By Ashley Reyes

SEMA member company employees under the age of 40 have two exclusive opportunities to enhance their careers through the SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) Professional Development Programs.  

Hosted in partnership with Dale Carnegie, these programs will be held at the SEMA Garage Detroit, May 5-9, and will feature a course on individual communication and a course on team leadership. FLN members can apply for one or both courses at sema.org/fln-pdp.  

Dale Carnegie has more than 100 years of proven success in helping thousands of organizations and millions of people create positive change and successful growth. This program, which focuses on improving individual and business performance, is available to FLN members at a significant discount off the standard Dale Carnegie training fees.   

Available Courses: 

Individual Communications Course – May 5-6

In this session, attendees will learn about Dale Carnegie's methods and principles for gaining the confidence and tools to build relationships and drive results by gaining willing cooperation and commitment. Takeaways include how to communicate professionally and confidently in business situations, how to build relationships and deal effectively with people in a multitude of scenarios and how to build rapport.   

The price is $960 per person, which includes the training program, a certificate of completion, three nights of hotel accommodations and food and beverage during training.  

Team Leadership Course – May 7-9

Dale Carnegie's unique relationship-centered approach to leadership development will provide attendees with a comprehensive toolkit that will help them become the type of leader required in today's workforce. This program combines the crucially important hard skills and proven behaviors that leaders need, while also focusing on adopting the right attitudes required to be an engaging leader. 

The price is $1,280 per person which includes the training program, a certificate of completion, four nights of hotel accommodations and food and beverage during training.  

"The FLN PDP program provided me with insight and knowledge I am unable to receive in regular training at my job," said Ryan Ehlers of Diode Dynamics on his past experience attending the program. "Professional leadership is tricky to teach yet this course laid it out in a very engaging way which helped me retain the lessons taught. The automotive industry can be very diverse, and it was great hearing the perspective of other attendees as well."  

Contact FLN Director Denise Waddingham at Deniselw@sema.org with any questions.

By SEMA News Editors

NHRA Announces New Bonus for Regular Season Champion, $25M Overall Purse

The NHRA will award $25 million in purse and payouts to teams during the 2025 national event schedule, including a new bonus payout for regular-season champions ahead of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

The multi-million dollar payout includes the event purse for drivers in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on the national event tour, as well as the year-end championship purse for the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, payouts for the All-Star Callout races in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in the four professional categories, and other incentive programs.

It also includes the payout for a regular-season championship, which will be introduced this year and will be awarded to the regular-season points leader in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. NHRA is set to award almost $400,000 of additional purse to the regular season champions in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, contributing to the $25 million up for grabs this year during the 2025 season, NHRA officials said.

For more information, visit nhra.com.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

ALT Sports Data, World Racing Group Announce Sports-Betting Partnership Ahead of 2025 Season

World Racing Group has entered into a new partnership with ALT Sports Data, a San Diego-based leader in trading and consumer data for action, motor, alternative and emerging sports, that will enable regulated sports betting on some dirt-track racing properties, including the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, the American Sprint Car Series and the Super DIRTcar Series.

Through this partnership, ALT Sports Data will leverage official data feeds to deliver pre-race and live betting products to sportsbooks worldwide. ALT Sports Data will utilize the World of Outlaws (WoO) official data to offer up-to-the-minute odds and an array of traditional wagers and prop bets, designed to enhance fan engagement and expand the global reach of dirt track racing, the sanctioning body said in a statement announcing the partnership.

Betting will be available in jurisdictions where approved starting with the first night of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car action at Volusia Speedway Park's Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Wednesday, February 5.

For more information, visit worldofoutlaws.com.

By SEMA News Editors

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings nationwide. Below are some of the latest postings.

Coker Tire Company

West Coast Sales Manager in Los Angeles, California

The West Coast sales manager, based in Los Angeles, California, (or within a close proximity) is responsible for driving sales growth across existing and new customers in the region west of the Rocky Mountains. This role requires travel, including visits to both current customers in the surrounding area, as well as to potential clients.

