More than 9,900 unique buyers have indicated an interest in the Tools & Equipment section of the 2011 SEMA Show. Look for exhibitors, such as Feed Master (shown here at the 2010 SEMA Show), in the North Hall of the Convention Center.

More than 9,900 unique buyers have indicated an interest in the Tools & Equipment section of the 2011 SEMA Show—a 26.77% increase over this same time last year. Helping technicians work smarter, faster and better starts with finding the right tools for the job and the Tools & Equipment section is dedicated to this pursuit. Visit the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and find the newest technology in lifts, grinders, jacks, shop tools, equipment and uniforms.

Each of the 2011 SEMA Show sections will be highlighted in SEMA eNews from now leading up to the Show, November 1–4, in Las Vegas. This week's spotlight is on the Tools & Equipment section, which is located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, near the Mobile Electronics & Technology section and next to the Collision Repair & Refinish section.

The SEMA Show's Tools & Equipment section features companies, such as Feed Master, manufacturer of the Feed Master Wire Feed Tool, which made its debut at the 2010 SEMA Show. The tool is designed to help insert wires, cables and hoses inside plastic split-loom tubing. Feed Master's President Mike Poore recently sat down with SEMA News and explained why he's excited to be returning to this year's Show.

"The year before, I was traveling across America. I think I was in Orlando, and people were saying, ‘You’ve got to go to the SEMA Show,’" explained Poore. "I wish I had gone a year prior because I would be even further along."

More than 40 first-time exhibitors will join Feed Master on the Show floor, along with veteran exhibitors, including ZWrench, TCA Tool Storage, SAS Safety Corp. and many more. In fact, there are 150 companies exhibiting in the Tools & Equipment section as of today, which represents a 34% increase over booth space commitment at this same time last year.

Check out all sections of the Show and its exhibitors through the 2011 SEMA Show online floorplan.

Buyers: To register for the 2011 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/register.

Exhibitors: Reserve your space for the 2011 SEMA Show at www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

	More than 9,900 unique buyers have indicated an interest in the Tools & Equipment section of the 2011 SEMA Show. Look for exhibitors, such as Feed Master (shown here at the 2010 SEMA Show), in the North Hall of the Convention Center.

More than 9,900 unique buyers have indicated an interest in the Tools & Equipment section of the 2011 SEMA Show—a 26.77% increase over this same time last year. Helping technicians work smarter, faster and better starts with finding the right tools for the job and the Tools & Equipment section is dedicated to this pursuit. Visit the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and find the newest technology in lifts, grinders, jacks, shop tools, equipment and uniforms.

Each of the 2011 SEMA Show sections will be highlighted in SEMA eNews from now leading up to the Show, November 1–4, in Las Vegas. This week's spotlight is on the Tools & Equipment section, which is located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, near the Mobile Electronics & Technology section and next to the Collision Repair & Refinish section.

The SEMA Show's Tools & Equipment section features companies, such as Feed Master, manufacturer of the Feed Master Wire Feed Tool, which made its debut at the 2010 SEMA Show. The tool is designed to help insert wires, cables and hoses inside plastic split-loom tubing. Feed Master's President Mike Poore recently sat down with SEMA News and explained why he's excited to be returning to this year's Show.

"The year before, I was traveling across America. I think I was in Orlando, and people were saying, ‘You’ve got to go to the SEMA Show,’" explained Poore. "I wish I had gone a year prior because I would be even further along."

More than 40 first-time exhibitors will join Feed Master on the Show floor, along with veteran exhibitors, including ZWrench, TCA Tool Storage, SAS Safety Corp. and many more. In fact, there are 150 companies exhibiting in the Tools & Equipment section as of today, which represents a 34% increase over booth space commitment at this same time last year.

Check out all sections of the Show and its exhibitors through the 2011 SEMA Show online floorplan.

Buyers: To register for the 2011 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/register.

Exhibitors: Reserve your space for the 2011 SEMA Show at www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

	More than 9,900 unique buyers have indicated an interest in the Tools & Equipment section of the 2011 SEMA Show. Look for exhibitors, such as Feed Master (shown here at the 2010 SEMA Show), in the North Hall of the Convention Center.

More than 9,900 unique buyers have indicated an interest in the Tools & Equipment section of the 2011 SEMA Show—a 26.77% increase over this same time last year. Helping technicians work smarter, faster and better starts with finding the right tools for the job and the Tools & Equipment section is dedicated to this pursuit. Visit the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center and find the newest technology in lifts, grinders, jacks, shop tools, equipment and uniforms.

Each of the 2011 SEMA Show sections will be highlighted in SEMA eNews from now leading up to the Show, November 1–4, in Las Vegas. This week's spotlight is on the Tools & Equipment section, which is located in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, near the Mobile Electronics & Technology section and next to the Collision Repair & Refinish section.

The SEMA Show's Tools & Equipment section features companies, such as Feed Master, manufacturer of the Feed Master Wire Feed Tool, which made its debut at the 2010 SEMA Show. The tool is designed to help insert wires, cables and hoses inside plastic split-loom tubing. Feed Master's President Mike Poore recently sat down with SEMA News and explained why he's excited to be returning to this year's Show.

