By SEMA Editors

Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

Applications for the SEMA Young Guns regional competition taking place at the 2019 Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, at the Alameda Fair Grounds in late August, are available at www.semayoungguns.com. Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

The regional competition marks the eighth stop in a nationwide search for young, up-and-coming vehicle builders to compete alongside proven car and truck customizers at the 2019 the SEMA Show. While the SEMA Battle of the Builders program is primarily for proven builders with vehicles already confirmed to be at the SEMA Show, the SEMA Young Guns regional competition opens the contest up to talented builders age 27 and younger who may not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in the SEMA Show.

“We know that there are young, talented builders who may not have the connections or resources to participate in the SEMA Show,” said Ira Gabriel, SEMA vice president of marketing, communications and PR. “The SEMA Young Guns regional competition is designed to support those builders.”

To help identify young builders, SEMA partnered with show organizers to host Young Guns regional competitions throughout the country. The upcoming event at the Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, will be the eighth event in the 2019 program. Ten applicants will be selected to participate at the Alameda Fair Grounds, August 23–25, at which time one builder will win the prize to attend the 2019 SEMA Show and compete in the SEMA Battle of the Builders.

By SEMA Editors

Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

Applications for the SEMA Young Guns regional competition taking place at the 2019 Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, at the Alameda Fair Grounds in late August, are available at www.semayoungguns.com. Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

The regional competition marks the eighth stop in a nationwide search for young, up-and-coming vehicle builders to compete alongside proven car and truck customizers at the 2019 the SEMA Show. While the SEMA Battle of the Builders program is primarily for proven builders with vehicles already confirmed to be at the SEMA Show, the SEMA Young Guns regional competition opens the contest up to talented builders age 27 and younger who may not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in the SEMA Show.

“We know that there are young, talented builders who may not have the connections or resources to participate in the SEMA Show,” said Ira Gabriel, SEMA vice president of marketing, communications and PR. “The SEMA Young Guns regional competition is designed to support those builders.”

To help identify young builders, SEMA partnered with show organizers to host Young Guns regional competitions throughout the country. The upcoming event at the Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, will be the eighth event in the 2019 program. Ten applicants will be selected to participate at the Alameda Fair Grounds, August 23–25, at which time one builder will win the prize to attend the 2019 SEMA Show and compete in the SEMA Battle of the Builders.

By SEMA Editors

Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

Applications for the SEMA Young Guns regional competition taking place at the 2019 Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, at the Alameda Fair Grounds in late August, are available at www.semayoungguns.com. Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

The regional competition marks the eighth stop in a nationwide search for young, up-and-coming vehicle builders to compete alongside proven car and truck customizers at the 2019 the SEMA Show. While the SEMA Battle of the Builders program is primarily for proven builders with vehicles already confirmed to be at the SEMA Show, the SEMA Young Guns regional competition opens the contest up to talented builders age 27 and younger who may not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in the SEMA Show.

“We know that there are young, talented builders who may not have the connections or resources to participate in the SEMA Show,” said Ira Gabriel, SEMA vice president of marketing, communications and PR. “The SEMA Young Guns regional competition is designed to support those builders.”

To help identify young builders, SEMA partnered with show organizers to host Young Guns regional competitions throughout the country. The upcoming event at the Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, will be the eighth event in the 2019 program. Ten applicants will be selected to participate at the Alameda Fair Grounds, August 23–25, at which time one builder will win the prize to attend the 2019 SEMA Show and compete in the SEMA Battle of the Builders.

By SEMA Editors

Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

Applications for the SEMA Young Guns regional competition taking place at the 2019 Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, at the Alameda Fair Grounds in late August, are available at www.semayoungguns.com. Vehicle builders age 27 and younger are invited to apply for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip for two, transportation of the winner’s vehicle, a designated feature spot at the 2019 trade-only SEMA Show and automatic entry into the 2019 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition.

The regional competition marks the eighth stop in a nationwide search for young, up-and-coming vehicle builders to compete alongside proven car and truck customizers at the 2019 the SEMA Show. While the SEMA Battle of the Builders program is primarily for proven builders with vehicles already confirmed to be at the SEMA Show, the SEMA Young Guns regional competition opens the contest up to talented builders age 27 and younger who may not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in the SEMA Show.

“We know that there are young, talented builders who may not have the connections or resources to participate in the SEMA Show,” said Ira Gabriel, SEMA vice president of marketing, communications and PR. “The SEMA Young Guns regional competition is designed to support those builders.”

To help identify young builders, SEMA partnered with show organizers to host Young Guns regional competitions throughout the country. The upcoming event at the Goodguys West Coast Nationals, presented by BASF, will be the eighth event in the 2019 program. Ten applicants will be selected to participate at the Alameda Fair Grounds, August 23–25, at which time one builder will win the prize to attend the 2019 SEMA Show and compete in the SEMA Battle of the Builders.

