By Michael Hart



	Roundtable discussion attendees will have the opportunity to meet key wholesalers and importers even before the 2014 SEMA Show begins.

One out of every four 2014 SEMA Show buyers are from one of 130 countries, with the fastest-growing customization markets in the world being Russia, China and the Middle East.

“If companies want to grow their businesses and export their products, they should be there,” said Linda Spencer, SEMA’s senior director of international and government affairs.

Spencer is organizing three international roundtable discussions, Monday, November 3, when manufacturers and distributors get the chance to sit down and talk with buyers from Russia, China and the Middle East. Participants will get together and, as Spencer says, “talk about anything that’s on their minds.” It’s the best chance to interact with buyers from those hot markets during the SEMA Show.

The first session starts at 11:00 a.m., and will focus on opportunities in the Middle East for SEMA-member manufacturers. Lunch will be at 12:00 p.m. and then a second session with buyers from Russia will be held at 1:00 p.m. A third session at 3:00 p.m. will focus on the Chinese customization market.

“Because we have the lunch between the first and second sessions, many people will come and just spend all day getting to know about these markets,” Spencer said.

She said these three markets have been targeted by SEMA because of their potential for manufacturers. First, Spencer said, “There is a passion in these countries for customization.”

Second, they each have large populations that make sense in terms of economies of scale and, finally, large portions of those populations have substantial disposable income.

As an example, she said, “China has a huge population and growing number who can afford customization.”

Off-roading, in particular, is a fast-growing leisure activity there.

Even better, Russia has an average per-capita income that is twice that of China’s and in the more than one dozen countries that make up the Middle East, “They love everything from off-roading to street performance,” Spencer said.

For more information, or to register for the international roundtable discussions, visit the SEMA Show website.

By SEMA Editors

	The OPTIMA Street Car Alley at the 2014 SEMA Show will showcase the invited competitors of the 2014 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. Photo courtesy of Optima Batteries.

Immediately following the 2014 SEMA Show on Saturday–Sunday, November 8–9, OPTIMA Batteries will host its seventh-annual OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) for the first time ever at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS). OPTIMA invites SEMA members to exhibit on the OUSCI midway at the LVMS free of charge. The OUSCI represents the culmination of a 10-part national qualifying series combined with the best builder cars from the SEMA Show. The event is being filmed as the grand finale of the national TV series on MAV TV, “OPTIMA’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car,” which will air late November.

OUSCI exhibitors will gain additional exposure directly among highly engaged automotive enthusiasts who come out to watch the best of the best SEMA Show builders put their cars through their paces on the track. In addition, exhibitors will be part of an event that embraces and promotes the largest gathering of influential brand ambassadors in the automotive aftermarket. Exhibitors also will be positioned amongst OUSCI sponsors, including BFGoodrich Tires, Ridetech, Detroit Speed and Engineering, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Lingenfelter Engineering, K&N Filters, Red Line Oil, SnapOn Tools and Jet Hot Coatings.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Wally Olczak at wally@fm3marketing.com or 815-347-9661 by November 3. Exhibitors are required to have their displays set up in the designated outdoor midway area at the LVMS on Saturday, November 8, by 8:30 a.m., and are required to be in attendance through the completion of the event on Sunday, November 9.

By SEMA Editors

	The OPTIMA Street Car Alley at the 2014 SEMA Show will showcase the invited competitors of the 2014 OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational. Photo courtesy of Optima Batteries.

Immediately following the 2014 SEMA Show on Saturday–Sunday, November 8–9, OPTIMA Batteries will host its seventh-annual OPTIMA Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) for the first time ever at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS). OPTIMA invites SEMA members to exhibit on the OUSCI midway at the LVMS free of charge. The OUSCI represents the culmination of a 10-part national qualifying series combined with the best builder cars from the SEMA Show. The event is being filmed as the grand finale of the national TV series on MAV TV, “OPTIMA’s Search for the Ultimate Street Car,” which will air late November.

OUSCI exhibitors will gain additional exposure directly among highly engaged automotive enthusiasts who come out to watch the best of the best SEMA Show builders put their cars through their paces on the track. In addition, exhibitors will be part of an event that embraces and promotes the largest gathering of influential brand ambassadors in the automotive aftermarket. Exhibitors also will be positioned amongst OUSCI sponsors, including BFGoodrich Tires, Ridetech, Detroit Speed and Engineering, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Lingenfelter Engineering, K&N Filters, Red Line Oil, SnapOn Tools and Jet Hot Coatings.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Wally Olczak at wally@fm3marketing.com or 815-347-9661 by November 3. Exhibitors are required to have their displays set up in the designated outdoor midway area at the LVMS on Saturday, November 8, by 8:30 a.m., and are required to be in attendance through the completion of the event on Sunday, November 9.

By SEMA Editors

	John Force	Tony Schumacher
	Antron Brown	Gary Scelzi

The NHRA Breakfast at the 2014 SEMA Show will celebrate 50 years of the NHRA Finals, Wednesday, November 5, from 7:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m., at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, formerly the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (LVH), Ballrooms A&B. The NHRA will bring together some of the most popular drivers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series who will discuss many of the iconic moments through 50 years of the Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

Featured drivers include John Force, Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown and Gary Scelzi. Force is an eight-time NHRA Finals winner in Funny Car—the most for a driver in any pro category. Perhaps his greatest triumph at the event came in 2010, when he rallied to overcome a 38-point deficit and steal the championship away in the season’s closing moments from rival Matt Hagan by winning the race in spectacular fashion.

