SEMA News—February 2016

PEOPLE

By Mike Imlay

Kathryn Reinhardt

SEMA Person of the Year

Motor Media’s Joe Sebergandio interviews Kathryn Reinhardt, marketing communications manager for MagnaFlow, backstage at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet, where she was named SEMA Person of the Year.

It takes dedication, hard work and drive to build and grow an automotive specialty-equipment business. Even more so to grow an entire industry. Yet to help its members succeed and prosper, SEMA relies on individuals from every industry segment to step forward and bring their own vision and initiative. Consequently, it seems only fitting once a year to celebrate an individual whose contributions best embody this SEMA mission. For 2015, that individual is Kathryn Reinhardt of MagnaFlow, who found herself named SEMA Person of the Year at the recent 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas.

The award is among the trade association’s highest honors and recognizes the recipient’s outstanding contributions to the specialty-equipment industry over a yearlong period. For consideration, an honoree must work in a SEMA-member company and exhibit professionalism, service and integrity as well as an ethic that helps propel the industry forward.

“If you want to better yourself, you have to better your surroundings, and that’s how I feel about the industry,” reflected Reinhardt after receiving the award. “I can’t grow unless I help the industry grow, too. Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly. It’s a part of me that I can’t tune out.

“Honestly, I am so honored and humbled. I know this award isn’t given out lightly. There are so many amazing, powerful, hardworking, dynamic people in this industry who deserve this award. For me to be considered, and now a recipient? That is truly something I cherish.”

“SEMA is proud to honor Kathryn Reinhardt as our 2015 Person of the Year,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “Through her tireless volunteerism and advocacy for so many industry causes, she exemplifies the passion at the heart of our industry. The energy, leadership, professionalism and sheer enthusiasm she has brought to numerous SEMA councils and their initiatives is a model for how to make both our association and our industry stronger. She is a true inspiration within the aftermarket.”

As with so many others, it was personal fervor that first attracted Reinhardt to the specialty-equipment industry, starting with showcasing her own vehicle modifications at local car events in her native Georgia.

“It seems like forever ago, but I remember hanging out in parking lots on the weekends back in Atlanta showing off what new mods I had made to my Honda Civic Si,” she said. “I didn’t actually know back then that I could make a career out of the aftermarket industry. I was just having fun with the hobby.”

Kathryn Reinhardt, SEMA’s 2015 Person of the Year, accepted her award before an audience of more than 3,000 Show attendees at the annual SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas. “Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly,” she recently reflected.

Then, 13 years ago, she attended the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas as a first-time builder—and suddenly, something clicked.

“I realized then that if I had any chance of working in the industry, I needed to seriously consider moving from Atlanta to California and leave everything I had behind,” she said. “I moved two months after that Show and landed my first industry job at CEC Wheels. I was hooked.”

After her stint at CEC Wheels, Reinhardt went on to specialize in marketing for Spectre Performance, Advanstar Communications and GoRhino. She currently holds the position of marketing communications manager at MagnaFlow.

“Today, I am excited and proud to work in an industry that evolves and changes daily,” Reinhardt said. “I love going to events and seeing new vehicles, meeting new people and creating new products. I love that we are expanding into international markets and pushing new distribution globally, sharing our hobby with people everywhere.”

As for her volunteerism on behalf of SEMA, Reinhardt currently serves as the chair-elect of the Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) and is a highly involved member of both the Young Executives Network (YEN) and the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN). This past year, she was further honored with the YEN Vanguard Award and was a recipient of the TORA Chairman’s Award in 2014, along with the SBN Athena Woman of the Year award.

Over the last year, Reinhardt also visited the United Arab Emirates as part of a SEMA international team, and she participated in numerous other SEMA open houses and events. She credits her husband Craig and her family for their encouragement and support of her many activities, not to mention MagnaFlow President Dan Paolone and the entire team at the company, which prides itself on industry involvement.

For these and her many other leadership qualities, Reinhardt was applauded by more than 3,000 attendees at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet. Afterward, she confessed to “complete shock” as she heard Dave McClelland, the voice of SEMA, announce her name as Person of the Year and invite her to the stage, where she thanked family, friends, mentors and colleagues who have supported her professional zeal.