By SEMA Editors

Whether it’s a driver, industry icon, TV personality, or famous vehicle, featuring a familiar face or iconic vehicle in your booth provides buyers with an identifiable, visual connection of the company's target market.

SEMA Show exhibitors planning to host a special appearance in their booth need to submit the Celebrity Appearance Notification form by September 3 to be featured in the SEMA Show’s printed material. Whether it’s a driver, industry icon, TV personality or famous vehicle, featuring a familiar face or iconic vehicle in your booth provides buyers with an identifiable, visual connection of the company's target market.

Complete the Celebrity Appearance Notification form to have your special attraction publicized with your company name and Show booth number. The information will be included in the Official 2019 SEMA Show Directory and the SEMA Show Daily.

Exhibitors can learn how to get the most out of their 2019 SEMA Show, as well as additional options to reach buyers, by contacting an account rep at sales@sema.org or 909-396-0289.

Information about the 2019 SEMA Show is available on www.SEMAShow.com.

By SEMA Editors

Whether it’s a driver, industry icon, TV personality, or famous vehicle, featuring a familiar face or iconic vehicle in your booth provides buyers with an identifiable, visual connection of the company's target market.

SEMA Show exhibitors planning to host a special appearance in their booth need to submit the Celebrity Appearance Notification form by September 3 to be featured in the SEMA Show’s printed material. Whether it’s a driver, industry icon, TV personality or famous vehicle, featuring a familiar face or iconic vehicle in your booth provides buyers with an identifiable, visual connection of the company's target market.

Complete the Celebrity Appearance Notification form to have your special attraction publicized with your company name and Show booth number. The information will be included in the Official 2019 SEMA Show Directory and the SEMA Show Daily.

Exhibitors can learn how to get the most out of their 2019 SEMA Show, as well as additional options to reach buyers, by contacting an account rep at sales@sema.org or 909-396-0289.

Information about the 2019 SEMA Show is available on www.SEMAShow.com.

By SEMA Market Research

SEMA is looking to understand the changing dynamics affecting specialty-automotive retailers and is conducting a survey of retail businesses in order to do so. We recognize your time is valuable, so we’re offering five $300 gift cards via drawing to retail business members who complete our survey.

Your input will help SEMA in its ongoing efforts to provide better support to the retail side of the aftermarket (and, of course, give you a chance at $300 once the survey finishes).

Check your inbox (or spam folder) for an email from Gavin Knapp with the subject line “A Penny (or 300) For Your Thoughts.” This email is your invitation to take the survey, which is accessed via clicking the red “Start Survey” button in the message body.

By Fredy Ramirez

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is “data central” for hundreds of specialty parts brands, representing millions of part numbers and tens of millions of vehicle applications. Created by SEMA, the SDC is the definitive, industry-owned and -operated centralized data repository, complete with a comprehensive set of online data management tools.

The product releases below are from SEMA members who are also part of the SDC at the the Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum level. Learn more about the SDC at www.semadatacoop.org.

SDC members are invited to submit new-product press releases for consideration to editors@sema.org.

Edelbrock Pro-Flo 4 EFI System Edelbrock announces the release of its Pro-Flo 4 EFI system for Chevrolet LS Gen-III and Gen-IV engines. Available for LS applications, the system is designed to allow for control over ignition and fuel while its self-calibrating technology continually improves performance as you drive. The Pro-Flo 4 systems are engineered to provide improved performance, are self-learning and require no laptop for tuning. 888-799-1135 www.edelbrock.com PN: 35710
MSD Front Drive Distributor Holley has released its MSD Pro-Billet front-drive distributors. Developed for both big-block and small-block Chevys, the distributors feature an adjustable Hall Effect sync pickup with a built-in LED, an extra-wide 9-mm belt driven by a pulley on the camshaft, and a band-clamp mount for rotor-phasing. They come complete with a billet-aluminum bracket and lower housing, a billet distributor head and a new gear for the camshaft. 866-464-6553 www.holley.com PN: 85201
Amp’d Throttle Booster for 2019 Ram 6.7L Cummins Truck Edge Products introduces its Amp’d Throttle Booster for the ’19 Ram with the 6.7L diesel motor. The throttle booster is designed to be easy to install, deliver immediate improvement with pedal response and enhance your driving experience. The throttle booster can pair with numerous aftermarket accessories sold across the Powerteq brands. 888-360-3343 www.edgeproducts.com PN: 38852
NOS Super Hi-Flo Bottle Valve Assemblies NOS announces the release of its Super Hi-Flo Bottle Valve Assemblies. The bottles are available in blue or black 1.5-in. nitrous-pressure gauge and are designed to support up to 500 hp, they come with both the billet-aluminum screw-on siphon tube and gauge already installed. They feature 1/8-NPT gauge ports, 1/4-NPT accessory ports, extra-large internal and outlet ports for maximum flow, and an O-ring seal. 866-464-6553 www.holley.com PN: 16341ABNOS
Curt Rebellion XD Curt announces the release of the The Rebellion XD. The adjustable cushion hitch ball mount is a receiver hitch mount designed to reduce jerking, jarring, rattling, vibration and strain at the coupling point. The mount is engineered to provide a noticeable difference in your towing experience. The Rebellion XD is designed to remove the hassle of an airbag, bearings and the frequent maintenance required by other cushion hitch options. 877-287-8634 www.curtmfg.com PN: 45949