"The year before, I was traveling across America. I think I was in Orlando, and people were saying, ‘You’ve got to go to the SEMA Show,’" explained Poore. "I wish I had gone a year prior because I would be even further along."

More than 40 first-time exhibitors will join Feed Master on the Show floor, along with veteran exhibitors, including ZWrench, TCA Tool Storage, SAS Safety Corp. and many more. In fact, there are 150 companies exhibiting in the Tools & Equipment section as of today, which represents a 34% increase over booth space commitment at this same time last year.

Check out all sections of the Show and its exhibitors through the 2011 SEMA Show online floorplan.

Buyers: To register for the 2011 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/register.

Exhibitors: Reserve your space for the 2011 SEMA Show at www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

A TireWorks 28 TOP tire changer by Teco will be auctioned off on eBay Motors in conjunction with the 2011 SEMA Show.

A semi-automatic, leverless tire changer specifically designed for industry professionals will be auctioned off on eBay Motors, with proceeds benefiting SEMA Cares. The tire changer, a TireWorks 28 TOP by Teco, handles oversized and heavy car and van wheels from 11 in. to 27 in.

The machine is ideal for doing difficult wheel and tire fitments, such as low-profile and run-flats, or for expensive cosmetic wheels. SEMA Showgoers can view a demonstration of the machine in the TECO Booth (#42294) at the 2011 SEMA Show.

The auction will open in conjunction with the 2011 SEMA Show. 

SEMA Cares was established by the SEMA Board of Directors in 2007 to bring the voice and resources of the SEMA community together to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Funds are currently being raised to support Childhelp and the Victory Junction Camp children’s charities.

A TireWorks 28 TOP tire changer by Teco will be auctioned off on eBay Motors in conjunction with the 2011 SEMA Show.

A semi-automatic, leverless tire changer specifically designed for industry professionals will be auctioned off on eBay Motors, with proceeds benefiting SEMA Cares. The tire changer, a TireWorks 28 TOP by Teco, handles oversized and heavy car and van wheels from 11 in. to 27 in.

The machine is ideal for doing difficult wheel and tire fitments, such as low-profile and run-flats, or for expensive cosmetic wheels. SEMA Showgoers can view a demonstration of the machine in the TECO Booth (#42294) at the 2011 SEMA Show.

The auction will open in conjunction with the 2011 SEMA Show. 

SEMA Cares was established by the SEMA Board of Directors in 2007 to bring the voice and resources of the SEMA community together to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Funds are currently being raised to support Childhelp and the Victory Junction Camp children’s charities.

	PRO/Race Performance Products celebrates 25 years.

PRO/RACE Performance Products Celebrates 25 Years
Founded by ’60s three-time Australian national champion Graham Withers driving his self-designed and built 392-c.i. blown Chrysler Hemi front-engine dragster, PRO/RACE Performance Products celebrates 25 years.

As Australia’s first professional drag racer, Graham toured for five years, and then retired to establish PRO/RACE Performance speed shop. While building high-performance engine packages for local racers, Graham recognized the need for a durable, high-strength crankshaft vibration damper, also known as a harmonic balancer, so he designed and patented an “all-steel” harmonic balancer to suit Australia’s GM V8 Holden engines, substituting the factory OEM cast-iron harmonic balancer, which was not suitable for high-performance engine applications. Today, PRO/RACE offers high-performance harmonic balancers for a wide range of American engines.

Skeen, Brown and Aschenbach Win Pirelli World Challenge In Monterey
Mike Skeen, Paul Brown and Lawson Aschenbach all took Pirelli World Challenge class victories last Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, clinching Drivers’ Championships for Brown—in GTS—and Aschenbach in Touring Car during the Cadillac Sports Car Grand Prix Presented by Grassroots Motorsports. Patrick Long clinched the GT Championship with a fifth-place finish.

Skeen, from Charlotte, North Carolina, took the lead in his No. 2 Cragar Wheels/CRP on lap 21 with a pass on the outside of turn 10, when he and then-leader Randy Pobst split a slower Touring Car. Skeen used traffic to his advantage to take the lead and earn the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race Award. From there, Skeen pulled away for a 4.139-second win—his third of the season.

Skeen averaged 72.459 mph over the 27-lap, 60.426-mile race that was slowed twice for seven laps under caution.

	Mike Skeen used traffic to his advantage to take the lead and earn the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race Award. From there, he pulled away for a 4.139-second win—his third of the season.

Pobst, the polesitter, held on for a second-place finish in the No. 6 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 after leading the opening 20 laps. It was the highest finish of the season, and only the second podium, for the defending GT Drivers’ Champion who has been slowed by assorted issues this season.

Skeen’s teammate, Patrick Lindsey, was third in the No. 12 Hawk Performance/CRP Chevrolet Corvette. Lindsey moved past James Sofronas’ No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3 on lap 12 restart, then moved into third past Johnny O’Connell’s No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V Coupe on lap 20. Sofronas, trying to keep his slim championship hopes alive, moved back into third position on with two laps to go, but a flat tire slowed him to a 10th-place finish on the final lap. O’Connell would inherit fourth after Sofronas fell out.

Despite missing round four at Miller Motorsports Park, Long—who has won a number of championships behind the wheel of a Porsche in multiple sports car series—clinched his first Pirelli World Challenge Championship with his finish in the No. 45 Privacy Star/TruSpeed Porsche 911 GT3 with one race remaining.

