Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

PEP BOYS NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY: zMAX Dragway and NHRA officials announced The Pep Boys—Manny, Moe and Jack—will be the title sponsor when the NHRA returns, September 12–14, at the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals—the first of the NHRA’s six-race playoffs, the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, which will be televised on ESPN2. The business partnership, constructed by Optimum Sports, is the first between Pep Boys, Charlotte Motor Speedway and NHRA.

KALITTA LOOKS FOR MORE OF THE SAME: Doug Kalitta has been successful and consistent during the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season. The next step for the Top Fuel points leader is replicating that effort during the upcoming NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. Through 18 races, Kalitta has racked up nine final-round appearances, winning twice and only suffering two first-round exits. The reward is a 30-point lead heading into the Countdown to the Championship, which kicks off at zMAX Dragway.

With all eyes on Kalitta as he aims for his first career world-championship title in his 10,000-hp Mac Tools dragster, the laid-back Top Fuel star simply wants to keep a winning combination that has already been successful since the season started in February.

"I'm super proud of my guys, just all of them working together incredibly," Kalitta said. "We've got a good, consistent car, so we're really excited about taking this thing to Charlotte and starting the Countdown and hopefully repeating the performance that we've had pretty much all year. We've got something great, and everybody here has worked real hard at putting the people in the right places. It's a good effort, and we're pretty proud of what we've put together."

AMKUS RESCUE SYSTEMS NAMED OFFICIAL RESCUE TOOLS OF NHRA: AMKUS Rescue Systems has been named the Official Rescue Tools of the NHRA and Official Supplier of the NHRA through 2017. As the Official Rescue Tools of the NHRA, AMKUS logos will be prominently displayed on all NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA trucks and trailers and team uniforms. The NHRA Safety Safari services the needs of race drivers and teams in the event of an emergency situation. In addition to prominent trackside signage, the company will participate in many other NHRA marketing opportunities, including official recognition in National Dragster—the NHRA’s magazine—and on NHRA.com. AMKUS also will receive feature status in all pre-race parades at NHRA national events.

He Said, She Said

"That track is special to me, there's no doubt about that. It's close to home and I usually have a whole pile of family and friends out there supporting me. But it's a track that we've done well at and that's huge for our confidence. We had a weekend off and that was great for our team but I'm so ready to get back in this race car. I really felt like we had the car to beat in Indy and I'm just ready to race again. It's kind of like we have a fresh start with how the points are reset. We just need to start out strong in Charlotte and take it one race at a time. Each time we pull the car out, no matter where we are, it just feels stronger. We had a great test before Indy and learned a lot and really had a strong car all weekend. We have some good data from last fall at Charlotte and I know Dickie and the team will be ready to roll come Friday."

—2011 Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan on racing at zMAX Dragway this weekend. Hagan has two wins and one runner-up finish at the facility in his career. The track is also where he became the first Funny Car racer to break into the three-second mark with his run of 3.995 seconds in 2011. Hagan begins the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship seventh in points.

Inside the Numbers

5: In the seven years of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, five of the seven No. 1 seeds heading into the Countdown have gone on to win the world championship. Tony Schumacher in 2008, Larry Dixon in 2010, Del Worsham in 2011, Antron Brown in 2013 and Shawn Langdon in 2013 all took home titles as the No. 1 seeds. In Funny Car, only once has the top seed won the championship in the Countdown era, which was John Force in 2010.

Did You Know

NEW ENGLAND HOT ROD REUNION ON TAP FOR EPPING: The coolest cars in the Northeast will be on display September 12–14, during the NHRA Motorsports Museum New England Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance at New England Dragway. Three days of classic cars, nostalgic quarter-mile drag racing and honoring the legends of drag racing will take place at the scenic facility outside of Boston. The event comes to life September 12 at 8:00 a.m. as hundreds of vintage show cars pour into the facility for the start of the Show 'n' Shine, featuring a streaming parade of hot rods, classics and customs that will be on display during the event. Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. each day of the reunion.

