By Ashley Reyes

Many products and accessories are more likely to be purchased by consumers when they are purchasing their new vehicles from the dealer. Consumers are more apt to have the upgrade immediately when they purchase the vehicle and can even roll the cost of the upgrades into the financing with the dealer. To capitalize on this strategy, installers and restylers can increase business by working directly with dealers.

However, it can be challenging to convince dealers to incorporate accessory programs into their businesses. Installers and restylers must have more than a strong sales approach, top-quality workmanship and a positive rapport. They must understand the inner workings of a dealership and be able to explain how the program will benefit the dealer.

To help restylers, trimmers and accessory retailers build a more successful dealer-direct sales strategy, the SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) has a “Sales Training Manual” that includes vital information on how to work with dealers. The 82-page manual is a comprehensive guide that is used as the foundation for the SEMA Accessory Sales Professional Exam, which restylers, installers and accessory retailers can take to certify their sales expertise and set their business apart from competitors.

In addition to listing the key elements of a sales strategy, the manual contains in-depth information of what constitutes a good sales rep, how to promote your image and brand and provides marketing tools and resources.

Learn more about the “PRO Sales Training Manual” at www.sema.org/pro-sales-training-manual. PRO members can obtain the manual for free by contacting Denise Waddingham at deniselw@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

A provision in the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) eliminates the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) for the fourth quarter of 2021, moving the deadline for eligible wages up to September 30 from December 31. The ERTC is a COVID-19 economic relief program that was enacted in 2020 and expanded in 2021, offering a refundable tax credit of 70% of up to $10,000 in wages per quarter paid by an eligible employer in 2021 to encourage businesses impacted by COVID-19 to keep employees on their payroll. This means the 2021 tax credit is potentially $21,000 per employee ($7,000 for each quarter).

Companies with 500 or fewer employees can file a 2021 claim if they have experienced a 20% or more decline of gross receipts in a quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019. Employers claim the ERTC by withholding payroll taxes for qualified employee wages. Because the tax credit is refundable, if the withholdings do not cover the entire tax credit, the IRS will send you a check for the remaining amount. There is a chance that the opportunity to claim the ERTC in the fourth quarter may be restored in an upcoming piece of legislation if economic conditions demonstrate a need.

For more information, contact Caroline Fletcher at carolinef@sema.org.

Dustin Woolf, owner, Woolfpack Racing was the winner of the 2021 SEMA Launch Pad competition with his product, Natural Nitrous—a stand-alone refrigerated system designed to lower an engine’s air charge and dehumidify moisture, which increases horsepower and lowers emissions due to the fuel’s complete burn. Woolf walked away with a grand-prize package valued at $100,000.

Dustin Woolf, owner, Woolfpack Racing was the winner of the 2021 SEMA Launch Pad competition with his product, Natural Nitrous.

The SEMA Launch Pad is the automotive aftermarket’s premier product-pitching competition designed to encourage automotive entrepreneurship and help inventors launch new products into the marketplace. SEMA Industry Awards Banquet attendees had the opportunity to watch the top two SEMA Launch Pad finalists compete live on stage and vote for their favorite product.

The 2021 competition was chronicled for the first time through a five-episode streaming series that debuted on the SEMA YouTube Channel. Through the series, viewers witnessed 15 semifinalists—whose products were on display at the 2021 SEMA Show—present their products to a panel of judges made up of industry veterans Chip Foose (Foose Design), Jared Hare (Addictive Desert Designs), Myles Kovacs (DUB) and Alex Parker (Redline Detection).

Jim Beaver Wraps Up 2021 BITD Season With Victory in California City

Professional off-road racer and General Tire Down & Dirty Show Powered by Polaris RZR host Jim Beaver ended his pursuit of a 2021 Best in the Desert class championship with the UTV Unlimited victory in the Cal City Desert Challenge. Beaver and the #2915 General Tire Polaris RZR team crossed the finish line first in class on both days of racing to cap off the BITD season with a second-place finish in the class points standings. The 2021 campaign has seen Beaver make half a dozen race starts, with a full slate of BITD events as well as the Legacy Racing Association Baja Nevada. He scored podium finishes in half of those events, with second place runs at Baja Nevada and Vegas to Reno joining the win in Cal City. The #2915 machine, nicknamed “Mona Lisa,” finished every race it ran in the top 10, starting with its debut in Beaver’s hands in the Parker 250 at the start of the season.

NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Announces 2022 Schedule

NASCAR has announced 13 races in the 2022 schedule for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with additional dates and venues to be announced in the future. For the first time in series history, the season will kick off at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida, Saturday, February 12, as part of the track’s “World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing” during NASCAR’s Speedweeks. It will also be the series’ debut at the half-mile oval.

After opening the 2021 season, Martinsville Speedway will serve as the season finale and where the champion is crowned, Thursday, October 27. This will mark the first time in 30 years and sixth time overall Martinsville has hosted the final Whelen Modified Tour race of the year. For the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2022 schedule, visit nascar.com/whelen-modified-tour.

Hot Shot’s Secret Boasts Clean Sweep at ODSS

Hot Shot’s Secret has announced a clean sweep of every class champion in the 2021 Outlaw Diesel Super Series (ODSS).

• Jamo ET Bracket: Ryan Riddle
• ATS/Diesel Power 7.70 Index: Nick Morris
• Thoroughbred Diesel 6.70 Index: Landon Miller
• Firepunk Diesel Outlaw 5.90 Index: David Large
• Hot Shot’s Secret Pro Street: Johnny Gilbert
• SunCoast Performance Pro Mod: Larson Miller

2022 Schedule for Inaugural USF Juniors Series Announced

Andersen Promotions has unveiled the 2022 schedule for the launch of its new series, USF Juniors Presented by Cooper Tires. The professionally managed, entry-level series is aimed at preparing drivers for the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires—the stepping stone to the NTT IndyCar Series. The 2022 schedule will feature six events and 16 total races, held in conjunction with USAC's Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, the NTT IndyCar Series, and select NASCAR events. All races will be run to a lap count with extended time windows to ensure competitors a set number of green-flag racing laps.

The season kicks off alongside USF2000 and the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires at the annual Road to Indy Spring Training test held on the Homestead-Miami Speedway road course in Homestead, Florida, February 17–18. The series finale will feature a triple-header round at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, September 17–18.

USF Juniors will feature a prize package exceeding $325,000 which includes a scholarship valued at more than $200,000 to advance to the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, the first step on the driver development ladder. For the complete 2022 USF Juniors schedule, visit usfjuniors.com.

Speedway Motorsports to Acquire Dover Motorsports

Speedway Motorsports—the marketer, promoter and sponsor of motorsports entertainment and owner of several premier racing facilities—has entered an agreement to acquire Dover Motorsports for an approximate total equity value of $131.5 million. Dover Motorsports owns and operates Dover International Speedway (Dover, Delaware) and Nashville Superspeedway (Lebanon, Tennessee). The transaction was announced by Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith and Dover Motorsports President and CEO Denis McGlynn. Speedway Motorsports owns and operates Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway. For terms of the merger agreement and related information, visit the announcement here.

West Coast HoF Reveals Nominees For Next Class

Eight first-time nominees are among the 21 individuals under consideration for induction into the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2022. The inaugural nominees include Greg Biffle (NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and 19-time NASCAR Cup Series winner), Brendan Gaughan (two-time ARCA Menards Series West/former NASCAR West Series champion and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner), David Gilliland (Daytona 500 pole winner and two-time ARCA Menards Series West/former NASCAR West Series championship crew chief), Eric Holmes (ARCA Menards Series West/former NASCAR West Series 17-race winner and two-time champion), John Moore (founder of JM Environmental, 2021 All American Speedway and NASCAR State of California titleholder, and team owner and sponsor), Brad Noffsinger (two-time CRA title winner and former Cup crew chief for Wally Dallenbach Jr.), Ken Sapper (three-time Modified Stock Car champion at the former Saugus Speedway (California) and current Speedway Engineering president) and Jimmy Sills (three-time USAC Silver Crown champion).

Nominated again after appearing on previous ballots are Ken Boyd, Ernie Cope, Mike David, Garrett Evans, Dave Fuge, Lance Hooper, Tony Hunt, Brent Kaeding, Danny Ongais, Greg Pickett, Nick Rescino, Carl Trimmer, and Sean Woodside.

Five inductees will be named in early 2022, following two rounds of voting by the organization’s Board of Directors. First-round voting begins next week. The organization also will induct its fifth Heritage class of five individuals whose careers began prior to 1970. The Heritage inductees will be named in 2022. For more information, visit westcoaststockcarhalloffame.com.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.

After a two-year hiatus, 2,500 automotive icons, professionals, supporters and celebrities reunited to celebrate the winners of the SEMA Person of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year, WD of the Year and Gen-III Innovator of the Year at the 2021 SEMA Industry Awards Banquet, which took place Thursday, November 4, at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino.

About 2,500 automotive icons, professionals, supporters and celebrities attended the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet in Las Vegas.

In addition, SEMA paid tribute to this year’s SEMA Hall of Fame inductees: Jessi Combs, Rick Love, Bob Moore and Carl Schiefer. Hosted by Jarod DeAnda and Kevin Oeste the event is the automotive specialty-equipment market’s premier awards ceremony where industry excellence and achievements are celebrated.

The evening featured a cocktail hour, formal sit-down dinner, a performance by Light Balance—a Hi-Tech neon and LED show with elements of acrobatic and dance choreography—and comedy by Adam Ferrara.

A performance by Light Balance featured a Hi-Tech neon and LED show with elements of acrobatic and dance choreography.

The following companies and individuals were honored with industry awards:

2021 SEMA Person of the Year
Sara Morosan, LGE-CTS Motorsports

2021 SEMA Manufacturer of the Year
ORACLE Lighting Inc.
(runners up: KW Automotive and CSF Racing & High-Performance)

2021 SEMA WD of the Year
Turn 14 Distribution
(runners up: Meyer Distributing and Keystone Automotive)

2021 SEMA Gen-III Innovator of the Year
Matt Kossoff, Driven Lighting Group
(runners up: Justin Hartenstein and Keith Ferry)

Sara Morosan of LGE-CTS Motorsports was named 2021 SEMA Person of the Year.

Morosan, vice president of LGE-CTS Motorsports and president of BAJA Forged, received the association’s most prestigious award for SEMA Person of the Year. During the pandemic, Morosan formed BAJA Forged, a company specializing in off-road products and custom builds. She also dedicated hours of her time to volunteer for SEMA and the industry, most recently as chair-elect of the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), a member of the SEMA Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) select committee, and a SEMA Cares Committee member.

ORACLE Lighting Inc. was recognized as 2021 SEMA Manufacturer of the Year.

The SEMA Manufacturer of the Year honors went to ORACLE Lighting. The company is a nominee for the 2021 Lantern Award (which honors excellence in manufacturing for the entire state of Louisiana), and has been named a Small Business Champion by the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the Louisiana Exporter of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Jefferson Parish’s Small Business of the Year by JEDCO, Millennial Business of the Year by the Greater New Orleans Business Alliance and winner of an American Business Award for Consumer Products Company of the Year (Bronze Stevie).

Turn 14 Distribution was honored as 2021 SEMA WD of the Year.

Turn 14 Distribution was named SEMA Warehouse Distributor (WD) of the Year. Turn 14 has grown its business exponentially with technologically advanced, state-of-the-art warehouse facilities. The company makes data-driven decisions and is the first WD to implement a brand equity specialist to ensure they comply with manufacturers that have real pricing policies. 

Matt Kossoff of Driven Lighting Group was named 2021 SEMA Gen-III Innovator of the Year.

The 2021 Gen-III Innovator of the Year award was presented to Kossoff, founder and chief product officer of Driven Lighting Group. With his company, he created an entire market segment by inventing the world’s first commercially available projector retrofit lighting product and he continues to innovate the industry with his products. What started in his basement during college has developed into 80 full-time workers and he owns six of the most well-known lighting brands in the industry.

Attendees watched the top two SEMA Launch Pad finalists compete live on stage and voted for their favorite product.

Attendees also had the opportunity to watch the top two SEMA Launch Pad finalists compete live on stage and vote for their favorite product. Dustin Woolf of Woolfpack Racing was ultimately the winner with his Natural Nitrous product. He walked away with a grand-prize package valued at $100,000.

Comedian Adam Ferrara entertained the crowd.

2021 Hall of Fame member Bob Moore was a pioneer in establishing standards for product data in the automotive aftermarket.

Jessi Combs’ mother Nina Darrington accepted the Hall of Fame honors on her behalf. Combs set a land-speed record for women at 522.783 mph.

Carl Schiefer’s son and current SCS Founder and CEO James Schiefer accepted the Hall of Fame honors on Carl’s behalf. Carl founded what has evolved into a thriving marketing agency dedicated to automotive brands.

2021 SEMA Hall of Fame member Rick Love of Vintage Air never wavers to volunteer his time, expertise and energy to helping the industry.

The SEMA Industry Awards recognize outstanding commitment to the industry and a high level of involvement with SEMA committees, task forces, councils and board of directors’ participation. Don’t miss the 2022 SEMA Show, to be held November 1–4 in Las Vegas.

SEMA has announced the Top 12 finalists in the eighth annual SEMA Battle of the Builders competition—the event that determines the builder the aftermarket community considers the best. These builders represent an elite group of individuals who have demonstrated extreme talent, creativity and craftsmanship in modifying cars, trucks and SUVs.

Back row, left to right: Simo Veharanta, Mark Giambalvo, Eddie Pettus, Jeremey Miranda, Bob Matranga, Mike Filion, and Dayton Jacobsen. Front row, left to right: Samantha Frazier, Chelsie Lesnoski, Cole Marten, Bryan Thompson, and Kamaka Pocock.

The 2021 Battle of the Builders Top 12 finalists are:

Hot Rod

• Mike Fillion—’56 Oldsmobile 98    
• Mark Giambalvo—’30 Ford Model A 2-Door Sedan    
• Robert Matranga—’55 Chevrolet Bel Air    

Sport Compact/Import

• Samantha Frazier—’73 Nissan Datsun 240Z    
• Eddie Pettus—’61 Austin Healey Sprite    
• Simo Veharanta—’82 Porsche 911 RSR    

Truck & Off-Road

• Jeremy Miranda—’59 Chevrolet Apache    
• Kamaka Pocock—’67 Chevrolet C10    
• Bryan Thompson—’34 Ford Pickup    

Young Guns

• Dayton Jacobson—’00 Chevrolet S10    
• Chelsie Lesnoski—’93 Mazda RX-7 FD    
• Cole Marten—’91 Nissan Skyline R32 GTR    

Industry experts narrowed the field to select the Top 12 finalists, who will now judge one another on Friday at the SEMA Show and vote to determine who will be named the Ultimate Builder of the 2021 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

The SEMA Battle of the Builders winner will be announced before the start of SEMA Ignited, taking place after the trade-only SEMA Show closes, on Friday, November 5, from 3:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., in the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) West Hall Parking Lot (300 Convention Center Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89109). Hundreds of vehicles will exit the Las Vegas Convention Center after the SEMA Show for the SEMA Cruise and make their way to SEMA Ignited. Formula DRIFT demonstrations, exhibitors, products and celebrities from the SEMA Show will be on-hand, along with food trucks, music and entertainment.

SEMA Ignited is open to the public and allows enthusiasts a chance to see many of the industry’s latest in automotive accessories on several of the 2021 SEMA Show vehicles that were on display during the Show.

To secure a ticket or more information about SEMA Ignited, visit www.semaignited.com. For more information on the competition, visit www.semabotb.com.

Here's a look at several 2021 SEMA Show custom vehicles that attendees will see throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center.

SEMA Ignited, the official after-party of the SEMA Show, returns to Las Vegas, Friday, November 5. Since 2014, SEMA Ignited has taken place at the conclusion of the four-day SEMA Show, providing consumers and the general public an opportunity to see and experience the mystique from the exclusive automotive aftermarket trade event.

This year’s SEMA Ignited takes place Friday, November 5, from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (PDT), at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) West Hall parking lot.

No guaranteed grandstand seating. 2021 SEMA Show attendees get in free with their badges.

Need a PCR test before you travel home?

We got you covered with onsite testing available in the North Hall, room N116. Photo ID is required for the test. Visit www.labport.app/sema or scan the QR Code below.

Dates and Times of Testing:

• Wednesday, November 3, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 4, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, November 5, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Here’s a quick look at just some of the vehicles attendees will see staged out front of the Las Vegas Convention Center.