Robby Gordon visits SEMA Central to discuss the Baja 100 and shares his impressions from the Show floor.

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, drawing the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, powersports, and RV markets. SEMA Show 2014 drew more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers. The 2015 SEMA Show is scheduled for Tuesday–Friday, November 3–6.

Robby Gordon visits SEMA Central to discuss the Baja 100 and shares his impressions from the Show floor.

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, drawing the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, powersports, and RV markets. SEMA Show 2014 drew more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers. The 2015 SEMA Show is scheduled for Tuesday–Friday, November 3–6.

Robby Gordon visits SEMA Central to discuss the Baja 100 and shares his impressions from the Show floor.

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world, drawing the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to the Las Vegas Convention Center. As part of the AAIW, the SEMA Show attracts more than 100,000 industry leaders from more than 100 countries for unlimited profit opportunities in the automotive, truck and SUV, powersports, and RV markets. SEMA Show 2014 drew more than 60,000 domestic and international buyers. The 2015 SEMA Show is scheduled for Tuesday–Friday, November 3–6.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Masato Kawabata in the Team Toyo Tires Drift/Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR took the event victory and Aurimas Bakchis led the Formula Drift World Championship with a second-place finish.

Masato Kawabata Wins Formula DRIFT World Championship at Fuji International Speedway

Formula DRIFT Japan presented by G-Shock entered Fuji International Speedway for the fifth round of the inaugural Formula DRIFT World Championship. Masato Kawabata in the Team Toyo Tires Drift/Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR took the event victory and Aurimas Bakchis led the Formula Drift World Championship with a second-place finish.

Formula DRIFT Japan at Fuji Speedway was the first world championship round outside of the United States. The semi-finals pitted Tadahiro Fukada in his RC-ART Dreamteam with Falken Toyota Mark II against Bakchis in his ARK Performance/Feal Suspension/Nitto Tire Hyundai Genesis Coupe with Bakchis edging out Fukada to head into the finals. No. 1 qualifier Kawabata in his Team Toyo Tire Drift/Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR defeated Masao Suenaga in his RE Amemiya Mazda RX-7 to face Bakchis in the finals. The final head-to-head battle between Bakchis and Kawabata came to an early end as Bakchis’s motor gave on the second run and was not able to maintain drift. This gave Kawabata his perfect weekend by qualifying first and winning the competition.

The 2015 Formula DRIFT season will continue to Round 5: Throwdown, July 24–25, 2015, at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.

	Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino are among the top teams fighting for a win at the 2015 New England Forest Rally, July 17–18. Photo credit: Hoonigan Racing

David Higgins, Ken Block, Travis Pastrana to Face Off at 25th Anniversary New England Forest Rally

This week's 25th anniversary New England Forest Rally (NEFR) will feature a stacked field approaching 70 cars and some big names stepping forward to challenge the Subaru Rally Team USA duo of David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew. Ken Block will compete behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta ST he drove to a win at the event in 2013. Ramana Lagemann and co-driver Nathalie Richard will debut the brand-new M-Sport Ford R5, and Brendan Reeves and Anthony McLoughin, will mark the U.S. debut of the M-Sport Ford R2. Also in the mix at this week's event is four-time Rally America champion Travis Pastrana, who returns to the series for the first time this year with Chrissie Beavis as his co-driver.

Also expected to challenge at the top of the pack is the privateer FY Racing team of Adam Yeoman and co-driver Jordan Schulze. Currently in second place overall in the series, the duo campaigns an Open class ’07 Subaru WRX STI and has been working hard to close the gap to Higgins and Drew at every round. Yeoman and Schulze have finished second overall at each of the last three events. Super Production class leaders Nick Roberts and Rhiannon Gelsomino have put their ’13 Subaru Impreza WRX STI on three overall podiums this year and could also be contenders at NEFR.

The New England Forest Rally is the sixth round in the 2015 Rally America National Championship. The 25th anniversary running of the event takes place July 17–18 and is headquartered in Newry, Maine. The event is expected to feature 120 challenging stage miles over two days of competition.

	The after-hours Grudge Night will be held at the conclusion of the 17th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway Park.