View the complete 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

NHRA News

PEP BOYS NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS AT ZMAX DRAGWAY: zMAX Dragway and NHRA officials announced The Pep Boys—Manny, Moe and Jack—will be the title sponsor when the NHRA returns, September 12–14, at the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals—the first of the NHRA’s six-race playoffs, the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, which will be televised on ESPN2. The business partnership, constructed by Optimum Sports, is the first between Pep Boys, Charlotte Motor Speedway and NHRA.

KALITTA LOOKS FOR MORE OF THE SAME: Doug Kalitta has been successful and consistent during the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season. The next step for the Top Fuel points leader is replicating that effort during the upcoming NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. Through 18 races, Kalitta has racked up nine final-round appearances, winning twice and only suffering two first-round exits. The reward is a 30-point lead heading into the Countdown to the Championship, which kicks off at zMAX Dragway.

With all eyes on Kalitta as he aims for his first career world-championship title in his 10,000-hp Mac Tools dragster, the laid-back Top Fuel star simply wants to keep a winning combination that has already been successful since the season started in February.

"I'm super proud of my guys, just all of them working together incredibly," Kalitta said. "We've got a good, consistent car, so we're really excited about taking this thing to Charlotte and starting the Countdown and hopefully repeating the performance that we've had pretty much all year. We've got something great, and everybody here has worked real hard at putting the people in the right places. It's a good effort, and we're pretty proud of what we've put together."

AMKUS RESCUE SYSTEMS NAMED OFFICIAL RESCUE TOOLS OF NHRA: AMKUS Rescue Systems has been named the Official Rescue Tools of the NHRA and Official Supplier of the NHRA through 2017. As the Official Rescue Tools of the NHRA, AMKUS logos will be prominently displayed on all NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA trucks and trailers and team uniforms. The NHRA Safety Safari services the needs of race drivers and teams in the event of an emergency situation. In addition to prominent trackside signage, the company will participate in many other NHRA marketing opportunities, including official recognition in National Dragster—the NHRA’s magazine—and on NHRA.com. AMKUS also will receive feature status in all pre-race parades at NHRA national events.

He Said, She Said

"That track is special to me, there's no doubt about that. It's close to home and I usually have a whole pile of family and friends out there supporting me. But it's a track that we've done well at and that's huge for our confidence. We had a weekend off and that was great for our team but I'm so ready to get back in this race car. I really felt like we had the car to beat in Indy and I'm just ready to race again. It's kind of like we have a fresh start with how the points are reset. We just need to start out strong in Charlotte and take it one race at a time. Each time we pull the car out, no matter where we are, it just feels stronger. We had a great test before Indy and learned a lot and really had a strong car all weekend. We have some good data from last fall at Charlotte and I know Dickie and the team will be ready to roll come Friday."

—2011 Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan on racing at zMAX Dragway this weekend. Hagan has two wins and one runner-up finish at the facility in his career. The track is also where he became the first Funny Car racer to break into the three-second mark with his run of 3.995 seconds in 2011. Hagan begins the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship seventh in points.

Inside the Numbers

5: In the seven years of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, five of the seven No. 1 seeds heading into the Countdown have gone on to win the world championship. Tony Schumacher in 2008, Larry Dixon in 2010, Del Worsham in 2011, Antron Brown in 2013 and Shawn Langdon in 2013 all took home titles as the No. 1 seeds. In Funny Car, only once has the top seed won the championship in the Countdown era, which was John Force in 2010.

Did You Know

NEW ENGLAND HOT ROD REUNION ON TAP FOR EPPING: The coolest cars in the Northeast will be on display September 12–14, during the NHRA Motorsports Museum New England Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance at New England Dragway. Three days of classic cars, nostalgic quarter-mile drag racing and honoring the legends of drag racing will take place at the scenic facility outside of Boston. The event comes to life September 12 at 8:00 a.m. as hundreds of vintage show cars pour into the facility for the start of the Show 'n' Shine, featuring a streaming parade of hot rods, classics and customs that will be on display during the event. Gates will open at 8:00 a.m. each day of the reunion.