Brown’s GTS class flag-to-flag win in the No. 50 One Hour Heating and Air/Luminox/Kenny Brown Ford Mustang Boss 302S clinched his first career World Challenge title. Brown qualified on the pole, pulled away at the start, and hustled to a 2.713-second margin of victory.

The Championship is the first for Brown, who wasn’t sure if the funding was available at the start of the season to run for a championship. The team placed together race-to-race deals to make it to every championship round and now sits on top with a one-race cushion to spare.

Brown finished ahead of Pratt Cole’s No. 96 USA Cares/Western Metal Ford Mustang FR500S after Cole ran second for the entire race.

A pair of RealTime Acura TSX machines followed, with Peter Cunningham’s No. 1 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX completing the podium. Nick Esayian’s No. 34 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX finished fourth.

Cunningham was slowed on the standing start behind a stalled GT car and was as low as fifth in class on lap 16. Esayian fell as far back as seventh before using attrition and a steady climb to earn his 11th career podium finish.

Ben Crosland (No. 25 RacewithRP.com Ford Mustang FR500S) and Eric Foss (No. 73 Traxxas/St. Jude Hospital/SPX Ford Mustang FR500S) each climbed as high as third position during the race, but mechanical problems left them in seventh and sixth at the finish, respectively.

Brad Adams (No. 75 RaceWithRP.com Ford Mustang FR500S) completed the top five.

Aschenbach, the 2006 World Challenge Champion in the GT class, clinched the Touring Car title with his win after beginning the day in the back of the field. Aschenbach started ninth in class in his No. 71 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si after missing qualifying. By the end of lap one, however, Aschenbach was already in fourth position, a lap that would earn him the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award. Trailing only the Volvos of Aaron Povoledo and Robb Holland, and the No. 33 GermanAutoParts.com/Techtonics Volkswagen GTI of Tristan Herbert, Aschenbach settled in to earn as many points as he could.

Aschenbach moved past the No. 66 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 of Holland on 17th of the Touring Car class’ 26 laps, then inherited second place when Povoledo’s No. 88 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 fell out with mechanical difficulties on lap 19.

After Herbert struggled while working through lapped traffic, Aschenbach moved to the bumper of and past Herbert with two laps remaining to take his fifth win of the season and lock up the Championship.

	The Jaguar XKR GT team of Ken Wilden and Bruno Junqueira salvaged an 11th-place finish in class at Laguna Seca last weekend.

Herbert earned his third-consecutive podium finish, leading on two occasions for 13 total laps. Herbert earned the Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the race after taking the lead from Holland on the lap seven restart.

Holland finished third, followed by Patrick Seguin’s No. 80 Theberge Homes/Capsparts.com Honda Civic Si. Tom Lepper finished fifth in the No. 48 Team Cobalt California/Lepper and Associates Chevrolet Cobalt.

The Pirelli World Challenge concludes at Road Atlanta, September 28–30, with the Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix.

JaguarRSR Overcomes Early Obstacles and Goes the Distance at Laguna Seca
The JaguarRSR team recovered from uncontrollable obstacles and completed the six-hour challenge of Round Eight in the 2011 American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last weekend.

Ken Wilden qualified the #99 JaguarRSR XKR GT 11th on the GT grid and Bruno Junqueira took the green flag for the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón. An on-track incident in the famed Corkscrew involving an LMP car that spun and caused the two Corvettes to spin ahead of Junqueira left him with nowhere to go as the track was completely blocked. He made contact with one of the Corvettes, which resulted in a broken radiator and nose. The crew had to replace the nose and install a new radiator, water lines, oil coolers and a steering link.

During the repair, Junqueira wrapped up his two-hour run, and Wilden stepped in. Once the repairs were fixed, the Canadian was on his way for a successful two-hour stint. Junqueira returned to the cockpit for the remaining two hours. The team was able to salvage an 11th-place finish in class, but the #98 car had an early retirement due to suspension damage from contact.

The season ends where it all started for JaguarRSR back in 2009 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, October 1. The Petit Le Mans is the second longest endurance event of the season—a 1,000-mile/10-hour classic. ESPN2 will air the race Sunday, September 18, from 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT).

	Mark Blundell and Zak Brown recorded seventh place in the season finale of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series last weekend.

United Autosports Brings Curtain Down on GRAND-AM Season in Style
Mark Blundell (GB) and Zak Brown (USA) brought the curtain down on a partial GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series by Crown Royal Cask No.16 season for United Autosports in style by recording seventh place in the season finale last weekend.

The Anglo-American combination brought their United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing #23 Ford-Riley home a mere 5.157 seconds behind the EMCO Gears Classic race winners at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Blundell moved up one place to fourth on the opening lap around the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio road course and briefly into third at the re-start of the first full course caution on 20 minutes before pitting to Brown during a second caution period Zak, who was fighting a fever throughout the weekend, resuming 10th with 30 minutes on the clock.

Blundell was back in the #23 Riley-Ford placed 11th after the race’s third caution on 51 minutes and was up to fourth place on 90 minutes. Blundell slipped three places to seventh on the same lap with just over an hour to run before making a final pit-stop during another caution period resuming ninth, but was at the tail of a three-car dice for fourth place with 50 minutes remaining.