Schumacher has won the race four times in Top Fuel at the controls of his U.S. Army dragster. He famously won the 2006 world championship title in the race’s final moments and set a national E.T. record in the final round. It is referred to as “The Run” by drag-racing historians, and is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport. The next season, Schumacher entered the Finals with a points deficit and worked his magic one more time, denying Hot Rod Fuller a place in history as a world champ when Fuller lost early and Schumacher went on to win the race and the championship.

Brown has won the NHRA Finals in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, and in 2012, he clinched his historic first Top Fuel world championship title at the event when Schumacher failed to deliver another one of his miracle comebacks.

Another driver who achieved success in multiple categories at the Finals, Scelzi won the race in Top Fuel and has clinched world championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car at the season-ending event. Scelzi put a bow on his 2000 world championship title in Top Fuel by winning the Finals that season and then secured his 2005 Funny Car crown in memorable fashion at the famed race by holding off Force and Ron Capps during eliminations on the season’s final day.

The annual NHRA Breakfast—open to all registered SEMA Show attendees—is part of the 2014 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, November 4–7, 2014. A continental breakfast will be served.

The panel will be moderated by longtime NHRA announcer Bob Frey. Following the NHRA Breakfast, all of the special panel guests will be at the NHRA Booth (#22329) signing autographs from 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

This event is open to all registered SEMA Show attendees at no cost; however, tickets are required. To order your event ticket or register for the Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/register and click “Add Event Tickets.”

By SEMA Editors

	John Force	Tony Schumacher
	Antron Brown	Gary Scelzi

The NHRA Breakfast at the 2014 SEMA Show will celebrate 50 years of the NHRA Finals, Wednesday, November 5, from 7:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m., at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, formerly the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (LVH), Ballrooms A&B. The NHRA will bring together some of the most popular drivers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series who will discuss many of the iconic moments through 50 years of the Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

Featured drivers include John Force, Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown and Gary Scelzi. Force is an eight-time NHRA Finals winner in Funny Car—the most for a driver in any pro category. Perhaps his greatest triumph at the event came in 2010, when he rallied to overcome a 38-point deficit and steal the championship away in the season’s closing moments from rival Matt Hagan by winning the race in spectacular fashion.

Schumacher has won the race four times in Top Fuel at the controls of his U.S. Army dragster. He famously won the 2006 world championship title in the race’s final moments and set a national E.T. record in the final round. It is referred to as “The Run” by drag-racing historians, and is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport. The next season, Schumacher entered the Finals with a points deficit and worked his magic one more time, denying Hot Rod Fuller a place in history as a world champ when Fuller lost early and Schumacher went on to win the race and the championship.

Brown has won the NHRA Finals in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, and in 2012, he clinched his historic first Top Fuel world championship title at the event when Schumacher failed to deliver another one of his miracle comebacks.

Another driver who achieved success in multiple categories at the Finals, Scelzi won the race in Top Fuel and has clinched world championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car at the season-ending event. Scelzi put a bow on his 2000 world championship title in Top Fuel by winning the Finals that season and then secured his 2005 Funny Car crown in memorable fashion at the famed race by holding off Force and Ron Capps during eliminations on the season’s final day.

The annual NHRA Breakfast—open to all registered SEMA Show attendees—is part of the 2014 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, November 4–7, 2014. A continental breakfast will be served.

The panel will be moderated by longtime NHRA announcer Bob Frey. Following the NHRA Breakfast, all of the special panel guests will be at the NHRA Booth (#22329) signing autographs from 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

This event is open to all registered SEMA Show attendees at no cost; however, tickets are required. To order your event ticket or register for the Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/register and click “Add Event Tickets.”

By SEMA Editors

	John Force	Tony Schumacher
	Antron Brown	Gary Scelzi

The NHRA Breakfast at the 2014 SEMA Show will celebrate 50 years of the NHRA Finals, Wednesday, November 5, from 7:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m., at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, formerly the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (LVH), Ballrooms A&B. The NHRA will bring together some of the most popular drivers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series who will discuss many of the iconic moments through 50 years of the Finals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

Featured drivers include John Force, Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown and Gary Scelzi. Force is an eight-time NHRA Finals winner in Funny Car—the most for a driver in any pro category. Perhaps his greatest triumph at the event came in 2010, when he rallied to overcome a 38-point deficit and steal the championship away in the season’s closing moments from rival Matt Hagan by winning the race in spectacular fashion.

Schumacher has won the race four times in Top Fuel at the controls of his U.S. Army dragster. He famously won the 2006 world championship title in the race’s final moments and set a national E.T. record in the final round. It is referred to as “The Run” by drag-racing historians, and is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport. The next season, Schumacher entered the Finals with a points deficit and worked his magic one more time, denying Hot Rod Fuller a place in history as a world champ when Fuller lost early and Schumacher went on to win the race and the championship.

Brown has won the NHRA Finals in both Top Fuel and Pro Stock Motorcycle, and in 2012, he clinched his historic first Top Fuel world championship title at the event when Schumacher failed to deliver another one of his miracle comebacks.

Another driver who achieved success in multiple categories at the Finals, Scelzi won the race in Top Fuel and has clinched world championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car at the season-ending event. Scelzi put a bow on his 2000 world championship title in Top Fuel by winning the Finals that season and then secured his 2005 Funny Car crown in memorable fashion at the famed race by holding off Force and Ron Capps during eliminations on the season’s final day.

The annual NHRA Breakfast—open to all registered SEMA Show attendees—is part of the 2014 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, November 4–7, 2014. A continental breakfast will be served.

The panel will be moderated by longtime NHRA announcer Bob Frey. Following the NHRA Breakfast, all of the special panel guests will be at the NHRA Booth (#22329) signing autographs from 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

This event is open to all registered SEMA Show attendees at no cost; however, tickets are required. To order your event ticket or register for the Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/register and click “Add Event Tickets.”