View the complete 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

By SEMA Editors

U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan M. Selig has announced that SEMA will receive $300,000 from the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) to help the automotive specialty-equipment industry to generate exports to Russia. These funds are expected to bring an estimated $40 million in exports during the next three years by companies across the United States.
 
“Nearly one-third of America’s economic growth since mid-2009 has been driven by exports. More and more industry groups, like SEMA, are recognizing the importance of exporting,” Selig said. “Since 2009, the number of jobs supported by exports has grown by 1.6 million to more than 11.3 million—the highest in 20 years. Our Market Development Cooperator Program awards to organizations like SEMA are part of President Obama’s government-wide strategy to strengthen America’s economy by increasing exports.”
 
SEMA will match the MDCP award with an investment of $929,000 of its own resources. Each MDCP award winner pledges at least two-thirds of the project costs and to sustain its project after the initial MDCP award period ends. The funded project will allow SEMA to expand U.S. exports by:

• Creating a Russia business-development conference.
• Building a CAD/CAM library of popular foreign customizable vehicles.
• Sharing information on market prospects, regulation and distribution networks.

Each MDCP award includes financial and technical assistance from ITA to support well-defined business plans aimed at strengthening an industry by increasing exports. MDCP partnerships between ITA and nonprofit industry groups help to create U.S. jobs through exports.
 
This year, eight non-profit industry groups are receiving MDCP awards. In total, these projects are expected to generate more than $3.3 billion in U.S. exports in the next three years in return for the one-time $2.2 million Federal investment.
 
Since the Market Development Cooperator Program’s inception in 1993, the program has issued 136 awards to 106 organizations in 32 states. The program has helped to generate more than $9 billion in exports. In an average year, Market Development Cooperator Program projects generate $572 million in U.S. exports.
 
For more information about the Market Development Cooperator Program, visit www.trade.gov/mdcp.

By SEMA Editors

U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Stefan M. Selig has announced that SEMA will receive $300,000 from the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) to help the automotive specialty-equipment industry to generate exports to Russia. These funds are expected to bring an estimated $40 million in exports during the next three years by companies across the United States.
 
“Nearly one-third of America’s economic growth since mid-2009 has been driven by exports. More and more industry groups, like SEMA, are recognizing the importance of exporting,” Selig said. “Since 2009, the number of jobs supported by exports has grown by 1.6 million to more than 11.3 million—the highest in 20 years. Our Market Development Cooperator Program awards to organizations like SEMA are part of President Obama’s government-wide strategy to strengthen America’s economy by increasing exports.”
 
SEMA will match the MDCP award with an investment of $929,000 of its own resources. Each MDCP award winner pledges at least two-thirds of the project costs and to sustain its project after the initial MDCP award period ends. The funded project will allow SEMA to expand U.S. exports by:

• Creating a Russia business-development conference.
• Building a CAD/CAM library of popular foreign customizable vehicles.
• Sharing information on market prospects, regulation and distribution networks.

Each MDCP award includes financial and technical assistance from ITA to support well-defined business plans aimed at strengthening an industry by increasing exports. MDCP partnerships between ITA and nonprofit industry groups help to create U.S. jobs through exports.
 
This year, eight non-profit industry groups are receiving MDCP awards. In total, these projects are expected to generate more than $3.3 billion in U.S. exports in the next three years in return for the one-time $2.2 million Federal investment.
 
Since the Market Development Cooperator Program’s inception in 1993, the program has issued 136 awards to 106 organizations in 32 states. The program has helped to generate more than $9 billion in exports. In an average year, Market Development Cooperator Program projects generate $572 million in U.S. exports.
 
For more information about the Market Development Cooperator Program, visit www.trade.gov/mdcp.

	SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is designed to show SEMA-member companies how advanced vehicle technologies impact their products and businesses.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum will help leading SEMA-member companies customize with confidence by showing how advanced vehicle technologies impact products and businesses. Showgoers can attend this forum to ensure that suspension products, systems and modifications can successfully integrate with the latest vehicle dynamics and comply with federal motor-vehicle safety regulations.