Blundell muscled the #23 up to fifth at the re-start of another caution, the top-five running nose to tail, before an eighth and final caution bunched the 29-car field for a final three-minute dash to the checker, which saw Blundell slip two places to seventh after being nudged off the track in the closing laps.

United Autosports finished 13th in the team standings despite only contesting four races on the 12-race Rolex calendar.

	Second in points Matt Mitchell #37 and point leader Mike Spencer #50 in action at The PAS, August 20. Photo credit: Doug Allen.

Richard "The Gasman" Griffin Returns to Perris Auto Speedway for the Glenn Howard Memorial
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series returns to the "Southern California Home of Major League Sprint Car Racing," Perris Auto Speedway (PAS), for a special race—the Glenn Howard Memorial this Saturday night, September 24. On hand and serving as grand marshal for the event will be one of the most popular drivers ever to turn a wheel at The PAS—Richard "The Gasman" Griffin. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first race will be at 7:00 p.m.

Howard founded So-Cal Performance, which today is run by his son Steve. A former racer with the original CRA series in the ’70s and ’80s, Steve has raised more than $14,000 in cash and contingencies to add to Saturday night's purse.

Griffin will fly his plane in from his home in Silver City, New Mexico, to oversee the action on Saturday night. In the early days of the now-famous Riverside County clay oval, Griffin was one of the main drivers to beat. He racked up five SCRA championships and went out on top when he retired after winning the 2003 crown. He won a total of 63 main events, which ranks him seventh all-time on the combined CRA, SCRA, USAC/CRA list dating back to the ’40s.

Heading into Saturday's race, the top three in the championship standings are separated by a mere 56 points. Defending three-time champion Mike Spencer of Temecula, California, who has won four of the six races at The PAS this year, leads Yorba Linda, California's Matt Mitchell by 37 points. Mitchell has won the other two races at The PAS this season, including the last one August 20. Huntington Beach, California's Nic Faas, a college student at Cal State Fullerton, is third in the standings and is only 19 points behind Mitchell.

Among the other fan favorites expected to be in action include the Williams clan, comprised of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Rip Williams and his sons Cody and Austin from Yorba Linda, "Super" Rickie Gaunt of Torrance, California, Visalia, California's Greg Bragg, "Dynamite" David Cardey of Riverside, California, Norco, California's Ronnie Gardner and more.

In addition to the stars of the West Coast's open-wheel series, the CDCRA Dwarf Cars and WRA Vintage Cars will also be a part of the program.

	A rear-end collision with a GTC class car at the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey last weekend resulted in the retirement of Team Falken's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Contact Ruins Team Falken Tire's Winning Run at Mazda Raceway's ALMS Enduro
The superb run Team Falken enjoyed, winning two out of the last three American Le Mans Series races, came to an abrupt jolt as a rear-end collision with a GTC class car resulted in terminal damage to drivetrain components, forcing the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to retire at the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With the Falken Porsche unable to finish, it caused the team and drivers Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers to drop in the GT Team and Driver standings, respectively. Nevertheless, Team Falken is only one of two teams to win multiple races this year—an important accomplishment given its single-car status.

Team Falken engineers maintained that the track was difficult to prepare for and the rapid changes in temperature meant the team was chasing chassis set-up throughout the weekend.
 

Despite the challenges, Sellers started the race and advanced to seventh in class and was holding his position to the third hour when Henzler got into the Porsche. He was rear-ended roughly 50 minutes later, which ended the team’s day.

The season finale—the 14th annual 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta—is scheduled for September 28–October 1.

	PRO/Race Performance Products celebrates 25 years.

PRO/RACE Performance Products Celebrates 25 Years
Founded by ’60s three-time Australian national champion Graham Withers driving his self-designed and built 392-c.i. blown Chrysler Hemi front-engine dragster, PRO/RACE Performance Products celebrates 25 years.

As Australia’s first professional drag racer, Graham toured for five years, and then retired to establish PRO/RACE Performance speed shop. While building high-performance engine packages for local racers, Graham recognized the need for a durable, high-strength crankshaft vibration damper, also known as a harmonic balancer, so he designed and patented an “all-steel” harmonic balancer to suit Australia’s GM V8 Holden engines, substituting the factory OEM cast-iron harmonic balancer, which was not suitable for high-performance engine applications. Today, PRO/RACE offers high-performance harmonic balancers for a wide range of American engines.

Skeen, Brown and Aschenbach Win Pirelli World Challenge In Monterey
Mike Skeen, Paul Brown and Lawson Aschenbach all took Pirelli World Challenge class victories last Sunday at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, clinching Drivers’ Championships for Brown—in GTS—and Aschenbach in Touring Car during the Cadillac Sports Car Grand Prix Presented by Grassroots Motorsports. Patrick Long clinched the GT Championship with a fifth-place finish.

Skeen, from Charlotte, North Carolina, took the lead in his No. 2 Cragar Wheels/CRP on lap 21 with a pass on the outside of turn 10, when he and then-leader Randy Pobst split a slower Touring Car. Skeen used traffic to his advantage to take the lead and earn the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race Award. From there, Skeen pulled away for a 4.139-second win—his third of the season.