“I’m just glad I didn’t trip or pass out!” she quipped.

Reflecting back on 2015, Reinhardt said, “It’s been a full year of non-stop go. I’ve had people tell me I need to slow down and that I can’t last at this pace. I think about them when I’m having a hard day and use that as motivation to push myself further. My favorite challenge is when someone tells me ‘no.’ To me, no means maybe, maybe means yes, and yes means I shouldn’t have bothered to ask.”

Nor does she have any plans to slow down in the coming year, as she strives to help build an industry that continues to attract young enthusiasts.

“Being a second-time new mom this year, I see more now than ever how important it is to propel youth into the aftermarket industry,” she observed. “The industry needs engineers, sales, marketing, accounting and data people who share our hobby. I think there is still a lot of cultivating that needs to happen with this next generation. I would like to work closely with some of the high schools, colleges and career programs to motivate youth and advise them that this industry is worth pursuing. I want to tell them that you can actually make a living with your hobby.

“I was told a long time ago that if you do something you love for your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s the people in our industry.”

SEMA News—February 2016

PEOPLE

By Mike Imlay

Kathryn Reinhardt

SEMA Person of the Year

Motor Media’s Joe Sebergandio interviews Kathryn Reinhardt, marketing communications manager for MagnaFlow, backstage at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet, where she was named SEMA Person of the Year.

It takes dedication, hard work and drive to build and grow an automotive specialty-equipment business. Even more so to grow an entire industry. Yet to help its members succeed and prosper, SEMA relies on individuals from every industry segment to step forward and bring their own vision and initiative. Consequently, it seems only fitting once a year to celebrate an individual whose contributions best embody this SEMA mission. For 2015, that individual is Kathryn Reinhardt of MagnaFlow, who found herself named SEMA Person of the Year at the recent 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas.

The award is among the trade association’s highest honors and recognizes the recipient’s outstanding contributions to the specialty-equipment industry over a yearlong period. For consideration, an honoree must work in a SEMA-member company and exhibit professionalism, service and integrity as well as an ethic that helps propel the industry forward.

“If you want to better yourself, you have to better your surroundings, and that’s how I feel about the industry,” reflected Reinhardt after receiving the award. “I can’t grow unless I help the industry grow, too. Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly. It’s a part of me that I can’t tune out.

“Honestly, I am so honored and humbled. I know this award isn’t given out lightly. There are so many amazing, powerful, hardworking, dynamic people in this industry who deserve this award. For me to be considered, and now a recipient? That is truly something I cherish.”

“SEMA is proud to honor Kathryn Reinhardt as our 2015 Person of the Year,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “Through her tireless volunteerism and advocacy for so many industry causes, she exemplifies the passion at the heart of our industry. The energy, leadership, professionalism and sheer enthusiasm she has brought to numerous SEMA councils and their initiatives is a model for how to make both our association and our industry stronger. She is a true inspiration within the aftermarket.”

As with so many others, it was personal fervor that first attracted Reinhardt to the specialty-equipment industry, starting with showcasing her own vehicle modifications at local car events in her native Georgia.

“It seems like forever ago, but I remember hanging out in parking lots on the weekends back in Atlanta showing off what new mods I had made to my Honda Civic Si,” she said. “I didn’t actually know back then that I could make a career out of the aftermarket industry. I was just having fun with the hobby.”

Kathryn Reinhardt, SEMA’s 2015 Person of the Year, accepted her award before an audience of more than 3,000 Show attendees at the annual SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas. “Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly,” she recently reflected.

Then, 13 years ago, she attended the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas as a first-time builder—and suddenly, something clicked.

“I realized then that if I had any chance of working in the industry, I needed to seriously consider moving from Atlanta to California and leave everything I had behind,” she said. “I moved two months after that Show and landed my first industry job at CEC Wheels. I was hooked.”

After her stint at CEC Wheels, Reinhardt went on to specialize in marketing for Spectre Performance, Advanstar Communications and GoRhino. She currently holds the position of marketing communications manager at MagnaFlow.