By Fredy Ramirez

The SEMA Data Co-op (SDC) is “data central” for hundreds of specialty parts brands, representing millions of part numbers and tens of millions of vehicle applications. Created by SEMA, the SDC is the definitive, industry-owned and -operated centralized data repository, complete with a comprehensive set of online data management tools.

The product releases below are from SEMA members who are also part of the SDC at the the Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum level. Learn more about the SDC at www.semadatacoop.org.

SDC members are invited to submit new-product press releases for consideration to editors@sema.org.

Edelbrock Pro-Flo 4 EFI System Edelbrock announces the release of its Pro-Flo 4 EFI system for Chevrolet LS Gen-III and Gen-IV engines. Available for LS applications, the system is designed to allow for control over ignition and fuel while its self-calibrating technology continually improves performance as you drive. The Pro-Flo 4 systems are engineered to provide improved performance, are self-learning and require no laptop for tuning. 888-799-1135 www.edelbrock.com PN: 35710
MSD Front Drive Distributor Holley has released its MSD Pro-Billet front-drive distributors. Developed for both big-block and small-block Chevys, the distributors feature an adjustable Hall Effect sync pickup with a built-in LED, an extra-wide 9-mm belt driven by a pulley on the camshaft, and a band-clamp mount for rotor-phasing. They come complete with a billet-aluminum bracket and lower housing, a billet distributor head and a new gear for the camshaft. 866-464-6553 www.holley.com PN: 85201
Amp’d Throttle Booster for 2019 Ram 6.7L Cummins Truck Edge Products introduces its Amp’d Throttle Booster for the ’19 Ram with the 6.7L diesel motor. The throttle booster is designed to be easy to install, deliver immediate improvement with pedal response and enhance your driving experience. The throttle booster can pair with numerous aftermarket accessories sold across the Powerteq brands. 888-360-3343 www.edgeproducts.com PN: 38852
NOS Super Hi-Flo Bottle Valve Assemblies NOS announces the release of its Super Hi-Flo Bottle Valve Assemblies. The bottles are available in blue or black 1.5-in. nitrous-pressure gauge and are designed to support up to 500 hp, they come with both the billet-aluminum screw-on siphon tube and gauge already installed. They feature 1/8-NPT gauge ports, 1/4-NPT accessory ports, extra-large internal and outlet ports for maximum flow, and an O-ring seal. 866-464-6553 www.holley.com PN: 16341ABNOS
Curt Rebellion XD Curt announces the release of the The Rebellion XD. The adjustable cushion hitch ball mount is a receiver hitch mount designed to reduce jerking, jarring, rattling, vibration and strain at the coupling point. The mount is engineered to provide a noticeable difference in your towing experience. The Rebellion XD is designed to remove the hassle of an airbag, bearings and the frequent maintenance required by other cushion hitch options. 877-287-8634 www.curtmfg.com PN: 45949

By Kyle Cheng

The current U.S. cycle of economic growth enters its historic 11th year amidst volatility.

The current U.S. cycle of economic growth enters its historic 11th year amid volatility. The next round of proposed tariffs targets the remaining $300 billion in Chinese imports that haven’t been affected yet. This is widely believed to impact products more commonly purchased by consumers. As such, uncertainty is weighing on businesses, capital and the overall economy.

Despite this, consumers are still feeling optimistic and remain on relatively strong footing. The labor market remains tight, wages are increasing and inflation remains low. Likewise, spending is at a healthy level. This should carry through the remainder of the year.

Trade uncertainty is influencing both the automotive and specialty-equipment industries. Auto-parts imports from China are down roughly 11% over the last year. However, total auto-parts imports are up—driven by increases from Mexico and other Asian trading partners.

New light-vehicle sales declined in July. Nearly 73% of these new light-vehicle sales came from pickups and SUVs—a record high. Likewise, in the coming months, gas prices are likely to decline driven by lower demand, increasing tensions and the close of the summer driving season.

To learn more, download the August “Industry Indicators Report,” now available for free at www.sema.org/research.