After-Hours Grudge Night to Take Place as Part of NMRA All-Ford World Finals

The first-ever NMRA Grudge Night will take place after hours, Saturday, October 3, as part of the 17th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway Park. The event will also include an appearance from Chris “BoostedGT” Hamilton and his turbocharged Cobra SVT Mustang from Discovery Channel's “Street Outlaws” TV show. Hamilton will sign autographs and participate in the Grudge Night racing.

The after-hours Grudge Night will be held at the conclusion of the regularly scheduled NMRA drag-racing competition. The grudge night races are open to all Ford vehicles equipped with Ford powerplants. All grudge races feature no time, no scoreboards and no time slips. Only the win light at the end of the track will determine the winner of each heads-up race.

Landon Simon to Run 2015 Indiana Sprint Week Specialty Car

Landon Simon Racing (LSR) and Mt Baker Vapor have announced that they will run a special paint scheme for USAC Racing’s 28th Annual Indiana Sprint Week. For the second straight season, the design will resemble a WWII P51 Mustang plane and act as a tribute to veterans and our country. The gold, red and blue fighter-jet-themed car highlights Simon’s primary sponsor Mt Baker Vapor and the e-cigarette company’s move from Bellingham, Washington, to their new headquarters in Mesa, Arizona.

Indiana Sprint Week consists of seven races in nine days starting with Gas City on July 10, followed by Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Terre Haute, Putnamville, Bloomington and Haubstadt. LSR signed Mt Baker Vapor Electronic Cigarettes as their primary sponsor in March 2014. The Mt Baker Vapor #24 Sprint Car team is now based in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has slated a 40+ event schedule for 2015.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Masato Kawabata in the Team Toyo Tires Drift/Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR took the event victory and Aurimas Bakchis led the Formula Drift World Championship with a second-place finish.

Masato Kawabata Wins Formula DRIFT World Championship at Fuji International Speedway

Formula DRIFT Japan presented by G-Shock entered Fuji International Speedway for the fifth round of the inaugural Formula DRIFT World Championship. Masato Kawabata in the Team Toyo Tires Drift/Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR took the event victory and Aurimas Bakchis led the Formula Drift World Championship with a second-place finish.

Formula DRIFT Japan at Fuji Speedway was the first world championship round outside of the United States. The semi-finals pitted Tadahiro Fukada in his RC-ART Dreamteam with Falken Toyota Mark II against Bakchis in his ARK Performance/Feal Suspension/Nitto Tire Hyundai Genesis Coupe with Bakchis edging out Fukada to head into the finals. No. 1 qualifier Kawabata in his Team Toyo Tire Drift/Trust Racing Nissan 35RX GTR defeated Masao Suenaga in his RE Amemiya Mazda RX-7 to face Bakchis in the finals. The final head-to-head battle between Bakchis and Kawabata came to an early end as Bakchis’s motor gave on the second run and was not able to maintain drift. This gave Kawabata his perfect weekend by qualifying first and winning the competition.

The 2015 Formula DRIFT season will continue to Round 5: Throwdown, July 24–25, 2015, at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington.

	Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino are among the top teams fighting for a win at the 2015 New England Forest Rally, July 17–18. Photo credit: Hoonigan Racing

David Higgins, Ken Block, Travis Pastrana to Face Off at 25th Anniversary New England Forest Rally

This week's 25th anniversary New England Forest Rally (NEFR) will feature a stacked field approaching 70 cars and some big names stepping forward to challenge the Subaru Rally Team USA duo of David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew. Ken Block will compete behind the wheel of the Ford Fiesta ST he drove to a win at the event in 2013. Ramana Lagemann and co-driver Nathalie Richard will debut the brand-new M-Sport Ford R5, and Brendan Reeves and Anthony McLoughin, will mark the U.S. debut of the M-Sport Ford R2. Also in the mix at this week's event is four-time Rally America champion Travis Pastrana, who returns to the series for the first time this year with Chrissie Beavis as his co-driver.

Also expected to challenge at the top of the pack is the privateer FY Racing team of Adam Yeoman and co-driver Jordan Schulze. Currently in second place overall in the series, the duo campaigns an Open class ’07 Subaru WRX STI and has been working hard to close the gap to Higgins and Drew at every round. Yeoman and Schulze have finished second overall at each of the last three events. Super Production class leaders Nick Roberts and Rhiannon Gelsomino have put their ’13 Subaru Impreza WRX STI on three overall podiums this year and could also be contenders at NEFR.