“Today, I am excited and proud to work in an industry that evolves and changes daily,” Reinhardt said. “I love going to events and seeing new vehicles, meeting new people and creating new products. I love that we are expanding into international markets and pushing new distribution globally, sharing our hobby with people everywhere.”

As for her volunteerism on behalf of SEMA, Reinhardt currently serves as the chair-elect of the Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) and is a highly involved member of both the Young Executives Network (YEN) and the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN). This past year, she was further honored with the YEN Vanguard Award and was a recipient of the TORA Chairman’s Award in 2014, along with the SBN Athena Woman of the Year award.

Over the last year, Reinhardt also visited the United Arab Emirates as part of a SEMA international team, and she participated in numerous other SEMA open houses and events. She credits her husband Craig and her family for their encouragement and support of her many activities, not to mention MagnaFlow President Dan Paolone and the entire team at the company, which prides itself on industry involvement.

For these and her many other leadership qualities, Reinhardt was applauded by more than 3,000 attendees at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet. Afterward, she confessed to “complete shock” as she heard Dave McClelland, the voice of SEMA, announce her name as Person of the Year and invite her to the stage, where she thanked family, friends, mentors and colleagues who have supported her professional zeal.

“I’m just glad I didn’t trip or pass out!” she quipped.

Reflecting back on 2015, Reinhardt said, “It’s been a full year of non-stop go. I’ve had people tell me I need to slow down and that I can’t last at this pace. I think about them when I’m having a hard day and use that as motivation to push myself further. My favorite challenge is when someone tells me ‘no.’ To me, no means maybe, maybe means yes, and yes means I shouldn’t have bothered to ask.”

Nor does she have any plans to slow down in the coming year, as she strives to help build an industry that continues to attract young enthusiasts.

“Being a second-time new mom this year, I see more now than ever how important it is to propel youth into the aftermarket industry,” she observed. “The industry needs engineers, sales, marketing, accounting and data people who share our hobby. I think there is still a lot of cultivating that needs to happen with this next generation. I would like to work closely with some of the high schools, colleges and career programs to motivate youth and advise them that this industry is worth pursuing. I want to tell them that you can actually make a living with your hobby.

“I was told a long time ago that if you do something you love for your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s the people in our industry.”

SEMA News—February 2016

PEOPLE

By Mike Imlay

Kathryn Reinhardt

SEMA Person of the Year

Motor Media’s Joe Sebergandio interviews Kathryn Reinhardt, marketing communications manager for MagnaFlow, backstage at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet, where she was named SEMA Person of the Year.

It takes dedication, hard work and drive to build and grow an automotive specialty-equipment business. Even more so to grow an entire industry. Yet to help its members succeed and prosper, SEMA relies on individuals from every industry segment to step forward and bring their own vision and initiative. Consequently, it seems only fitting once a year to celebrate an individual whose contributions best embody this SEMA mission. For 2015, that individual is Kathryn Reinhardt of MagnaFlow, who found herself named SEMA Person of the Year at the recent 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas.

The award is among the trade association’s highest honors and recognizes the recipient’s outstanding contributions to the specialty-equipment industry over a yearlong period. For consideration, an honoree must work in a SEMA-member company and exhibit professionalism, service and integrity as well as an ethic that helps propel the industry forward.

“If you want to better yourself, you have to better your surroundings, and that’s how I feel about the industry,” reflected Reinhardt after receiving the award. “I can’t grow unless I help the industry grow, too. Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly. It’s a part of me that I can’t tune out.

“Honestly, I am so honored and humbled. I know this award isn’t given out lightly. There are so many amazing, powerful, hardworking, dynamic people in this industry who deserve this award. For me to be considered, and now a recipient? That is truly something I cherish.”

“SEMA is proud to honor Kathryn Reinhardt as our 2015 Person of the Year,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “Through her tireless volunteerism and advocacy for so many industry causes, she exemplifies the passion at the heart of our industry. The energy, leadership, professionalism and sheer enthusiasm she has brought to numerous SEMA councils and their initiatives is a model for how to make both our association and our industry stronger. She is a true inspiration within the aftermarket.”

As with so many others, it was personal fervor that first attracted Reinhardt to the specialty-equipment industry, starting with showcasing her own vehicle modifications at local car events in her native Georgia.