Participating member companies in SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Program have made significant achievements during the past five years to understand how performance products, such as suspension, brakes, wheels, tires and steering, as well as engine modifications, interact with electronic stability control and other active safety systems.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is scheduled for Monday, November 3, from 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. in rooms N258–N260 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendance is free but registration is required.

	SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is designed to show SEMA-member companies how advanced vehicle technologies impact their products and businesses.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum will help leading SEMA-member companies customize with confidence by showing how advanced vehicle technologies impact products and businesses. Showgoers can attend this forum to ensure that suspension products, systems and modifications can successfully integrate with the latest vehicle dynamics and comply with federal motor-vehicle safety regulations.

Participating member companies in SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Program have made significant achievements during the past five years to understand how performance products, such as suspension, brakes, wheels, tires and steering, as well as engine modifications, interact with electronic stability control and other active safety systems.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is scheduled for Monday, November 3, from 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. in rooms N258–N260 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendance is free but registration is required.

	SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is designed to show SEMA-member companies how advanced vehicle technologies impact their products and businesses.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum will help leading SEMA-member companies customize with confidence by showing how advanced vehicle technologies impact products and businesses. Showgoers can attend this forum to ensure that suspension products, systems and modifications can successfully integrate with the latest vehicle dynamics and comply with federal motor-vehicle safety regulations.

Participating member companies in SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Program have made significant achievements during the past five years to understand how performance products, such as suspension, brakes, wheels, tires and steering, as well as engine modifications, interact with electronic stability control and other active safety systems.

SEMA’s Vehicle Dynamics Forum is scheduled for Monday, November 3, from 1:00 p.m.–2:30 p.m. in rooms N258–N260 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendance is free but registration is required.

By Jason Catullo

	Online registration enables attendees to register quickly and have their badges mailed, allowing more time to prepare for business when the SEMA Show opens on November 4. Register at www.SEMAShow.com/register.

As a commitment to provide a valuable exhibitor experience, SEMA Show management screens all attendees to ensure that the highest-quality buyers are on the Show floor. To help attendees register in minutes and get to business, here are some things to remember when registering for the Show, November 4–7, in Las Vegas.

Attendees who register for the 2014 SEMA Show online by October 17 will pay the advance rate of $25. After the deadline, registration can only be done on-site at the Show, and the price increases to $50.  

3 Tips to Speed Through Registration

1. Proof of working for an auto-related company (two forms of qualifying materials are required and include: tax registration certificate or business registration; a business license; two recent paycheck stubs; business card (company name and address must correspond with information on registration form, and must include job title); business photo ID (must include company name, photo and full name); invoices from automotive companies doing business with your company.
2. Register by October 17 to have badges mailed for domestic attendees (international attendees must register by September 19 to have badges mailed). In addition, media (including exhibiting media) and non-exhibiting manufacturer badges are not mailed and must to be picked up on-site.
3. Once registration is complete and submitted, the information will be processed. Attendees will receive a confirmation e-mail that MUST be clicked on in order to complete the registration process. Note: Activating the link in the confirmation e-mail is an important step that is often overlooked by attendees, which will delay the badge-mailing process.  

For more information on the 2014 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

By Jason Catullo

	Online registration enables attendees to register quickly and have their badges mailed, allowing more time to prepare for business when the SEMA Show opens on November 4. Register at www.SEMAShow.com/register.

As a commitment to provide a valuable exhibitor experience, SEMA Show management screens all attendees to ensure that the highest-quality buyers are on the Show floor. To help attendees register in minutes and get to business, here are some things to remember when registering for the Show, November 4–7, in Las Vegas.

Attendees who register for the 2014 SEMA Show online by October 17 will pay the advance rate of $25. After the deadline, registration can only be done on-site at the Show, and the price increases to $50.  