Renegade Racing Fuels & Oils

National Sales and Marketing Director in Owensboro, Kentucky

Primary responsibilities for the selected candidate include establishing new business, maintaining existing sales, increasing market share and more. This role is also expected to directly supervise a sales team, manage the Salesforce CRM program, create monthly sales forecast reports and plans, establish sales objectives, implement sales programs and more.

Baja Designs

Electrical Engineer in San Marcos, California

Baja Designs is currently seeking an electrical engineer to design and develop new, high-power analog and digital LED and power control circuit boards for Baja Designs and sPOD products. The role is also responsible for testing, analyzing and collaborating with the engineering and product development teams.

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
 

South Florida's popular Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR), which closed its gates in 2022, is back on the market, giving hope to the local grassroots racing community that a new owner can save this historic track and once again bring safe motorsports competition back to the region. Since its closure in 2022, PBIR has been a point of focus for lawmakers, law enforcement and concerned local automotive enthusiasts, who have organized in an urgent attempt to preserve racing venues for local enthusiasts. 

The 174-acre plot was destined to become a 2-million-sq.-ft. warehouse complex with a contract agreement in 2022 to an industrial warehouse developer. But with the property returning to the market as a raceway, there is renewed hope that the historic facility can return to its glory days. The automotive community quickly took to social media to share the listing that went public in mid-January in hopes of identifying a buyer. The track is currently listed unpriced by CBRE and is open to offers. 

Efforts to save the track have been spearheaded by Madelyn Marconi, a resident of Palm Beach County and writer for Drag Illustrated. Marconi, who met her husband at the track, has organized local enthusiasts and small-business owners to share their personal stories and the community impact of the track at countless county commission meetings. Marconi prioritized building relationships with local and state representatives while highlighting the massive economic impact of having an operational track in Palm Beach County. Enthusiasts also took to social media to raise awareness over its closure, garnering more than 15,000 signatures on a petition and creating various social media pages to generate public interest. 

As mentioned, the automotive community was not alone in its fears over losing the iconic track. Florida law enforcement expressed concern with drivers taking their need for speed to the streets with the loss of a dedicated and safe area for racing. With the rise of illegal street racing and dangerous online trends such as "intersection takeovers," local tracks have served as a safe alternative for thrill seekers to enjoy the company of fellow speed enthusiasts. 

Currently, Palm Beach County is experiencing a lull in warehouse demand since the height of COVID-boosted e-commerce in 2020. The industrial market's overall vacancy rate has reached an all-time high at 7%, with more than 85% of new inventory still available for lease, a local industrial market report stated. On the other hand, the need for tourism has increased substantially as Palm Beach County leaders have recently prioritized tourism as a key goal for 2025. While the future of the property is still up in the air, hundreds of thousands of automotive enthusiasts are optimistic that current market trends will see that PBIR makes a comeback to South Florida.  

SEMA's Washington, D.C., office and PRI News will continue to spread the word on this issue, which is important to the racing community. 

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.
 

South Florida's popular Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR), which closed its gates in 2022, is back on the market, giving hope to the local grassroots racing community that a new owner can save this historic track and once again bring safe motorsports competition back to the region. Since its closure in 2022, PBIR has been a point of focus for lawmakers, law enforcement and concerned local automotive enthusiasts, who have organized in an urgent attempt to preserve racing venues for local enthusiasts. 

The 174-acre plot was destined to become a 2-million-sq.-ft. warehouse complex with a contract agreement in 2022 to an industrial warehouse developer. But with the property returning to the market as a raceway, there is renewed hope that the historic facility can return to its glory days. The automotive community quickly took to social media to share the listing that went public in mid-January in hopes of identifying a buyer. The track is currently listed unpriced by CBRE and is open to offers. 