“It seems like forever ago, but I remember hanging out in parking lots on the weekends back in Atlanta showing off what new mods I had made to my Honda Civic Si,” she said. “I didn’t actually know back then that I could make a career out of the aftermarket industry. I was just having fun with the hobby.”

Kathryn Reinhardt, SEMA’s 2015 Person of the Year, accepted her award before an audience of more than 3,000 Show attendees at the annual SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas. “Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly,” she recently reflected.

Then, 13 years ago, she attended the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas as a first-time builder—and suddenly, something clicked.

“I realized then that if I had any chance of working in the industry, I needed to seriously consider moving from Atlanta to California and leave everything I had behind,” she said. “I moved two months after that Show and landed my first industry job at CEC Wheels. I was hooked.”

After her stint at CEC Wheels, Reinhardt went on to specialize in marketing for Spectre Performance, Advanstar Communications and GoRhino. She currently holds the position of marketing communications manager at MagnaFlow.

“Today, I am excited and proud to work in an industry that evolves and changes daily,” Reinhardt said. “I love going to events and seeing new vehicles, meeting new people and creating new products. I love that we are expanding into international markets and pushing new distribution globally, sharing our hobby with people everywhere.”

As for her volunteerism on behalf of SEMA, Reinhardt currently serves as the chair-elect of the Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) and is a highly involved member of both the Young Executives Network (YEN) and the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN). This past year, she was further honored with the YEN Vanguard Award and was a recipient of the TORA Chairman’s Award in 2014, along with the SBN Athena Woman of the Year award.

Over the last year, Reinhardt also visited the United Arab Emirates as part of a SEMA international team, and she participated in numerous other SEMA open houses and events. She credits her husband Craig and her family for their encouragement and support of her many activities, not to mention MagnaFlow President Dan Paolone and the entire team at the company, which prides itself on industry involvement.

For these and her many other leadership qualities, Reinhardt was applauded by more than 3,000 attendees at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet. Afterward, she confessed to “complete shock” as she heard Dave McClelland, the voice of SEMA, announce her name as Person of the Year and invite her to the stage, where she thanked family, friends, mentors and colleagues who have supported her professional zeal.

“I’m just glad I didn’t trip or pass out!” she quipped.

Reflecting back on 2015, Reinhardt said, “It’s been a full year of non-stop go. I’ve had people tell me I need to slow down and that I can’t last at this pace. I think about them when I’m having a hard day and use that as motivation to push myself further. My favorite challenge is when someone tells me ‘no.’ To me, no means maybe, maybe means yes, and yes means I shouldn’t have bothered to ask.”

Nor does she have any plans to slow down in the coming year, as she strives to help build an industry that continues to attract young enthusiasts.

“Being a second-time new mom this year, I see more now than ever how important it is to propel youth into the aftermarket industry,” she observed. “The industry needs engineers, sales, marketing, accounting and data people who share our hobby. I think there is still a lot of cultivating that needs to happen with this next generation. I would like to work closely with some of the high schools, colleges and career programs to motivate youth and advise them that this industry is worth pursuing. I want to tell them that you can actually make a living with your hobby.

“I was told a long time ago that if you do something you love for your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s the people in our industry.”

SEMA News—February 2016

PEOPLE

By Mike Imlay

Kathryn Reinhardt

SEMA Person of the Year

Motor Media’s Joe Sebergandio interviews Kathryn Reinhardt, marketing communications manager for MagnaFlow, backstage at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet, where she was named SEMA Person of the Year.

It takes dedication, hard work and drive to build and grow an automotive specialty-equipment business. Even more so to grow an entire industry. Yet to help its members succeed and prosper, SEMA relies on individuals from every industry segment to step forward and bring their own vision and initiative. Consequently, it seems only fitting once a year to celebrate an individual whose contributions best embody this SEMA mission. For 2015, that individual is Kathryn Reinhardt of MagnaFlow, who found herself named SEMA Person of the Year at the recent 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas.

The award is among the trade association’s highest honors and recognizes the recipient’s outstanding contributions to the specialty-equipment industry over a yearlong period. For consideration, an honoree must work in a SEMA-member company and exhibit professionalism, service and integrity as well as an ethic that helps propel the industry forward.