Skeen averaged 72.459 mph over the 27-lap, 60.426-mile race that was slowed twice for seven laps under caution.

	Mike Skeen used traffic to his advantage to take the lead and earn the Cadillac CTS-V Move of the Race Award. From there, he pulled away for a 4.139-second win—his third of the season.

Pobst, the polesitter, held on for a second-place finish in the No. 6 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 after leading the opening 20 laps. It was the highest finish of the season, and only the second podium, for the defending GT Drivers’ Champion who has been slowed by assorted issues this season.

Skeen’s teammate, Patrick Lindsey, was third in the No. 12 Hawk Performance/CRP Chevrolet Corvette. Lindsey moved past James Sofronas’ No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3 on lap 12 restart, then moved into third past Johnny O’Connell’s No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac CTS-V Coupe on lap 20. Sofronas, trying to keep his slim championship hopes alive, moved back into third position on with two laps to go, but a flat tire slowed him to a 10th-place finish on the final lap. O’Connell would inherit fourth after Sofronas fell out.

Despite missing round four at Miller Motorsports Park, Long—who has won a number of championships behind the wheel of a Porsche in multiple sports car series—clinched his first Pirelli World Challenge Championship with his finish in the No. 45 Privacy Star/TruSpeed Porsche 911 GT3 with one race remaining.

Brown’s GTS class flag-to-flag win in the No. 50 One Hour Heating and Air/Luminox/Kenny Brown Ford Mustang Boss 302S clinched his first career World Challenge title. Brown qualified on the pole, pulled away at the start, and hustled to a 2.713-second margin of victory.

The Championship is the first for Brown, who wasn’t sure if the funding was available at the start of the season to run for a championship. The team placed together race-to-race deals to make it to every championship round and now sits on top with a one-race cushion to spare.

Brown finished ahead of Pratt Cole’s No. 96 USA Cares/Western Metal Ford Mustang FR500S after Cole ran second for the entire race.

A pair of RealTime Acura TSX machines followed, with Peter Cunningham’s No. 1 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX completing the podium. Nick Esayian’s No. 34 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX finished fourth.

Cunningham was slowed on the standing start behind a stalled GT car and was as low as fifth in class on lap 16. Esayian fell as far back as seventh before using attrition and a steady climb to earn his 11th career podium finish.

Ben Crosland (No. 25 RacewithRP.com Ford Mustang FR500S) and Eric Foss (No. 73 Traxxas/St. Jude Hospital/SPX Ford Mustang FR500S) each climbed as high as third position during the race, but mechanical problems left them in seventh and sixth at the finish, respectively.

Brad Adams (No. 75 RaceWithRP.com Ford Mustang FR500S) completed the top five.

Aschenbach, the 2006 World Challenge Champion in the GT class, clinched the Touring Car title with his win after beginning the day in the back of the field. Aschenbach started ninth in class in his No. 71 Compass360 Racing Honda Civic Si after missing qualifying. By the end of lap one, however, Aschenbach was already in fourth position, a lap that would earn him the Optima Batteries Best Standing Start Award. Trailing only the Volvos of Aaron Povoledo and Robb Holland, and the No. 33 GermanAutoParts.com/Techtonics Volkswagen GTI of Tristan Herbert, Aschenbach settled in to earn as many points as he could.

Aschenbach moved past the No. 66 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 of Holland on 17th of the Touring Car class’ 26 laps, then inherited second place when Povoledo’s No. 88 K-Pax Racing Volvo C30 fell out with mechanical difficulties on lap 19.

After Herbert struggled while working through lapped traffic, Aschenbach moved to the bumper of and past Herbert with two laps remaining to take his fifth win of the season and lock up the Championship.

	The Jaguar XKR GT team of Ken Wilden and Bruno Junqueira salvaged an 11th-place finish in class at Laguna Seca last weekend.

Herbert earned his third-consecutive podium finish, leading on two occasions for 13 total laps. Herbert earned the Invisible Glass Clean Pass of the race after taking the lead from Holland on the lap seven restart.

Holland finished third, followed by Patrick Seguin’s No. 80 Theberge Homes/Capsparts.com Honda Civic Si. Tom Lepper finished fifth in the No. 48 Team Cobalt California/Lepper and Associates Chevrolet Cobalt.

The Pirelli World Challenge concludes at Road Atlanta, September 28–30, with the Cadillac Road Atlanta Grand Prix.

JaguarRSR Overcomes Early Obstacles and Goes the Distance at Laguna Seca
The JaguarRSR team recovered from uncontrollable obstacles and completed the six-hour challenge of Round Eight in the 2011 American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last weekend.

Ken Wilden qualified the #99 JaguarRSR XKR GT 11th on the GT grid and Bruno Junqueira took the green flag for the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón. An on-track incident in the famed Corkscrew involving an LMP car that spun and caused the two Corvettes to spin ahead of Junqueira left him with nowhere to go as the track was completely blocked. He made contact with one of the Corvettes, which resulted in a broken radiator and nose. The crew had to replace the nose and install a new radiator, water lines, oil coolers and a steering link.

During the repair, Junqueira wrapped up his two-hour run, and Wilden stepped in. Once the repairs were fixed, the Canadian was on his way for a successful two-hour stint. Junqueira returned to the cockpit for the remaining two hours. The team was able to salvage an 11th-place finish in class, but the #98 car had an early retirement due to suspension damage from contact.