3 Tips to Speed Through Registration

1. Proof of working for an auto-related company (two forms of qualifying materials are required and include: tax registration certificate or business registration; a business license; two recent paycheck stubs; business card (company name and address must correspond with information on registration form, and must include job title); business photo ID (must include company name, photo and full name); invoices from automotive companies doing business with your company.
2. Register by October 17 to have badges mailed for domestic attendees (international attendees must register by September 19 to have badges mailed). In addition, media (including exhibiting media) and non-exhibiting manufacturer badges are not mailed and must to be picked up on-site.
3. Once registration is complete and submitted, the information will be processed. Attendees will receive a confirmation e-mail that MUST be clicked on in order to complete the registration process. Note: Activating the link in the confirmation e-mail is an important step that is often overlooked by attendees, which will delay the badge-mailing process.  

For more information on the 2014 SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

	All brands of American muscle hit the Bradenton Motorsports Park quarter-mile when the NMCA arrives on the third weekend of March.

ProMedia Announces 2015 Season Openers for NMRA & NMCA in Bradenton, Florida
The 2015 season for both the NMRA and the NMCA will kick off at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida. The 21st NMRA Spring Break Shootout is scheduled for March 5–8, 2015, and the 13th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals will take over Bradenton March 20–22, 2015.

All brands of American muscle hit the Bradenton Motorsports Park quarter-mile when the NMCA arrives on the third weekend of March. Super-fast Pro Mods reaching speeds of 250+ mph and Ford vs. Chevy vs. Mopar match-ups mark the grassroots-style drag-racing series. An all-brands car show will take place both Saturday and Sunday, and will feature an all-inclusive manufacturer's midway with top aftermarket industry representatives.

Rhino Linings Corp. Sponsors NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Rhino Linings Corp. has signed a multi-year agreement as the title sponsor of the annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Rhino Linings 350, on the high-banked, 1.5-mile superspeedway, will be nationally televised September 27. Rhino Linings signed on for a two-year sponsorship of the race, but no financial terms of the agreement were released. The 2014 Rhino Linings 350 will be the 18th time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Tickets for the race are available at www.LVMS.com or by calling 702-644-4444.

	In last Saturday's race at the Nürburgring, Sven Barth and David Jahn got their first win of the season in the No. 13 Corvette Z06.R GT3.

Callaway Victorious at Nürburgring
Callaway Competition arrived at the Nürburgring last weekend for the 2014 title fight in the ADAC GT Masters and, in Saturday's race, Sven Barth and David Jahn got their first win of the season in the No. 13 Corvette Z06.R GT3. In Sunday's Race 2, Andreas Wirth and Daniel Keilwitz got the win driving the No. 1 Corvette Z06.R GT3. Wirth secured his fifth Nürburgring victory in the ADAC GT Masters with a lead of 0.6 seconds, and Keilwitz got his fourth win in the last six races in 2014.

Top Sportsman and Chevrolet Performance Stock Added to 2015 NMCA Class List
As the 2014 NMCA Flowmaster Drag Racing Series season nears completion, with the World Finals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis ready to go, October 9-12, NMCA is already planning for 2015. NMCA has announced the addition of Top Sportsman to the list of classes for next year, as the sanctioning body enters its 23rd year of competition. The class line-up will also include the recently introduced Chevrolet Performance (CP) Stock class utilizing the new Chevrolet Performance DR525 sealed engine. Several new cars in this class are nearing completion for exhibition at the NMCA Finals this coming October.

The Top Sportsman category features fast door-slammers using nitrous, turbo and supercharged combinations to achieve times in the low six- and seven-second zones with speeds in the 200-mph range. The racers qualify on a ladder and use a dial-in for eliminations. The category will compete at all NMCA races in 2015. Competing for an NMCA Championship, Top Sportsman Champions and Top 10 in points will be crowned at the season-ending banquet in Indianapolis during the PRI show.

The entire 2015 NMCA class line-up will include: Pro Mod, Radial Wars, Street Outlaw, Nitrous Pro Street, Xtreme Street, N/A 10.5, Top Sportsman, Chevrolet Performance Stock, Nostalgia Super Stock, Nostalgia Muscle Car, Open Comp and True Street.