“If you want to better yourself, you have to better your surroundings, and that’s how I feel about the industry,” reflected Reinhardt after receiving the award. “I can’t grow unless I help the industry grow, too. Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly. It’s a part of me that I can’t tune out.

“Honestly, I am so honored and humbled. I know this award isn’t given out lightly. There are so many amazing, powerful, hardworking, dynamic people in this industry who deserve this award. For me to be considered, and now a recipient? That is truly something I cherish.”

“SEMA is proud to honor Kathryn Reinhardt as our 2015 Person of the Year,” said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. “Through her tireless volunteerism and advocacy for so many industry causes, she exemplifies the passion at the heart of our industry. The energy, leadership, professionalism and sheer enthusiasm she has brought to numerous SEMA councils and their initiatives is a model for how to make both our association and our industry stronger. She is a true inspiration within the aftermarket.”

As with so many others, it was personal fervor that first attracted Reinhardt to the specialty-equipment industry, starting with showcasing her own vehicle modifications at local car events in her native Georgia.

“It seems like forever ago, but I remember hanging out in parking lots on the weekends back in Atlanta showing off what new mods I had made to my Honda Civic Si,” she said. “I didn’t actually know back then that I could make a career out of the aftermarket industry. I was just having fun with the hobby.”

Kathryn Reinhardt, SEMA’s 2015 Person of the Year, accepted her award before an audience of more than 3,000 Show attendees at the annual SEMA Show Industry Banquet in Las Vegas. “Being an advocate for this industry is easy because it’s something I love dearly,” she recently reflected.

Then, 13 years ago, she attended the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas as a first-time builder—and suddenly, something clicked.

“I realized then that if I had any chance of working in the industry, I needed to seriously consider moving from Atlanta to California and leave everything I had behind,” she said. “I moved two months after that Show and landed my first industry job at CEC Wheels. I was hooked.”

After her stint at CEC Wheels, Reinhardt went on to specialize in marketing for Spectre Performance, Advanstar Communications and GoRhino. She currently holds the position of marketing communications manager at MagnaFlow.

“Today, I am excited and proud to work in an industry that evolves and changes daily,” Reinhardt said. “I love going to events and seeing new vehicles, meeting new people and creating new products. I love that we are expanding into international markets and pushing new distribution globally, sharing our hobby with people everywhere.”

As for her volunteerism on behalf of SEMA, Reinhardt currently serves as the chair-elect of the Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA) and is a highly involved member of both the Young Executives Network (YEN) and the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN). This past year, she was further honored with the YEN Vanguard Award and was a recipient of the TORA Chairman’s Award in 2014, along with the SBN Athena Woman of the Year award.

Over the last year, Reinhardt also visited the United Arab Emirates as part of a SEMA international team, and she participated in numerous other SEMA open houses and events. She credits her husband Craig and her family for their encouragement and support of her many activities, not to mention MagnaFlow President Dan Paolone and the entire team at the company, which prides itself on industry involvement.

For these and her many other leadership qualities, Reinhardt was applauded by more than 3,000 attendees at the 2015 SEMA Show Industry Banquet. Afterward, she confessed to “complete shock” as she heard Dave McClelland, the voice of SEMA, announce her name as Person of the Year and invite her to the stage, where she thanked family, friends, mentors and colleagues who have supported her professional zeal.

“I’m just glad I didn’t trip or pass out!” she quipped.

Reflecting back on 2015, Reinhardt said, “It’s been a full year of non-stop go. I’ve had people tell me I need to slow down and that I can’t last at this pace. I think about them when I’m having a hard day and use that as motivation to push myself further. My favorite challenge is when someone tells me ‘no.’ To me, no means maybe, maybe means yes, and yes means I shouldn’t have bothered to ask.”

Nor does she have any plans to slow down in the coming year, as she strives to help build an industry that continues to attract young enthusiasts.

“Being a second-time new mom this year, I see more now than ever how important it is to propel youth into the aftermarket industry,” she observed. “The industry needs engineers, sales, marketing, accounting and data people who share our hobby. I think there is still a lot of cultivating that needs to happen with this next generation. I would like to work closely with some of the high schools, colleges and career programs to motivate youth and advise them that this industry is worth pursuing. I want to tell them that you can actually make a living with your hobby.