The New England Forest Rally is the sixth round in the 2015 Rally America National Championship. The 25th anniversary running of the event takes place July 17–18 and is headquartered in Newry, Maine. The event is expected to feature 120 challenging stage miles over two days of competition.

	The after-hours Grudge Night will be held at the conclusion of the 17th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway Park.

After-Hours Grudge Night to Take Place as Part of NMRA All-Ford World Finals

The first-ever NMRA Grudge Night will take place after hours, Saturday, October 3, as part of the 17th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway Park. The event will also include an appearance from Chris “BoostedGT” Hamilton and his turbocharged Cobra SVT Mustang from Discovery Channel's “Street Outlaws” TV show. Hamilton will sign autographs and participate in the Grudge Night racing.

The after-hours Grudge Night will be held at the conclusion of the regularly scheduled NMRA drag-racing competition. The grudge night races are open to all Ford vehicles equipped with Ford powerplants. All grudge races feature no time, no scoreboards and no time slips. Only the win light at the end of the track will determine the winner of each heads-up race.

Landon Simon to Run 2015 Indiana Sprint Week Specialty Car

Landon Simon Racing (LSR) and Mt Baker Vapor have announced that they will run a special paint scheme for USAC Racing’s 28th Annual Indiana Sprint Week. For the second straight season, the design will resemble a WWII P51 Mustang plane and act as a tribute to veterans and our country. The gold, red and blue fighter-jet-themed car highlights Simon’s primary sponsor Mt Baker Vapor and the e-cigarette company’s move from Bellingham, Washington, to their new headquarters in Mesa, Arizona.

Indiana Sprint Week consists of seven races in nine days starting with Gas City on July 10, followed by Kokomo, Lawrenceburg, Terre Haute, Putnamville, Bloomington and Haubstadt. LSR signed Mt Baker Vapor Electronic Cigarettes as their primary sponsor in March 2014. The Mt Baker Vapor #24 Sprint Car team is now based in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has slated a 40+ event schedule for 2015.

One of the several new appearance packages introduced to keep Mustang attention up in the wake of the redesigned Chevy Camaro, the ’16 California Special (CS) is a GT with some retro takes from the first-generation Mustang.

All CS-equipped cars get 19-in. wheels with black-painted inserts. They will also be identified by a special faux gas cap in the trunklid, reminiscent of the original Mustangs. There's also a new black painted rear spoiler that stands much taller than any Mustangs in recent memory, sort of a ’90s throwback. Up front, there's a grille that's also special to the CS with a smaller pony badge off-centered.

Inside, the CS gets black leather-suede seats with red contrasting stitching and door panel inserts and carpeting to match that color scheme.

The CS will go on sale later this summer for the ’16 model year.

Photo credit: SpiedBilde, Brian Williams

One of the several new appearance packages introduced to keep Mustang attention up in the wake of the redesigned Chevy Camaro, the ’16 California Special (CS) is a GT with some retro takes from the first-generation Mustang.

All CS-equipped cars get 19-in. wheels with black-painted inserts. They will also be identified by a special faux gas cap in the trunklid, reminiscent of the original Mustangs. There's also a new black painted rear spoiler that stands much taller than any Mustangs in recent memory, sort of a ’90s throwback. Up front, there's a grille that's also special to the CS with a smaller pony badge off-centered.

Inside, the CS gets black leather-suede seats with red contrasting stitching and door panel inserts and carpeting to match that color scheme.

The CS will go on sale later this summer for the ’16 model year.

Photo credit: SpiedBilde, Brian Williams

One of the several new appearance packages introduced to keep Mustang attention up in the wake of the redesigned Chevy Camaro, the ’16 California Special (CS) is a GT with some retro takes from the first-generation Mustang.

All CS-equipped cars get 19-in. wheels with black-painted inserts. They will also be identified by a special faux gas cap in the trunklid, reminiscent of the original Mustangs. There's also a new black painted rear spoiler that stands much taller than any Mustangs in recent memory, sort of a ’90s throwback. Up front, there's a grille that's also special to the CS with a smaller pony badge off-centered.

Inside, the CS gets black leather-suede seats with red contrasting stitching and door panel inserts and carpeting to match that color scheme.

The CS will go on sale later this summer for the ’16 model year.