Efforts to save the track have been spearheaded by Madelyn Marconi, a resident of Palm Beach County and writer for Drag Illustrated. Marconi, who met her husband at the track, has organized local enthusiasts and small-business owners to share their personal stories and the community impact of the track at countless county commission meetings. Marconi prioritized building relationships with local and state representatives while highlighting the massive economic impact of having an operational track in Palm Beach County. Enthusiasts also took to social media to raise awareness over its closure, garnering more than 15,000 signatures on a petition and creating various social media pages to generate public interest. 

As mentioned, the automotive community was not alone in its fears over losing the iconic track. Florida law enforcement expressed concern with drivers taking their need for speed to the streets with the loss of a dedicated and safe area for racing. With the rise of illegal street racing and dangerous online trends such as "intersection takeovers," local tracks have served as a safe alternative for thrill seekers to enjoy the company of fellow speed enthusiasts. 

Currently, Palm Beach County is experiencing a lull in warehouse demand since the height of COVID-boosted e-commerce in 2020. The industrial market's overall vacancy rate has reached an all-time high at 7%, with more than 85% of new inventory still available for lease, a local industrial market report stated. On the other hand, the need for tourism has increased substantially as Palm Beach County leaders have recently prioritized tourism as a key goal for 2025. While the future of the property is still up in the air, hundreds of thousands of automotive enthusiasts are optimistic that current market trends will see that PBIR makes a comeback to South Florida.  

SEMA's Washington, D.C., office and PRI News will continue to spread the word on this issue, which is important to the racing community. 

By SEMA News Editors

Tread Lightly! Names New Executive Director

Tread Lightly!, a Utah-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor recreation through stewardship and educational programs, has named Doug Bigelow as its new executive director, effective January 29.

In his new position, Bigelow will be responsible for providing strategic direction, overseeing operations and finances, spearheading key partnerships and offering leadership across all aspects of the organization to advance its mission, Tread Lightly! said.

Based in Maryland, Bigelow has nearly three decades of experience in setting and achieving sales goals, forecasting, identifying strategic opportunities, budget development, staff management and talent acquisition. Previously an executive with ADP TotalSource, Bigelow is also the president and owner of Bigelow Motorsports and is known as a motorsports personality, brand influencer and professional racer.

For more information, visit treadlightly.org.

Photo courtesy of Tread Lightly!

Turbo Wholesale Tires, Los Angeles Kings Continue Partnership With Lexani Performance Tires

Turbo Wholesale Tires and the Los Angeles Kings, the two-time NHL Stanley Cup champion hockey team, are continuing a brand partnership that will see Lexani Performance Tires return as an official partner of the Kings as part of a multi-year agreement.

As an official partner of the team, Lexani Performance Tires will continue to engage fans each week during the season as a presenting sponsor of the Los Angeles Kings "Game Preview," which will appear on the team's official social channels. Lexani Performance Tires will also benefit from in-arena signage via dasher boards and scoreboard branding during all Kings home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

For more information, visit turbotires.com.

Chip Foose Named Grand Marshal for Hot Rods 'N Helos Classic Car Show

The Hot Rods 'N Helos Classic Car Show has announced that Chip Foose will serve as the inaugural event's Grand Marshal.

Foose is best known for his designs, appearances on "Overhaulin'" and his decades-long impact on custom-car building.

Scheduled for Sunday, March 30, in Huntington Beach, California, the event aims to raise funds supporting law enforcement programs, community aid initiatives and the well-being of Huntington Beach Police Officers Association employees and their families.

Hot Rods 'N Helos will showcase a gathering of hot rods, classics, customs, vintage vehicles, trucks, musclecars and more, all displayed alongside law enforcement and privately-owned helicopters.

For more information, visit hotrodsnhelos.com.

By Ashley Reyes

Innovation drives the automotive aftermarket industry, and patents are a cornerstone of protecting groundbreaking ideas. They help safeguard products from imitation, ensuring businesses secure a competitive edge by preserving their brand's reputation.