“I was told a long time ago that if you do something you love for your job, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s the people in our industry.”

Compiled by SEMA Editors

The 2016 Team Nitto Ultra4 roster includes King of the Hammer winners and rising stars in off-road racing.

Nitto Announces Diver Lineup for King of the Hammers

Nitto Tire U.S.A. is returning as the title sponsor of the 2016 King of the Hammers (KOH) in Johnson Valley, California. The tire company will field a competitive roster of King of the Hammers and Ultra4 drivers, including two-time KOH champion Loren Healy, KOH winners Jason Scherer and Erik Miller, Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee and two-time KOH winner Shannon Campbell, and Mel Wade, as well as rising stars Jason Blanton, Derek West, Bailey Campbell, Wayland Campbell, and Bailey Cole, winner of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame’s “2015 Rising Star Award.”

Now in its 10th year, the King of the Hammers event brings together the top off-road drivers in the United States to compete in a grueling single-day race that covers more than 200 miles and combines 100-plus-mph desert running with highly technical boulder climbs.

Nitto gives fans of the King of the Hammers fans a behind-the-scenes look as the sport’s top drivers prepare for 2016 event through this three-part "Journey to the Hammers" documentary on Nitto's YouTube Channel.

International Drag Racing Hall of Fame 2016 Induction Banquet Sponsors Named

The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida, has announced the return of four corporate sponsors of the 26th Annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, which will be held in Gainesville, Florida, at the Wyndham Garden Hotel Gainesville (formerly the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites), March 17, 2016. Returning as the evening’s master of ceremonies will be long-time drag-racing announcer and historian Bob Frey. According to Donna Garlits, general manager/CFO of the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum, Lucas Oil Products Inc. will again be the banquet’s presenting sponsor, and the event will be known as the 26th Annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet presented by Lucas Oil Products. Again providing their corporate support are Summit Racing Equipment, MOPAR, Chrysler Group LLC and Clean Acres Properties LLC. The event will air on MAVTV between April and June 2016.

Watson Racing will host a special Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown that will run at the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout event at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, the weekend of March 3–6, 2016.

Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown at NMRA Season Opener

The NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals has announced that Watson Racing will once again host a special Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown that will run at the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout event at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, the weekend of March 3–6, 2016. The Cobra Jet Showdown will feature a $2,500 purse with the overall winner receiving $1,000, a custom champion’s jacket, and a Victor award all presented in the Aerospace Components winners circle, as well as exposure in NMRA’s Race Pages magazine.

Quarter Mile Foundation Collects 25 Drag Racing/Performance Industry Interviews

The Quarter Mile Foundation, in conjunction with the management of the Performance Racing Industry Show and Ken Lingenfelter, recorded the recollections of 25 drag-racing and performance aftermarket industry people. The interviewees included: Ronnie Ball (Contingency Connection, former IHRA employee), Marvin Benoit (Quick Fuel Technologies), Preston Davis (Top Fuel/Funny Car and nostalgia dragster driver), Chip Ellis (Pro Stock Motorcycle rider), Bob Glidden (10-time Pro Stock NHRA World Champion), Charlie Henry (Chrysler Corporation MOPAR Performance/Direct Connection), Ron Hope (“Rat Trap” Fuel Altered racer), Dave Hough (“Nanook” Fuel Altered racer), Dave Kirkland/Scott Lumbert (“Spirit of Texas” Top Fuel Hydro drag boat), Paul Lee (McLeod Clutches), Steve Lewis (PRI magazine/Show founder), Jim Luikens (sportsman racer, performance automotive marketing specialist), Bill Martens (General Motors Performance Parts), Louise Noeth (automotive historian/journalist), Dave Sebring (former Top Alcohol Funny Car racer, manufacturer), Larry Shepard (Chrysler Corporation MOPAR Performance/Direct Connection), Chris Thomson (K&N Filters/Airaid, former SEMA Board member), Vic Wood (Aeromotive, former SEMA Board member), Jeep Worthan (Autometer – retired, former SEMA Board member), Joe Hilger (DaimlerChrysler Global Service/MOPAR and “father of the modern Hemi”), Fritz Kayl (automotive engineer/founder of Katech Inc.), Ken Lingenfelter (co-founder of Lingenfelter Performance), Jim Oberhofer (Kalitta Motorsports, crew chief – Doug Kalitta MAC Tools Top Fuel team), and John Oberhofer (Kalitta Motorsports crew chief – Del Worsham 2015 NHRA World Champion DHL Funny Car team).