The season ends where it all started for JaguarRSR back in 2009 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, October 1. The Petit Le Mans is the second longest endurance event of the season—a 1,000-mile/10-hour classic. ESPN2 will air the race Sunday, September 18, from 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. (EDT).

	Mark Blundell and Zak Brown recorded seventh place in the season finale of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series last weekend.

United Autosports Brings Curtain Down on GRAND-AM Season in Style
Mark Blundell (GB) and Zak Brown (USA) brought the curtain down on a partial GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series by Crown Royal Cask No.16 season for United Autosports in style by recording seventh place in the season finale last weekend.

The Anglo-American combination brought their United Autosports with Michael Shank Racing #23 Ford-Riley home a mere 5.157 seconds behind the EMCO Gears Classic race winners at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Blundell moved up one place to fourth on the opening lap around the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio road course and briefly into third at the re-start of the first full course caution on 20 minutes before pitting to Brown during a second caution period Zak, who was fighting a fever throughout the weekend, resuming 10th with 30 minutes on the clock.

Blundell was back in the #23 Riley-Ford placed 11th after the race’s third caution on 51 minutes and was up to fourth place on 90 minutes. Blundell slipped three places to seventh on the same lap with just over an hour to run before making a final pit-stop during another caution period resuming ninth, but was at the tail of a three-car dice for fourth place with 50 minutes remaining.

Blundell muscled the #23 up to fifth at the re-start of another caution, the top-five running nose to tail, before an eighth and final caution bunched the 29-car field for a final three-minute dash to the checker, which saw Blundell slip two places to seventh after being nudged off the track in the closing laps.

United Autosports finished 13th in the team standings despite only contesting four races on the 12-race Rolex calendar.

	Second in points Matt Mitchell #37 and point leader Mike Spencer #50 in action at The PAS, August 20. Photo credit: Doug Allen.

Richard "The Gasman" Griffin Returns to Perris Auto Speedway for the Glenn Howard Memorial
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series returns to the "Southern California Home of Major League Sprint Car Racing," Perris Auto Speedway (PAS), for a special race—the Glenn Howard Memorial this Saturday night, September 24. On hand and serving as grand marshal for the event will be one of the most popular drivers ever to turn a wheel at The PAS—Richard "The Gasman" Griffin. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first race will be at 7:00 p.m.

Howard founded So-Cal Performance, which today is run by his son Steve. A former racer with the original CRA series in the ’70s and ’80s, Steve has raised more than $14,000 in cash and contingencies to add to Saturday night's purse.

Griffin will fly his plane in from his home in Silver City, New Mexico, to oversee the action on Saturday night. In the early days of the now-famous Riverside County clay oval, Griffin was one of the main drivers to beat. He racked up five SCRA championships and went out on top when he retired after winning the 2003 crown. He won a total of 63 main events, which ranks him seventh all-time on the combined CRA, SCRA, USAC/CRA list dating back to the ’40s.

Heading into Saturday's race, the top three in the championship standings are separated by a mere 56 points. Defending three-time champion Mike Spencer of Temecula, California, who has won four of the six races at The PAS this year, leads Yorba Linda, California's Matt Mitchell by 37 points. Mitchell has won the other two races at The PAS this season, including the last one August 20. Huntington Beach, California's Nic Faas, a college student at Cal State Fullerton, is third in the standings and is only 19 points behind Mitchell.

Among the other fan favorites expected to be in action include the Williams clan, comprised of National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Rip Williams and his sons Cody and Austin from Yorba Linda, "Super" Rickie Gaunt of Torrance, California, Visalia, California's Greg Bragg, "Dynamite" David Cardey of Riverside, California, Norco, California's Ronnie Gardner and more.

In addition to the stars of the West Coast's open-wheel series, the CDCRA Dwarf Cars and WRA Vintage Cars will also be a part of the program.

	A rear-end collision with a GTC class car at the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey last weekend resulted in the retirement of Team Falken's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

Contact Ruins Team Falken Tire's Winning Run at Mazda Raceway's ALMS Enduro
The superb run Team Falken enjoyed, winning two out of the last three American Le Mans Series races, came to an abrupt jolt as a rear-end collision with a GTC class car resulted in terminal damage to drivetrain components, forcing the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to retire at the ModSpace American Le Mans Monterey presented by Patrón at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. With the Falken Porsche unable to finish, it caused the team and drivers Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers to drop in the GT Team and Driver standings, respectively. Nevertheless, Team Falken is only one of two teams to win multiple races this year—an important accomplishment given its single-car status.

Team Falken engineers maintained that the track was difficult to prepare for and the rapid changes in temperature meant the team was chasing chassis set-up throughout the weekend.
 

Despite the challenges, Sellers started the race and advanced to seventh in class and was holding his position to the third hour when Henzler got into the Porsche. He was rear-ended roughly 50 minutes later, which ended the team’s day.

The season finale—the 14th annual 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance classic Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta—is scheduled for September 28–October 1.

