehicles.”

“This bill seeks a reasonable regulatory approach,” said Kersting. “We hope lawmakers will seize this opportunity to expand America’s manufacturing base. We urge members of Congress to support H.R. 3274, bipartisan legislation that promotes America’s economic recovery though domestic manufacturing.”

SEMA will be working with Congressional leaders to promote this important bill. 

For more information on H.R. 3274, please contact Stuart Gosswein or Dan Sadowski at 202-783-6007 or stuartg@sema.org, dans@sema.org.

Congressman John Campbell (R-CA) has introduced a bipartisan bill, supported by SEMA, to enable low-volume car manufacturers to provide a range of specialty vehicles for customers nationwide. The legislation directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a regulatory structure to facilitate the production of these cars. Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) have joined as original co-sponsors of “The Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act” (H.R. 3274).

Vehicles produced by low-volume manufacturers include replica street rods, customs and sports cars. They are primarily used in exhibitions, parades and occasional transportation. Vehicles included in this new program would meet current emissions standards. The legislation would permit companies to install EPA-certified clean engines. The vehicles could also incorporate alternative energy technology, encouraging green companies to build low-emission cars.

The United States currently has just one system for regulating cars, which is designed for companies that mass-produce millions of vehicles. The “Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2011” creates an alternative regulatory framework for American manufacturers producing 1,000 or fewer vehicles a year. This approach acknowledges the unique circumstances associated with limited-production custom vehicles.

“Rep. Campbell’s bill will allow U.S. companies to produce safe, clean, one-of-a-kind vehicles that are virtually impossible to build under today’s one-size-fits-all regulatory framework,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “This program will create skilled-labor jobs in the auto industry and help meet consumer demand for these niche vehicles.”

“This bill seeks a reasonable regulatory approach,” said Kersting. “We hope lawmakers will seize this opportunity to expand America’s manufacturing base. We urge members of Congress to support H.R. 3274, bipartisan legislation that promotes America’s economic recovery though domestic manufacturing.”

SEMA will be working with Congressional leaders to promote this important bill. 

For more information on H.R. 3274, please contact Stuart Gosswein or Dan Sadowski at 202-783-6007 or stuartg@sema.org, dans@sema.org.

	Mike Cooper, 2011 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion.

Cooper Reflects on MX-5 Championship
When your only expectations of a racing season are to continue to learn and drive as fast as possible, the season is bound to be a success. Indeed, a driver that takes that simple goal, grows throughout the winter and even more during the season, and leaves 2011 as the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup champion has exceeded all expectations and is well on his way to a long and successful racing career.

This year, Mike Cooper is that driver. Unlike many young racers, the 22-year-old Cooper didn’t grow up at the racetrack. Counting two seasons of MX-5 Cup competition, his racing experience totals, well, two seasons of MX-5 Cup competition.

After a driving school, Cooper ran three weekends of the Skip Barber MX-5 Series during the winter of 2010, and decided to run the MX-5 Cup season with Atlanta Motorsports Group just a couple of weeks before the season began. Cooper won once and finished third in the points as a rookie, then won the 2011 opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway in his No. 6 AMG Racing Mazda MX-5 to cement himself as a real contender for the season-long title.

The year of experience clearly made a difference for the Syosset, New York, native. It was early in the season when Cooper decided he might have a real shot at a championship, going on to five wins, two additional podium finishes, and six pole positions in a hotly contested season.

The season's most important lesson may be that a driver who didn’t grow up on the path to Formula One can begin a professional career in the affordable SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup.

Now the NYIT business school student is working on the next step of his career, which includes a funded ride up the MAZDASPEED Motorsports ladder, thanks to his championship.

	Richard Meins at Macau in 2010.

United Autosports and GR Asia Field McLaren and Audi for Macau Victory Bid
Leeds-based Anglo-American team United Autosports returns to Macau for only its second visit, November 17–20, with leading British sportscar racer Danny Watts (Thornborough) and Hong Kong-based Briton, Richard Meins, at the wheel of the GR Asia-sponsored cars. However this year, instead of taking the two Audi R8 LMS GT3 cars for Watts and Meins as it did in 2010, the team will race a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 development car, which will be run in conjunction with GR Asia Ltd, one of United Autosports’ Asian partners.