With the addition of these 25 new interviewees, plus the seven interviews done in Great Britain in last November, the Foundation now has 265 interviews of different individuals from the sport and the performance aftermarket. 

Compiled by SEMA Editors

The 2016 Team Nitto Ultra4 roster includes King of the Hammer winners and rising stars in off-road racing.

Nitto Announces Diver Lineup for King of the Hammers

Nitto Tire U.S.A. is returning as the title sponsor of the 2016 King of the Hammers (KOH) in Johnson Valley, California. The tire company will field a competitive roster of King of the Hammers and Ultra4 drivers, including two-time KOH champion Loren Healy, KOH winners Jason Scherer and Erik Miller, Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee and two-time KOH winner Shannon Campbell, and Mel Wade, as well as rising stars Jason Blanton, Derek West, Bailey Campbell, Wayland Campbell, and Bailey Cole, winner of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame’s “2015 Rising Star Award.”

Now in its 10th year, the King of the Hammers event brings together the top off-road drivers in the United States to compete in a grueling single-day race that covers more than 200 miles and combines 100-plus-mph desert running with highly technical boulder climbs.

Nitto gives fans of the King of the Hammers fans a behind-the-scenes look as the sport’s top drivers prepare for 2016 event through this three-part "Journey to the Hammers" documentary on Nitto's YouTube Channel.

International Drag Racing Hall of Fame 2016 Induction Banquet Sponsors Named

The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida, has announced the return of four corporate sponsors of the 26th Annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, which will be held in Gainesville, Florida, at the Wyndham Garden Hotel Gainesville (formerly the Paramount Plaza Hotel & Suites), March 17, 2016. Returning as the evening’s master of ceremonies will be long-time drag-racing announcer and historian Bob Frey. According to Donna Garlits, general manager/CFO of the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum, Lucas Oil Products Inc. will again be the banquet’s presenting sponsor, and the event will be known as the 26th Annual International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Induction Banquet presented by Lucas Oil Products. Again providing their corporate support are Summit Racing Equipment, MOPAR, Chrysler Group LLC and Clean Acres Properties LLC. The event will air on MAVTV between April and June 2016.

Watson Racing will host a special Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown that will run at the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout event at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, the weekend of March 3–6, 2016.

Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown at NMRA Season Opener

The NMRA Keystone Automotive Ford Nationals has announced that Watson Racing will once again host a special Ford Performance Cobra Jet Showdown that will run at the Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout event at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida, the weekend of March 3–6, 2016. The Cobra Jet Showdown will feature a $2,500 purse with the overall winner receiving $1,000, a custom champion’s jacket, and a Victor award all presented in the Aerospace Components winners circle, as well as exposure in NMRA’s Race Pages magazine.