To help product development teams in the aftermarket industry navigate the complexities of patents, the SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) will host a free webinar on Tuesday, February 18, at 1:00 p.m. PST. The webinar will feature speakers Matt Beenen, president and founder of Mountech; Jeffrey Banyas, manager-legal production at Sisson & Banyas, Attorneys at Law LLC; and Matt Patrick, technical director at DeatchWerks, as they provide the information attendees need to:    

• Read and understand patents and patent applications as a research tool
• Identify potentially patentable ideas
• Know when and how to act when a patentable idea arises
• Understand when and how to act when you come across a competitor's patent

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with the speakers who bring extensive experience in product development and patent strategies.

Don't miss out! Register here.

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN), SEMA Businesswomen's Network (SBN), Truck & Off-Road Alliance (TORA) and Wheel, Tire, Suspension and Brake Council (WTSBC) are hosting a networking mixer at King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley, California, on Thursday, February 6, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. PST inside the VIP tent. 

Open to all King of the Hammers attendees and SEMA council and network members, the mixer is a great opportunity to grow one's professional network and discover key resources designed to help automotive aftermarket businesses succeed in the industry. Council and network select committee leaders will be on-site to share volunteer and education opportunities, targeted professional development programs and information on upcoming in-person and virtual events for members.  

Complimentary appetizers, water and soda will be provided. Registration, although not required, is encouraged so that event planners can plan the event accordingly. Register here.

From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA Director of Emissions Compliance Dean Schlingmann has been appointed to the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) Advisory Group, an important post and seat at the table for the automotive-aftermarket industry. The advisory group brings together industry leaders and regulators to shape policies on smog checks, emissions compliance and automotive repair standards in California. 

BAR oversees high-profile initiatives like California's Smog Check program, which regulates vehicle emissions compliance, as well as licensing and consumer protection for automotive repair shops. California is often at the forefront of setting new environmental and regulatory standards, and its decisions frequently influence federal and other states' policies.  

Schlingmann, who oversees the SEMA Emissions Lab and works closely with the California Air Resources Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, adds extensive expertise in emissions compliance and alternative fuel innovation to the group. His appointment ensures the specialty-equipment industry has a strong voice in discussions that play a large role in setting national regulatory policies. 

By securing representation in this advisory group for our industry, SEMA can advocate for practical solutions that balance environmental goals with the needs of small businesses. Schlingmann's presence provides a direct channel to influence discussions and ensure that regulations are fair, achievable and nurture the industry's ability to innovate. 

For more information, contact Christian Robinson, SEMA's senior director of state government affairs, at christianr@sema.org.  

From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA Director of Emissions Compliance Dean Schlingmann has been appointed to the California Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) Advisory Group, an important post and seat at the table for the automotive-aftermarket industry. The advisory group brings together industry leaders and regulators to shape policies on smog checks, emissions compliance and automotive repair standards in California. 

BAR oversees high-profile initiatives like California's Smog Check program, which regulates vehicle emissions compliance, as well as licensing and consumer protection for automotive repair shops. California is often at the forefront of setting new environmental and regulatory standards, and its decisions frequently influence federal and other states' policies.  

Schlingmann, who oversees the SEMA Emissions Lab and works closely with the California Air Resources Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, adds extensive expertise in emissions compliance and alternative fuel innovation to the group. His appointment ensures the specialty-equipment industry has a strong voice in discussions that play a large role in setting national regulatory policies. 

By securing representation in this advisory group for our industry, SEMA can advocate for practical solutions that balance environmental goals with the needs of small businesses. Schlingmann's presence provides a direct channel to influence discussions and ensure that regulations are fair, achievable and nurture the industry's ability to innovate. 

For more information, contact Christian Robinson, SEMA's senior director of state government affairs, at christianr@sema.org.