Running the 12C GT3 will be something of a taster for when the team takes possession of its own brace of McLarens at the end of the year, and the experienced Watts will have the reins of the car in Macau in a bid to improve on his third-place finish last year.

Competing in the blue ribbon Macau race amidst its extensive program of worldwide events, gives a clear indication of United Autosports’ commitment and ambition to become one of the leading sportscar teams in the world. Plus, Meins regards this year’s Macau outing as "unfinished business," having had mechanical issues last year, and is determined to take a top finish this time round.

The 58th running of the prestigious Macau 3.8-mile lap races, which attracts over 300 drivers, is headlined by the F3 Macau Grand Prix, and is the only street race in the world with both car and motorcycle competition taking place on the same weekend. This year the Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup will be a 12-lap counter, two laps more than last year, clearly denoting the popularity of the over-subscribed event.

In addition to the high profile Formula 3 and GT races, the four-day event also features the FIA WTCC – Guia Race of Macau, the CTM Macau Touring Car Cup, the City of Dreams Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, as well as a road sport challenge race.

	Mike Cooper, 2011 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion.

Cooper Reflects on MX-5 Championship
When your only expectations of a racing season are to continue to learn and drive as fast as possible, the season is bound to be a success. Indeed, a driver that takes that simple goal, grows throughout the winter and even more during the season, and leaves 2011 as the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup champion has exceeded all expectations and is well on his way to a long and successful racing career.

This year, Mike Cooper is that driver. Unlike many young racers, the 22-year-old Cooper didn’t grow up at the racetrack. Counting two seasons of MX-5 Cup competition, his racing experience totals, well, two seasons of MX-5 Cup competition.

After a driving school, Cooper ran three weekends of the Skip Barber MX-5 Series during the winter of 2010, and decided to run the MX-5 Cup season with Atlanta Motorsports Group just a couple of weeks before the season began. Cooper won once and finished third in the points as a rookie, then won the 2011 opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway in his No. 6 AMG Racing Mazda MX-5 to cement himself as a real contender for the season-long title.

The year of experience clearly made a difference for the Syosset, New York, native. It was early in the season when Cooper decided he might have a real shot at a championship, going on to five wins, two additional podium finishes, and six pole positions in a hotly contested season.

The season's most important lesson may be that a driver who didn’t grow up on the path to Formula One can begin a professional career in the affordable SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup.

Now the NYIT business school student is working on the next step of his career, which includes a funded ride up the MAZDASPEED Motorsports ladder, thanks to his championship.

	Richard Meins at Macau in 2010.

United Autosports and GR Asia Field McLaren and Audi for Macau Victory Bid
Leeds-based Anglo-American team United Autosports returns to Macau for only its second visit, November 17–20, with leading British sportscar racer Danny Watts (Thornborough) and Hong Kong-based Briton, Richard Meins, at the wheel of the GR Asia-sponsored cars. However this year, instead of taking the two Audi R8 LMS GT3 cars for Watts and Meins as it did in 2010, the team will race a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 development car, which will be run in conjunction with GR Asia Ltd, one of United Autosports’ Asian partners.

Running the 12C GT3 will be something of a taster for when the team takes possession of its own brace of McLarens at the end of the year, and the experienced Watts will have the reins of the car in Macau in a bid to improve on his third-place finish last year.

Competing in the blue ribbon Macau race amidst its extensive program of worldwide events, gives a clear indication of United Autosports’ commitment and ambition to become one of the leading sportscar teams in the world. Plus, Meins regards this year’s Macau outing as "unfinished business," having had mechanical issues last year, and is determined to take a top finish this time round.

The 58th running of the prestigious Macau 3.8-mile lap races, which attracts over 300 drivers, is headlined by the F3 Macau Grand Prix, and is the only street race in the world with both car and motorcycle competition taking place on the same weekend. This year the Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup will be a 12-lap counter, two laps more than last year, clearly denoting the popularity of the over-subscribed event.

In addition to the high profile Formula 3 and GT races, the four-day event also features the FIA WTCC – Guia Race of Macau, the CTM Macau Touring Car Cup, the City of Dreams Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, as well as a road sport challenge race.