Peter Bruschi is the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) newest Spotlight member. Bruschi is a product engineer at Detroit Speed, manufacturers of aftermarket performance suspension components and kits for American musclecars and trucks.
SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received? How has this advice helped you either professionally or personally?
Peter Bruschi: The answer is always “no” if you don’t ask!
SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?
PB: The opportunities I have to bring the latest and greatest modern technology to my fellow hot rodders.
SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?
PB: Running my Mustang at an SCCA autocross or a Motorsport 4 the Masses short course.
SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?
PB: Ready to go with my agenda, pen and notepad in hand to take notes.
SEMA: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who it would be and why?
PB: Smokey Yunick for his most impressive ability to read between the lines and think outside the box.
If you are a current Young Executives Network member, fill out a YEN member spotlight form. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on YEN’s social media, SEMA eNews and YEN member updates.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has entered an agreement to acquire Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. in a transaction valued at approximately $2.5 billion. The acquisition will expand Goodyear’s product offering by combining two portfolios of complementary brands. It will also create a stronger U.S.-based manufacturer with an increased presence in distribution and retail channels while combining both companies’ strengths.
Darin Morgan
Darin Morgan Joins BES Racing Engines
Longtime racing professional Darin Morgan has joined Guilford, Indiana-based BES Racing Engines. Starting March 1, Morgan will be responsible for assisting BES owner Tony Bischoff in several areas, including product development and cylinder head assembly. Morgan, who has 35 years of experience in race-engine building, including more than two decades with Reher-Morrison Racing Engines and, most recently, at Mast Motorsports, will relocate from Nacogdoches, Texas, for the new position. Among the expected benefits, Bischoff anticipates Morgan’s appointment will help the team shorten lead times.
Champion Brands LLC Awarded Renewal for ISO 9001-2015 Certification
Champion Brands LLC has received an official renewal certification for ISO 9001:2015 compliance from DEKRA, its official registrar. The company completed the required audits with zero non-conformities. This re-certified award as an ISO-compliant company is authorized until September, 2022.
Angel Robles
Kelford Cams Appoints new Vice President, Business Development
Kelford Cams has appointed Angel Robles as vice president of business development – America’s. According to Managing Director Tony Gault, Robles’ appointment is part of Kelford’s commitment to support its expanding U.S. client base.
“In 2020, we established a U.S. warehouse operation just prior to COVID, and have used the past 12 months ironing out the wrinkles every new operation experiences,” Gault said. “At the same time we have further invested in manufacturing capacity to keep up the ever-increasing demand for our products.”
Robles’ experience in both sport-compact and modern U.S. domestic markets fits with the company’s growth strategy.
Teri Thomas (left) and John Kairys were elected to the
Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF)
Board of Trustees.
Two New Trustees Named to AACF Board
The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) announced the election of Teri Thomas and John Kairys to its Board of Trustees. Thomas is senior marketing manager with Interstate Batteries, National Accounts since 2017 and has more than 20 years of marketing experience in several different industries. Kairys is vice-president, Parts and Service Group for TBC Corporation and has spent 37 years in the Automotive Aftermarket, with names such as Cooper Tires, Big O Tires, NTW Tires, and Pirelli Tire. Thomas will be on the Marketing and Revenue Growth Committee, and Kairys will serve on the Marketing and Golf Committee.
For more information or to get involved, contact Joel Ayres at Joel@aacfi.org.
BorgWarner Agrees to Acquire German Battery Company
BorgWarner Inc. has announced the company has agreed to acquire AKASOL AG—a German developer and manufacturer of high-energy and high-performance lithium-ion battery systems. The move is expected to allow BorgWarner to expand its electrification capabilities. AKASOL has more than 300 full-time employees and has one facility in the U.S. and three in Germany.
LSI Chemical Welcomes Nigerian Distributor Milemaster Integrated Services
LSI Chemical has announced a new international distributor partnership with Milemaster Integrated Services to bring chemical formulations and nano technology to serve multiple markets in Nigeria. Milemaster Integrated is now authorized to sell LSI Chemical oil and fuel additives as well as the full line of Hot Shot’s Secret consumer products to more than 200 million people in Nigeria.
Hot Shot’s Secret will fully match donations made
to GoFundMe to support five new Waypoint Vets
Adventures in 2021.