The vehicles featured in the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Builder's Challenge during July's SEMA Pinewood Drag Races will soon be made available for auction through eBay. Proceeds raised through the auction will benefit Childhelp and the Victory Junction Camp. But before these carefully crafted masters of the metal dragstrip find new homes, SEMA eNews talked to builders Keith Kaucher and Brent Vandervort to uncover their motivation for making these pinewood cars special.

All of the vehicles featured in the Builder's Challenge will be on display in the HRIA booth at the 2011 SEMA Show. New builders and their vehicles will be included each week in SEMA eNews. Featured this week are Art Morrison of Art Morrison Enterprises
and Kerry Hopperstad of Hopperstad Customs. 

Art Morrison, Art Morrison Enterprises

SEMA eNews: Why did you decide to get involved and become a HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge participant?

Art Morrison: Besides being somewhat competitive, I like working with my hands whether it’s on a full-size car or miniature. And it’s for a great cause.

SEMA eNews: Did you race Pinewood when you were younger?

Art Morrison: No. But when [my son] Craig was in Cub Scouts, we did one together. That was about 28 years ago.

SEMA eNews: What was the inspiration for your build?

Art Morrison: It's based on a roadster race car chassis that we built in the ’90s for running Super Gas at NHRA events.

SEMA eNews: What was the major challenge in completing the build?

Art Morrison: To make it as accurate as possible in a 1:18 scale. This keeps it within the size limits required.

SEMA eNews: What are the details of the build that you would like potential bidders to know?

Art Morrison: The seat is carved out of the only piece of pine used on the car, and the 9-in. rear is made out of .030 sheetmetal and filled with lead to add weight. The engine is an 18th scale blown SOHC, and it is also filled with lead. The front spindles and rear axles are all .060 in diameter, and the nuts that hold the wheels on are 0–80 in size. The final weight is 12¾ oz.; to make it heavier would have hurt the overall look, and aesthetics play a fairly big role in the finished car. 

Kerry Hopperstad, Hopperstad Customs

SEMA eNews: Why did you decide to get involved and become a HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge participant? 

Kerry Hopperstad: It was fun to build on a small scale. And it's for a great cause—Victory Junction Camp.

SEMA eNews: Did you race Pinewood when you were younger?

Kerry Hopperstad: No.

SEMA eNews: What was the inspiration for your build?

Kerry Hopperstad: A love for old dirt track cars of the ’30s.

SEMA eNews: What was the major challenge in completing the build?

Kerry Hopperstad: Making the rims for the wheels.

SEMA eNews: What are the details of the build that you would like potential bidders to know? 

Kerry Hopperstad: I did use the block that was supplied in the kit.

All of the HRIA Builder's Challenge vehicles will be on display in HRIA's council booth at the 2011 SEMA Show. More details on the auction will be available in upcoming issues of SEMA eNews. For more information, contact Zane Clark at zanec@sema.org.

The vehicles featured in the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Builder's Challenge during July's SEMA Pinewood Drag Races will soon be made available for auction through eBay. Proceeds raised through the auction will benefit Childhelp and the Victory Junction Camp. But before these carefully crafted masters of the metal dragstrip find new homes, SEMA eNews talked to builders Keith Kaucher and Brent Vandervort to uncover their motivation for making these pinewood cars special.

All of the vehicles featured in the Builder's Challenge will be on display in the HRIA booth at the 2011 SEMA Show. New builders and their vehicles will be included each week in SEMA eNews. Featured this week are Art Morrison of Art Morrison Enterprises
and Kerry Hopperstad of Hopperstad Customs. 

Art Morrison, Art Morrison Enterprises

SEMA eNews: Why did you decide to get involved and become a HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge participant?

Art Morrison: Besides being somewhat competitive, I like working with my hands whether it’s on a full-size car or miniature. And it’s for a great cause.

SEMA eNews: Did you race Pinewood when you were younger?

Art Morrison: No. But when [my son] Craig was in Cub Scouts, we did one together. That was about 28 years ago.

SEMA eNews: What was the inspiration for your build?

Art Morrison: It's based on a roadster race car chassis that we built in the ’90s for running Super Gas at NHRA events.

SEMA eNews: What was the major challenge in completing the build?

Art Morrison: To make it as accurate as possible in a 1:18 scale. This keeps it within the size limits required.

SEMA eNews: What are the details of the build that you would like potential bidders to know?

Art Morrison: The seat is carved out of the only piece of pine used on the car, and the 9-in. rear is made out of .030 sheetmetal and filled with lead to add weight. The engine is an 18th scale blown SOHC, and it is also filled with lead. The front spindles and rear axles are all .060 in diameter, and the nuts that hold the wheels on are 0–80 in size. The final weight is 12¾ oz.; to make it heavier would have hurt the overall look, and aesthetics play a fairly big role in the finished car. 

Kerry Hopperstad, Hopperstad Customs

SEMA eNews: Why did you decide to get involved and become a HRIA Pinewood Builder’s Challenge participant? 

Kerry Hopperstad: It was fun to build on a small scale. And it's for a great cause—Victory Junction Camp.

SEMA eNews: Did you race Pinewood when you were younger?

Kerry Hopperstad: No.

SEMA eNews: What was the inspiration for your build?

Kerry Hopperstad: A love for old dirt track cars of the ’30s.

SEMA eNews: What was the major challenge in completing the build?