Quarter Mile Foundation Collects 25 Drag Racing/Performance Industry Interviews

The Quarter Mile Foundation, in conjunction with the management of the Performance Racing Industry Show and Ken Lingenfelter, recorded the recollections of 25 drag-racing and performance aftermarket industry people. The interviewees included: Ronnie Ball (Contingency Connection, former IHRA employee), Marvin Benoit (Quick Fuel Technologies), Preston Davis (Top Fuel/Funny Car and nostalgia dragster driver), Chip Ellis (Pro Stock Motorcycle rider), Bob Glidden (10-time Pro Stock NHRA World Champion), Charlie Henry (Chrysler Corporation MOPAR Performance/Direct Connection), Ron Hope (“Rat Trap” Fuel Altered racer), Dave Hough (“Nanook” Fuel Altered racer), Dave Kirkland/Scott Lumbert (“Spirit of Texas” Top Fuel Hydro drag boat), Paul Lee (McLeod Clutches), Steve Lewis (PRI magazine/Show founder), Jim Luikens (sportsman racer, performance automotive marketing specialist), Bill Martens (General Motors Performance Parts), Louise Noeth (automotive historian/journalist), Dave Sebring (former Top Alcohol Funny Car racer, manufacturer), Larry Shepard (Chrysler Corporation MOPAR Performance/Direct Connection), Chris Thomson (K&N Filters/Airaid, former SEMA Board member), Vic Wood (Aeromotive, former SEMA Board member), Jeep Worthan (Autometer – retired, former SEMA Board member), Joe Hilger (DaimlerChrysler Global Service/MOPAR and “father of the modern Hemi”), Fritz Kayl (automotive engineer/founder of Katech Inc.), Ken Lingenfelter (co-founder of Lingenfelter Performance), Jim Oberhofer (Kalitta Motorsports, crew chief – Doug Kalitta MAC Tools Top Fuel team), and John Oberhofer (Kalitta Motorsports crew chief – Del Worsham 2015 NHRA World Champion DHL Funny Car team).

With the addition of these 25 new interviewees, plus the seven interviews done in Great Britain in last November, the Foundation now has 265 interviews of different individuals from the sport and the performance aftermarket. 

By SEMA Editors

This is the ’16 Chevy Cruze LT sedan, caught testing outside of Milford.

The mainstay of the Cruze lineup, the LT sedan, is pictured here uncovered and less adorned than the highly optioned Premier models. Modest 17-in. wheels and less chrome are modest highlights; however, the sedan will make up the majority of Cruze sales, providing plenty of options for aftermarket upgrades.

The Cruze gets a turbocharged engine standard, a 1.4L with 153 hp with higher performance and efficiency than before. The six-speed automatic that most models will have also gains stop-start technology, which is still unusual in this class. The Cruze four-door should be on sale soon, with the five-door hatch recently revealed in Detroit joining the lineup at the end of the year. Diesel and hybrid models are still planned for 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the ’16 Chevy Cruze LT sedan, caught testing outside of Milford.

The mainstay of the Cruze lineup, the LT sedan, is pictured here uncovered and less adorned than the highly optioned Premier models. Modest 17-in. wheels and less chrome are modest highlights; however, the sedan will make up the majority of Cruze sales, providing plenty of options for aftermarket upgrades.

The Cruze gets a turbocharged engine standard, a 1.4L with 153 hp with higher performance and efficiency than before. The six-speed automatic that most models will have also gains stop-start technology, which is still unusual in this class. The Cruze four-door should be on sale soon, with the five-door hatch recently revealed in Detroit joining the lineup at the end of the year. Diesel and hybrid models are still planned for 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the ’16 Chevy Cruze LT sedan, caught testing outside of Milford.

The mainstay of the Cruze lineup, the LT sedan, is pictured here uncovered and less adorned than the highly optioned Premier models. Modest 17-in. wheels and less chrome are modest highlights; however, the sedan will make up the majority of Cruze sales, providing plenty of options for aftermarket upgrades.

The Cruze gets a turbocharged engine standard, a 1.4L with 153 hp with higher performance and efficiency than before. The six-speed automatic that most models will have also gains stop-start technology, which is still unusual in this class. The Cruze four-door should be on sale soon, with the five-door hatch recently revealed in Detroit joining the lineup at the end of the year. Diesel and hybrid models are still planned for 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

This is the ’16 Chevy Cruze LT sedan, caught testing outside of Milford.

The mainstay of the Cruze lineup, the LT sedan, is pictured here uncovered and less adorned than the highly optioned Premier models. Modest 17-in. wheels and less chrome are modest highlights; however, the sedan will make up the majority of Cruze sales, providing plenty of options for aftermarket upgrades.

The Cruze gets a turbocharged engine standard, a 1.4L with 153 hp with higher performance and efficiency than before. The six-speed automatic that most models will have also gains stop-start technology, which is still unusual in this class. The Cruze four-door should be on sale soon, with the five-door hatch recently revealed in Detroit joining the lineup at the end of the year. Diesel and hybrid models are still planned for 2017.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde