Fredric Aasbo Wins Third Formula DRIFT Driver’s Title

Papadakis Racing Toyota teammates Fredric Aasbo (left) and Ryan Tuerck. Aasbo won the 2022 Formula Drift championship title Saturday, while Tuerck scored third. The duo also celebrated a win for Toyota in the Manufacturer's Cup and Nitto Tire won the Tire Cup. (Image: Larry Chen Photo)

The Papadakis Racing Toyota team earned a one–two finish at the Irwindale Speedway season finale to lock in the 2022 Formula DRIFT Championship title for Fredric Aasbo in the Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra and third in the points for Ryan Tuerck in the Rain-X/Nitto Tire Toyota GR Corolla. The team also celebrated a Manufacturer’s Cup victory for Toyota and a win for Nitto Tire in the Tire Cup.

Aasbo ran a perfect weekend, earning the top spot on Friday’s qualifying ladder and a critical three points to enter Saturday’s main event just 11 points off the lead. To win the title, Aasbo needed to finish one competition round ahead of rival Matt Field.

The pressure was on as a downpour swept through the area immediately before competition began, putting Aasbo in the difficult position of being first to test the wet track in the Round of 16. A sighting lap revealed patchy grip and puddles of standing water. Aasbo and the team opted to take a conservative strategy and run a lower line, which paid off when championship leader Field crashed out of the competition with a spin on the slick high line and opened the door for Aasbo to win the 2022 crown.

Aasbo’s top 16 opponent Kyle Mohan also got caught out in the slick conditions and Aasbo advanced to the Great 8 to lock in his third career Formula DRIFT title. The Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra driver joins an elite pair to have earned three titles in the series. Chris Forsberg and James Deane have also earned three championships each.

With the championship title secure in the Round of 16, the night became a victory run for Aasbo, who climbed the competition ladder to defeat Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis, then Adam LZ and join his Papadakis Racing Toyota teammate Tuerck in the Finals.

Tuerck qualified seventh on Friday and advanced past Alec Robbins in the Top 16 to vault from fifth to third in the championship points standings. Then, he won a one-more-time match-up with Branden Sorensen in the Great 8 and faced down Jeff Jones in the Final 4. From there, it was a guaranteed Papadakis Racing Toyota team 1–2 result as teammates squared off at the House of Drift. Aasbo took the event win to cap his championship winning season, while Tuerck earned second and locked in third place in the driver’s championship.

Between them, teammates Aasbo and Tuerck achieved seven podium results in eight rounds of competition, with Tuerck winning the season opener in Long Beach and Aasbo topping the podium at Round 2 in Atlanta and again at the Irwindale finale.

Ashley, Capps, Enders and Arana Jr. Pick Up Huge Playoff Wins at Texas NHRA FallNationals

Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley extended his points lead last Sunday, rolling to an impressive win at the Texas Motorplex for the second straight year at the 37th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the 20th event in the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

After struggling in qualifying, Ashley more than made up for it on Sunday, going 3.688 seconds at 329.24 mph in his 11,000hp Phillips Connect Toyota dragster to defeat Austin Prock in the championship round, extending his lead to 82 points over Brittany Force in the process. Prock moved to seventh in points.

In Funny Car, Capps also won for the second straight year in Dallas, also inching closer to the points lead after defeating Matt Hagan in the final round with his run of 3.911 at 327.18 in his 11,000hp NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra, bringing him to within 10 points of leader Robert Hight with two races remaining. Hagan trails Hight by 78 points heading to Vegas.

Enders had one of her finest showings this weekend in Dallas, capping it off with a victory on the strength of a 6.537 at 209.63 in the finals in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. It gave her the win over rival Greg Anderson, extending an already huge points lead and putting her in position to clinch her fifth world title in Las Vegas. Enders will take a 166-point lead to Vegas.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana Jr. grabbed his first victory since 2019 with a run of 6.822 at 196.35 on his Team Arana Buell to beat Jerry Savoie in the final round. With two races remaining, Matt Smith now holds a 51-point lead over Joey Gladstone.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action on October 27–30 with the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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

By Ashley Reyes

Finalists for SEMA Awards recognizing individuals for their contributions and accomplishments in the industry have been announced:

GEN-III Innovator of the Year – recognizing a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger who is creating new innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology and/or trends.

• Mike Burns, CEO, ValvoMax
• Alex Kay, founder, RestorFX International   
• Dustin Woolf, owner, Woolfpack Racing

The Gen-III Innovator of the Year award recognizing a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger who is creating new innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology and/or trends.

Influencer of the Year – recognizing a content creator for their outstanding contributions to automotive culture and for creating a positive impact with automotive enthusiasts.

• Larry Chen
• ChrisFix
• TJ Hunt
• Adam LZ
• Alex Taylor

Award winners will be announced as part of the 2022 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 3. The celebration will include cocktails, dinner, awards and entertainment. Exhibitors can secure complimentary tickets and purchase additional tickets through their registration dashboard, while attendees can purchase tickets here.  

Ford Performance and Late Model Engines Join Forces with Power Automedia to Give Away a 1,000-HP Godzilla Engine

Building on the success of last year’s engine giveaway, Power Automedia has announced the latest partnership with Ford Performance Parts and Late Model Engines (LME). LME will be charged with building a 1,000hp turbo Godzilla engine live on the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show floor. Enthusiasts will have a chance to see a powerful example of this exciting new platform come together before their eyes and maybe even take it home.

The Godzilla is a 7.3L V8 engine with a more traditional pushrod design, and is the largest displacement gasoline engine offered by Ford Motor Company. This year, LME will start with a stock Godzilla crate engine from Ford Performance Parts, do a baseline dyno test and then work its magic to hold high boost. Following the engine assembly at the PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis, December 8–10, the engine will be dyno-tested again to verify its four-digit power as the winner is selected.

For additional build details and giveaway updates, follow EngineLabs.com. To enter the contest, go to EngineLabsGiveaway.com.

Oracle Lighting Grows; Adds Grant LeJeune to Operations Team

Oracle Lighting has announced it has added Grant LeJeune to its operations team.

“As Oracle Lighting continues to advance, we decided to add new talent in the form of an Operations Coordinator to assist in managing our growth and expansion,” said Sandy Crespo-Mossi, Oracle Lighting director of operations. “Grant has the education and work experience to be a successful and integral part of helping Oracle Lighting’s marketing, sales and warehouse teams with their operational needs as we continue to develop and grow as a company.”

RealTruck Inc. Promotes Christine Barringer to Chief Accounting Officer

RealTruck has announced the promotion of Christine Barringer as its first chief accounting officer. In her new role, Barringer will be responsible for overseeing the company’s strategic direction of the corporate accounting organization, financial-close processes, reporting and continuous improvements in the accounting function to support the growth objectives of RealTruck. Previously, Barringer was the vice president, corporate controller for RealTruck. She will continue to report directly to Ted McCormick, who joined the company as chief financial officer in November 2021.

Since Barringer joined the RealTruck team just over seven years ago, she’s built a corporate accounting team, implemented common accounting policies enterprise wide and led the business combination accounting and integration for 11 acquisitions. She was also a key contributing member of the management team that successfully executed two sale processes. Barringer has more than 20 years of private and public-company experience. Prior to RealTruck, she held positions at HHI Group Holdings, TRW Automotive, Hayes Lemmerz and KPMG.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA News. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

By Juan Torres

As experts and innovators in the automotive specialty-equipment industry, SEMA Show exhibitors have voted on the top trend-setting vehicles in the automotive aftermarket. The leading vehicles that represent the best business opportunities for the aftermarket are being considered for a SEMA Award in six categories.

Finalists for SEMA Awards (in alphabetical order):

SEMA Car of the Year

• Nissan Z
• Dodge Challenger

SEMA Mid-Size Truck of the Year

• Jeep Gladiator
• Toyota Tacoma

SEMA Full-Size Truck of the Year

• RAM
• Toyota Tundra

SEMA 4x4/SUV of the Year

• Jeep Wrangler
• Toyota 4Runner

SEMA Sport Compact of the Year

• Toyota GR86
• Volkswagen Golf GTI

SEMA Electric Vehicle of the Year

• Nissan Ariya
• Volkswagen ID.4

SEMA Show exhibitors choose to develop products for new vehicles that have wide consumer appeal, and for which they often collaborate with automakers through programs, such as SEMA Measuring Sessions and SEMA Tech Transfer. The SEMA Award finalists represent exhibiting automakers that support the aftermarket with accessory-friendly models based on their potential for customization.

The top-winning vehicle in each category will be announced during the SEMA Show Vehicle Reveal Monday, October 31, at 5:00 p.m., at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Held the evening before the opening of the SEMA Show, the Vehicle Reveal gives media and exhibitors a chance to get a sneak peek at some of the vehicles that will be on display during the week.

To learn more about the 2022 SEMA Show taking place November 1–4, in Las Vegas, visit www.semashow.com. 

By SEMA Editors

Photographers captured images of the ’24 Ford Explorer Timberline testing alongside the Ford Bronco. Although the Explorer Timberline launched in 2021, Ford is bumping up the refresh to bring it onto the same cycle as the rest of the lineup.

Ford will launch an Electric Explorer in 2024, but in the meanwhile, ICE Explorers will get a nip/tuck. The front of Explorer Timberline will gain a larger grille and all-new headlights. In the back, revised taillights are expected carrying a similar appearance to the recently shown Chinese Explorer. Powertrain changes aren’t expected, but the 2.3L EcoBoost may get a slight bump in power while continuing to be paired to a 10-speed automatic.

Expect to see the refreshed Explorer Timberline in 2023.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By Ashley Reyes

The record-high sales growth over the past two years for the automotive specialty-equipment industry is beginning to level off or subside, according to the newest SEMA market research report. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, supply-chain issues and rising costs, companies remain optimistic as sales remain solid and above pre-pandemic levels.

The newest Fall 2022 report finds that 47% of manufacturers, 48% of distributors and 44% of retailers expect sales to increase in the coming year.

“Businesses experienced record high growth the past two years,” said Gavin Knapp, SEMA director of market research. “We saw growth that was above the industry’s norm, so it makes sense that we’re returning to more normal levels. It’s great to see that most companies are up from 2019 levels."

Conducted every six months since 2021, the “SEMA State of the Industry” studies are designed to give companies clarity about the overall market during an uncertain time. The disruption from the pandemic made it difficult of members to understand what the market was going through and nearly impossible to forecast. Based on data from the automotive specialty-equipment industry, the reports give readers a barometer to gauge how they are currently doing and make predictions about what’s to come.  

The newest Fall 2022 version finds that 47% of manufacturers, 48% of distributors and 44% of retailers expect sales to increase in the coming year. Additional findings include:

• Supply-chain issues continue to be disruptive for the industry. More than 90% of companies say that they are having a moderate or significant impact on operations.
• Inflation and the supply-chain issues are resulting in higher costs for businesses. More than 90% of companies reported an increase in supplier or production costs; most (around 80%) are compensating for the high costs by increasing their prices. Despite this, consumer demand and revenue remain strong.
• Ongoing supply-chain issues and high prices are slowing new-vehicle sales. Sales are not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024 or 2025. Sales for 2022 are expected to fall about a million vehicles short of 2021, at 13.9 million total units. The average price of a new vehicle reached $48,301 in August 2022, a record high. The average price of an electric is even higher, at more than $66,000.

The complete "State of the Industry—Fall 2022" report is available to download for free at www.sema.org/research, and will be discussed in depth during the SEMA Show seminar, “State of the Specialty-Equipment Industry: Trends and Directions,” Tuesday, November 1, at 11:00 a.m. in N254.

By Ashley Reyes

Onboarding new hires is important to help them thrive in their new role. It also welcomes them as part of the team and inspires them to be more knowledgeable and excited about the company.

During the webinar, “Talent Management for Managers, Powered by SBN,” October 20, at 12:00 p.m. (PDT), SEMA-member company managers will learn how to successfully navigate the employee onboarding process. Participants will hear from career coach veteran and owner of HR Culture Geek Elizabeth Jacobs and walk away with strategies on how recruit and onboard, check in on performance and ways to set goals so that expectations are better met.

Participants will engage with other automotive aftermarket professionals through a virtual breakout and have the chance to share and acquire ideas.

Register here.

By Ashley Reyes

As part of the third annual SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) Cup Challenge, the PRO Booth #50185 at the 2022 SEMA Show will include seven new-model cars and trucks featuring restyling packages that are marketable, easy-to-replicate and profitable. The seven vehicles are competing to showcase and encourage new-vehicle buyers and dealers to incorporate simple, everyday accessories into their sales.

Through the SEMA PRO Cup Challenge, accessory manufacturers see how their products can be packaged with other products, restylers get ideas to take back to their local markets and SEMA Showgoers witness how new vehicles can be transformed and can even vote for a build to win a “Fan Favorite Award.” 

The SEMA PRO Cup Challenge is the only competition of its kind at the SEMA Show that pits restyler against restyler to create a package for a new-model car or truck. Through the competition, accessory manufacturers see how their products can be packaged with other products, restylers get ideas to take back to their local markets and SEMA Showgoers witness how new vehicles can be transformed and can even vote for a build to win a “Fan Favorite Award.” 

This year’s vehicles will include mixture of internal-combustion engines and electric. In addition to the Fan Favorite Award, a panel of judges will select an overall winner to be named SEMA PRO Cup Challenge champion.

“The variety of vehicles in this year’s PRO Cup Challenge will surely show restyling shops how they can use traditional restyling products as well as some new products and services to build packages,” said PRO Chair Josh Poulson. “There will be a good mixture of truck accessories, film products, interior products, 12-volt products and no doubt some show-stopping new products to create these exciting builds.”

SEMA Showgoers can witness the competition in action and see the vehicle builds up close by visiting PRO Booth #50185 during SEMA Show week. The SEMA PRO Cup Challenge Winner and Fan Favorite Award Winner will be announced during the SEMA Show PRO Booth Happy Hour, November 2, at 4:00 p.m.  

Learn more at www.sema.org/pro-cup-challenge.

By Ashley Reyes

Finalists for SEMA Awards recognizing individuals for their contributions and accomplishments in the industry have been announced:

GEN-III Innovator of the Year – recognizing a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger who is creating new innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology and/or trends.

• Mike Burns, CEO, ValvoMax
• Alex Kay, founder, RestroFX International   
• Dustin Woolf, owner, Woolfpack Racing

The Gen-III Innovator of the Year award recognizing a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger who is creating new innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology and/or trends.

Influencer of the Year – recognizing a content creator for their outstanding contributions to automotive culture and for creating a positive impact with automotive enthusiasts.

• Larry Chen
• ChrisFix
• TJ Hunt
• Adam LZ
• Alex Taylor

Award winners will be announced as part of the 2022 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 3. The celebration will include cocktails, dinner, awards and entertainment. Exhibitors can secure complimentary tickets and purchase additional tickets through their registration dashboard, while attendees can purchase tickets here.  

By Ashley Reyes

Finalists for SEMA Awards recognizing individuals for their contributions and accomplishments in the industry have been announced:

GEN-III Innovator of the Year – recognizing a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger who is creating new innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology and/or trends.

• Mike Burns, CEO, ValvoMax
• Alex Kay, founder, RestroFX International   
• Dustin Woolf, owner, Woolfpack Racing

The Gen-III Innovator of the Year award recognizing a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger who is creating new innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology and/or trends.

Influencer of the Year – recognizing a content creator for their outstanding contributions to automotive culture and for creating a positive impact with automotive enthusiasts.

• Larry Chen
• ChrisFix
• TJ Hunt
• Adam LZ
• Alex Taylor

Award winners will be announced as part of the 2022 SEMA Show Industry Awards Banquet, Thursday, November 3. The celebration will include cocktails, dinner, awards and entertainment. Exhibitors can secure complimentary tickets and purchase additional tickets through their registration dashboard, while attendees can purchase tickets here.