Kerry Hopperstad: Making the rims for the wheels.

SEMA eNews: What are the details of the build that you would like potential bidders to know? 

Kerry Hopperstad: I did use the block that was supplied in the kit.

All of the HRIA Builder's Challenge vehicles will be on display in HRIA's council booth at the 2011 SEMA Show. More details on the auction will be available in upcoming issues of SEMA eNews. For more information, contact Zane Clark at zanec@sema.org.

 

	Mark Rodgers

Whether you’re selling products, such as exhaust systems, paint or brake pads, or you’re selling a service, such as computer consulting, dealership management systems or, well … service, the words you use and the phrases that you choose can have a huge impact on your sales success.

Language skills enable you to communicate with more precision and persuasiveness. It’s been said that language is understood at both a conscious and subconscious level, so to dramatically raise your sales effectiveness of both tangible and intangible items, you should work to improve your language skills.

Here’s something you should try—practice describing your common business situations on three different levels: plain-spoken, descriptive or sophisticated. Your past clients were happy, delighted or elated. The approval requirements were tough, formidable or onerous. Your customers’ advantages were important, considerable, substantial or even great, extraordinary or astonishing.

When you do this, you will acquire several important skills and abilities. First, by applying this idea, you will flex your vocabulary "muscles," giving you more ways to describe more things. Second, by matching more closely the language patterns of your customer, you can better connect with them and more effectively communicate (when I worked at a Harley-Davidson dealership in Philadelphia, we had customers from all sorts of backgrounds. We had those who worked at the U.S. Naval Yards, to South Philly guys who spoke nothing but street slang, it seemed, to professors from Villanova University. Let’s just say none of them used the same language!).

And finally, some researchers have suggested that when you improve your vocabulary, you improve your IQ!

How can you do this effectively? Just grab a thesaurus and get started! Learn different ways to describe a particular product’s advantages (first-rate, excellent or superior). Identify and use different ways to describe your business process (easy, simple or effortless). Use different descriptors for situations a customer may experience; for example, without this tire and wheel protection, flat-tire repair expenses can be costly (or expensive or prohibitive).

As you can see from the examples above, language isn’t an exact science. You may choose different descriptors, but the key is to build your vocabulary so that you can match you customer in whatever situation you find yourself. Whether your customers are the plain-spoken sort or they are on the other end of the language spectrum or somewhere in between, you’ll be ready.

Practice this idea and, in short order, you will dramatically accelerate your business results.

Mark Rodgers is the author of the best-selling McGraw-Hill book: Accelerate the Sale. Rodgers will be a featured presenter at the 2011 SEMA Show Education Days program as part of the Powersport Dealer Track. To view a complete Education Days schedule, visit www.SEMAShow.com/education. View the companion video for this article.

If you have a great sales success story to tell, go to www.AcceleratetheSale.com and sign up for Rodgers' “Your Greatest Sale Ever!” contest. No guff. No Gimmicks. Just cool cash for great sales stores. Top prize is $1000.

Powersport Dealer Track Sessions—Powered by Motorcycle & Powersports News

All sessions will be held at Las Vegas Convention Center in Room #S206.

Date: Monday, October 31
Time: 9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Session: "AccSELLerate Your Sales: 11 Ways to Dramatically Increase the Speed With Which You Close Vehicle Sales"
Presenter: Mark Rodgers, Peak Dealership Performance

Date: Monday, October 31
Time: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Session: "Test Rides … Right! Transform Your Test Ride Strategy, Your Tactics and Your Results"
Presenter: Mark Rodgers, Peak Dealership Performance

Date: Monday, October 31
Time: 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Session: "Overcome Your Toughest Objections, Now!"
Presenter: Mark Rodgers, Peak Dealership Performance

Date: Monday, October 31
Time: 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Session: "Creating Satisfaction and Profits Even When Overwhelmed with Customers"
Presenter: Mark Rodgers, Peak Dealership Performance

Date: Tuesday, November 1
Time: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Session: "Customer Ratings & Reviews: How to Manage Your Reputation Online"
Presenter: Heather Blessington, Duo Web Solutions

Date: Tuesday, November 1
Time: 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Session: "Increase Your F&I Profits Through Conversions"
Presenter: Gart Sutton, Gart Sutton & Associates

Date: Tuesday, November 1
Time: 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
Session: "Optimizing Powersports Dealership e-Commerce"
Presenter: Craig Cervenka, Edgenet

Date: Wednesday, November 2
Time: 9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Session: "Secrets To Boost Technician Efficiency"
Presenter: C.R. Gittere, Service Manager Pro, Cyclepedia Press

Date: Wednesday, November 2
Time: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Session: "Got Google? How To Get Noticed by Search Engines"
Presenter: Craig Cervenka, Edgenet

Date: Wednesday, November 2
Time: 1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
Session: "New Media Strategy: Social & Mobile Marketing"
Presenter: Heather Blessington, Duo Web Solutions

Date: Thursday, November 3
Time: 9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Session: "Exploring New Powersports Dealership Profit Centers"
Presenter: Colleen Brousil, Motorcycle & Powersport News

Date: Thursday, November 3
Time: 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Session: "Supercharge Your Service Profits"
Presenter: C.R. Gittere, Service Manager Pro, Cyclepedia Press