Photo credit: SpiedBilde, Brian Williams

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	Bill Herrmann

Design Engineering Inc. Announces
 Bill Herrmann as Vice President of Operations


Design Engineering Inc. (DEI) has announced Bill Herrmann has joined the company as vice president of operations. He will report directly to DEI CEO David Markley. Herrmann has more than 30 years’ experience in industrial and chemical distribution and chemical and food manufacturing. He has spent most of his career within the supply-chain procurement, logistics, forecasting, operations management and inventory-control disciplines. Prior to joining DEI, Herrmann worked at Palmer Holland, Sandridge Food Corp. and Lubrizol/Noveon, where he minimized asset risk, improved communication and brought new and innovative approaches to the companies’ warehouse and service networks.

Hopkins Names New Senior Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Product Design and Regulatory Compliance

Hopkins Manufacturing Corp. has announced the addition of David Moore as senior vice president – operations and L. Curtis Strong as vice president of product design and regulatory compliance. Both positions are based out of the Hopkins headquarters in Emporia, Kansas. Moore will lead and direct manufacturing, supply chain and distribution operations for all Hopkins locations, including Emporia, Kansas; Miami, Oklahoma; Carson, California; Urbandale, Iowa; Blenheim, Ontario; Juarez, Mexico; and Ningbo, China. Strong will be responsible for all product design and regulatory compliance matters for Hopkins. He will support the Hopkins’ growth strategy by ensuring innovative, quality and cost-effective product designs that comply with laws and regulations. In addition, he will be responsible for the Hopkins patent portfolio and strategy.

	Southpaw lead character Billy Hope, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, takes to the ring to face an opponent in a light-heavyweight championship fight. Photo Credit: Scott Garfield courtesy of The Weinstein Co.

Royal Purple to Appear in Summer Sports Drama Thriller, Southpaw

Royal Purple has announced that it will appear in The Weinstein Company’s summer sports drama thriller, Southpaw, opening July 24. Audiences will be able to spot Royal Purple during a scene at the end of the film, where Royal Purple’s logo and branding will be visible in several places. Southpaw tells the story of a reigning light-heavyweight champion at the top of his career who experiences a tragedy that takes a toll on his family and career. Lead character Billy Hope, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, must get past his demons to redeem himself. Fellow stars that are a part of his journey within the motion picture include Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams.

Garage Gurus’ Automotive Training Center Opens in Atlanta Area

Atlanta-area automotive-repair professionals attended the recent grand opening of a state-of-the-art “Garage Gurus” regional training center in Norcross, Georgia. Garage Gurus is a nationwide technical education network established by global vehicle components supplier Federal-Mogul Motorparts to help automotive technicians, shop owners, service writers and other front-line industry professionals keep pace with the latest vehicle technologies. The new training center, which will provide support to the nearly 5,400 Greater Atlanta repair businesses, is the fourth of up to 15 locations scheduled to open this year across the United States. Federal-Mogul Motorparts also operates Garage Gurus facilities in Greater Chicago, Van Nuys, California, and the Bronx, New York. Three additional Garage Gurus locations in Baltimore, Dallas/Fort Worth and Rancho Dominguez, California, will open later this week.

Eastwood Co. on Road to Recovery After Recent Fire

On July 9, the Eastwood Co. sustained fire damage to its headquarters in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. No one was injured in the fire, which was contained to a small section of the building. However, parts of the warehouse and distribution center were severely damaged, affecting the company’s ability to ship customers’ orders. Smoke and water damage also affected the company’s offices and contaminated merchandise in the adjacent portions of the warehouse.

The Eastwood Co.’s shipping operations have been temporarily delayed while fire investigators and cleanup crews continue their work. Eastwood is working with vendors, business partners and local authorities in assessing the situation to be fully back in operation as soon as possible. Customers can continue to place orders on eastwood.com and Eastwood will provide shipping updates, as they become available. The company has opened its Pottstown retail store, and Eastwood’s retail store in Alsip, Illinois, which opened in April last year, has remained open throughout this event. If customers have any questions, they are being asked to email orderhelp@eastwood.com.

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

By Mike Imlay

	The SEMA Garage is seeking SEMA-member input for a special project, “They All Started in a Garage,” to celebrate industry innovators who began in a garage and grew their business into a legacy name or brand.

For additional information, contact Mike Spagnola at mikes@sema.org.