Hot Shot’s Secret Announces Full Donation Match for 2021 Waypoint Vets Adventures GoFundMe Fundraiser
Hot Shot’s Secret has announced plans to fully match donations made to GoFundMe to support five new Waypoint Vets Adventures in 2021. Hot Shot’s Secret founder Chris Gabrelcik became so impressed with Waypoint Vets’ mission of uniting and empowering veterans through their pro-bono adventure trips, he chose to financially sponsor the organization’s first inaugural canyoneering event last October with a $10,000 gift. Upon learning the positive impact it had on the participating veterans, he urged Waypoint’s founder Sarah Lee to start a one month GoFundMe Charity Campaign where Hot Shot’s Secret will fully match all donations made between February 16–March 16 to raise funds for five new veteran adventures. For more information, visit the Waypoint Vets website.
G-Force Racing Gear Announces New Director of Marketing
G-FORCE Racing Gear has announced the hiring of Danilo Oliveira as its new director of marketing. The position had been vacant for some time before the change in ownership at the beginning of 2020. Oliveira comes with a background in sales and marketing, having been in the motorsports industry since 2006. He has worked for well-known companies such as OMP Racing and Adidas Motorsport. Based in Miami, Oliveira will also handle the international sales for G-FORCE Racing Gear.
Myles Kovacs will present the
Keynote Address to open the 2021
BIG Show.
Myles Kovacs to Present 2021 Big Show Keynote Address
Keystone Automotive Operations announced that 2020 SEMA Person of Year Myles Kovacs will present the Keynote Address to open the 2021 BIG Show, at the Gaylord Texan Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.
The in-person event will be held March 5-6, followed by a weeklong virtual event, March 15-19. His Keynote Address: “From Street Kid to Success: Navigating the Journey with Myles Kovacs” will inspire attendees to “think differently” as they kick off the two-day industry-only tradeshow.
Born in a tough neighborhood in East Los Angeles, California, the Japanese-Hungarian Kovacs has become a leading, influential figure in the automotive media and wheel industries. Since 1998, Myles and his companies have created entire market segments and spawned brands that defined their genres.
Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA eNews. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated attendance restrictions have posed significant challenges for racetracks and other live entertainment operators. Even as stay-at-home orders were lifted, many states placed restrictions on the sizes of gatherings that continue to impact the operations of entertainment businesses, including racetracks. While Congress recently created a $15 billion grant program to assist live entertainment and performing arts venues that have been adversely impacted by COVID-19 shutdown orders and occupancy restrictions, the U.S. Small Business Administration determined that racetracks and many other forms of live entertainment were not eligible to apply for grants through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) program. SEMA and the Performance Racing Industry have formed a coalition in partnership with other groups that were left out of the SVOG program to advocate for Congress to create a grant program to help recreation, sports, and amusement live venues that have experienced significant revenue declines.
It is important that members of Congress hear from SEMA members about the importance of providing financial support to racetracks. To send a letter to your lawmakers in Washington, D.C., please click here.
For details, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.
Japan will be the first country to receive the new configuration in
2021 with the expected delivery of 300 of these iconic General
Motors vehicles. Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde
The Corvette C8 will be produced for the first time as a right-hand-drive (RHD) model. Japan will be the first country to receive the new configuration in 2021 with the expected delivery of 300 of these iconic General Motors vehicles.
The 300 eighth-generation Corvettes are presold, selling out within 60 hours of them going on sale. The United Kingdom and Australia are the other two markets expected to receive the RHD Corvette in late 2021. While the numbers are small to start—300 in the first year in Japan and 200 rumored in the first year in Australia—it’s a start for this vehicle. GM officials have noted in recent press reports that the success of the Ford Mustang RHD versions helped prove the international appeal of these late-model American musclecars.
The RHD version will be built alongside the left-hand-drive (LHD) version in the GM Bowling Green, Kentucky, facility.
The September 2021 issue of SEMA News will highlight rising stars in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2021—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—we would like to hear from you.
Many SEMA members are currently working with creative young professionals who are already industry trailblazers. They may have played key roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach, improve product development, energize marketing efforts or upgrade customer interaction.
They could be budding talents at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that might become big names in the future. What they all will have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed.
SEMA News looks for candidates drawn from diverse industry segments who are already making a significant impact through their leadership within their organizations or businesses. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the marketplace weigh heavily in the decision-making process. We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.
Here’s a first look at the Corvette C8 in RHD configuration, which means Australia, Japan and the UK should be getting giddy.
Although GM showed a single image of the C8 cabin in RHD guise nearly a year ago, we have yet to see any official release, press images, or even a prototype from Chevrolet.
Talking to CorvetteBlogger, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter stated “some of us are actually driving them around… it’s very strange to be driving a Corvette with the steering wheel on the right-hand side. We’ve built some and we’ll be doing some of our pre-production testing now in the U.S.”
Fascinatingly though, this is the first time we’ve seen a single prototype.
Expect an official debut in the coming months, with an on-sale date TBD.
Here’s a first look at the Corvette C8 in RHD configuration, which means Australia, Japan and the UK should be getting giddy.
Although GM showed a single image of the C8 cabin in RHD guise nearly a year ago, we have yet to see any official release, press images, or even a prototype from Chevrolet.
Talking to CorvetteBlogger, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter stated “some of us are actually driving them around… it’s very strange to be driving a Corvette with the steering wheel on the right-hand side. We’ve built some and we’ll be doing some of our pre-production testing now in the U.S.”
Fascinatingly though, this is the first time we’ve seen a single prototype.
Expect an official debut in the coming months, with an on-sale date TBD.
Submissions are being accepted for SEMA-member companies to participate in the 2021 Ford Project Vehicle Program.
Open to SEMA member company manufacturers, designers and/or retailers dedicated to supporting new product development, companies must be willing to actively promote the vehicle with their products through an established marketing plan and be financially capable of spending promotional dollars.
The Ford booth at the 2021 SEMA Show will highlight the following vehicles in addition to its existing lineup. The provided links below will allow you to research these products as well as find high-resolution images for your proposal rendering.
Feature the vehicle in a booth at the 2021 Las Vegas SEMA Show.
Use Ford accessory products as specified and provided by Ford Motor Company.
Register and keep the vehicle in your company name during the entire contract period.
Purchase and maintain $3 million in general liability Insurance, $3 million in automotive liability insurance, $1 million employer liability and demonstrate workers compensation coverage; an umbrella policy may be used to achieve coverage limits.
Commit to feature the vehicle with the Ford logo intact and visible.
Order a California-certified vehicle if you intend to register or use the vehicle primarily in California or any other state that has adopted California emissions standards. Failure to do so may subject you to a state fine.
Make vehicles available to Ford or its Dealers for display, at the owner’s discretion.
Submit written quarterly status reports for a period of 18 months, as specified in the contract, stating:
Product development.
Modifications to the vehicle.
Events (including dates, location and type of event).
Media exposure (originals or color copies).
Company advertising featuring the vehicle.
Social Media exposure with statistics.
A copy of your current vehicle registration.
Please submit Project Vehicle proposals to:
Ford Motor Company
21175 Oakwood Blvd., PDCDC MD579
Dearborn, MI 48124
Attn: Nick Terzes and Kyle Ebner semainfo@ford.com
Scholarships are available to students pursuing a degree or
certification that leads to a career in the automotive industry.
SEMA is still accepting applications for the 2021 SEMA Memorial Scholarship and Loan Forgiveness Program. Scholarships are available to students pursuing a degree or certification that leads to a career in the automotive industry, and loan forgiveness is available to employees of SEMA-member companies.
“It’s no secret that this past year has had its challenges. Now more than ever, SEMA is available to help support future industry innovators by providing financial assistance to current students and recent graduates who have outstanding student debt,” said SEMA Senior Manager of Professional Development Gary Vigil. “There are thousands of talented, hard-working individuals seeking careers in the automotive aftermarket. The SEMA Scholarship is designed to support this next generation and allow them to focus on their studies and work, rather than be burdened with tuition costs. The Loan Forgiveness program is intended to provide financial assistance to employees of SEMA-member companies with outstanding student loans.”
Awards of up to $5,000 are available to qualified individuals. Complete details and the online application are available until March 1.
For more information, contact SEMA Project Manager, Member Services Byron Bergmann at 909-378-4859 or byronb@sema.org.
Peter Bruschi is the SEMA 
The September 2021 issue of SEMA News will highlight rising stars in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2021—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—we would like to hear from you.
Submissions are being accepted for SEMA-member companies to participate in the 2021 Ford Project Vehicle Program.