Robbie Pierce, who purchased Jimco Racing in 2018, passed away in a scuba diving accident, according to an announcement by Jimco Racing.
Pierce was a member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame class of 2018. Pierce became CEO of MasterCraft Safety in 1999 and expanded the business with the purchase of Impact from safety pioneer Bill Simpson in 2010. Pierce sold Impact by MasterCraft Safety to the Italian firm Sparco in 2017, and less than a year later, he announced his acquisition of Jimco Racing—a manufacturer of off-road racing vehicles. Scuba diving was considered his second passion in life.
As of press time, no memorial announcements have been made.
The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) has announced a new stock-car touring division called the Mighty Mini Series, which will launch at Hickory Motor Speedway in Newton, North Carolina, March 17–18. The points-counting season will officially begin on Saturday, April 1, during the 49th Icebreaker Weekend at Thompson Speedway in Thompson, Connecticut. The series will later visit the track for its inaugural championship event as part of the 61st Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing, Sunday, October 8. The current schedule can be seen below. The announcement follows the success of the Ammonoosuc Asphalt Mini Late Model class at ACT-sanctioned White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, New Hampshire. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Marvin Galarneau at mfg@acttour.com. For more information, visit acttour.com.
World of Outlaws Names Ruben Mireles as Late Model Series Announcer
The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series has named Ruben Mireles as its new series announcer. Mireles will begin his new role at the start of the 2023 season at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida) during the Sunshine Nationals, January 18–21. Mireles previously served as a pit reporter for the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models and has been the DIRTcar Summer Nationals announcer for the past five seasons. He started announcing at El Paso Speedway Park (El Paso, Texas) at just the age of 12. In related news, officials recently announced more than $3 million in purse money through a 53-race schedule across 30 tracks in 2023. For more information, visit worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels.
Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2022
The Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame (ORMHOF) has announced the class of 2022: Randy Anderson, Lance Clifford, Vic Curl, Butch Dean, Jim Fricker, Brad Lovell, Eric Solorzano, Scott Taylor and Mike Thomas. The ORMHOF Class of 2022 will be celebrated at the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Gala presented by 4 Wheel Parts, Sunday, October 30, at the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. More than 700 guests are expected to attend. Tickets, program ads and sponsorship opportunities are available at ormhof.org.
Nick Bohanon Takes Over Ownership of Salem Speedway
Former USAC Midget racer Nick Bohanon has taken over ownership of Salem Speedway fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, the 0.555-mile oval track located in Salem, Indiana. Announced plans also include upgrades to the pavement, pit area, lighting, scoreboard and infield concessions and restrooms. The 2023 season schedule is expected to be published within the next few weeks. For more information, visit salemspeedway.com.
The SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) was presented with the Group Achievement Award for its all-female Bronco build from the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation. The Group Achievement Award is given to a group of women who work together to make an exceptional contribution to the automotive and mobility industry. This includes exemplary teamwork and leadership exhibited and the significance of the accomplishment.
’21 Ford Bronco Wildtrak provided by the Ford Motor Co. underwent modifications that represent a culmination of the work of more than 125 female volunteers from throughout the United States and Canada that included veterans, students, mother-daughter and even granddaughter duos, as well as automotive technicians, race car drivers and award-winning car-building sisters.
“The collaboration truly represents the spirit of the build,” added Cathy Clark, SBN chair. “This project was a chance to spotlight women in the automotive aftermarket industry and the ways in which they come together and offer support to each other. We’re excited to see the passion their efforts received at the SEMA Show this year and to see where these opportunities may lead in the future.”
The project began on July 19, 2022, at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California, where SBN volunteers, including students from WyoTech, began disassembling, painting and upgrading the vehicle. The Bronco then made its way to the SEMA Garage in Detroit, where final accessories and a vinyl wrap were installed, and the vehicle was prepped for Las Vegas. Throughout 2023, the vehicle will be on display at multiple events highlighting women in automotive.
Dodge Reveals Seventh “Last Call” Commemorative Edition Model
Dodge is honoring the end of an era while celebrating the birth of another with the announcement of a Dodge “Last Call” performance festival that will play host to the worldwide reveal of the brand’s final 2023 “Last Call” special-edition model while also shining a spotlight on the Dodge brand’s future of electrified muscle—the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept. The Dodge “Last Call” event will visit the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 20.
The event will unleash the seventh and final Dodge 2023 “Last Call” commemorative edition model—a last-of-its-kind Dodge special-edition vehicle. Six Dodge “Last Call” models have already been introduced: the Dodge Challenger Shakedown, Dodge Charger Super Bee, Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack Swinger, Dodge Charger King Daytona and Dodge Challenger Black Ghost. The Dodge “Last Call” vehicles commemorate the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger, which are coming to an end in their current HEMI-engine-powered forms at the end of 2023.
The Dodge “Last Call” event in Las Vegas will also hail the beginning stages of a new, electrified chapter for the brand—the Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept. Additional details on the Dodge “Last Call” event will be shared at a later date on Dodge.com and DodgeGarage.com.
K&N Appoints Randy Bays Interim CEO
K&N has announced that it has appointed Randy Bays as interim CEO, effective January 3. Bays succeeds Richard Bisson, who is stepping down as the company’s CEO to manage his family office. Bays has run the company’s operations since joining K&N in March 2022, and brings decades of experience as a business leader with a track record of revenue growth, innovation and operational excellence. Prior to joining K&N, Bays served as the CEO of Kinetek, the president of Sensus and also held numerous other senior-operating positions at both GE and Bowmar Aerospace.
Meyer Distributing Announces Warehouse Expands in Pennsylvania, Texas and Colorado
Meyer Distributing Inc. has announced the addition of three new warehouses. Carlisle, Pennsylvania, at 205,090 sq. ft., will service the Northeast. Coppell, Texas, at 165,105 sq. ft., will be an expansion to Meyer’s existing Texas warehouses, bringing the total square footage to 650,000 servicing the region. Denver, at 88,771 sq. ft., brings the regional total to 150,000.
“These fully integrated warehouse expansions in Pennsylvania, Texas and Colorado are necessary to keep up with growth,” said Jeff Braun, Meyer CEO. “We continue to make investments in our warehouse network to try and hold as much inventory as possible for next day shipping. The Carlisle, Pennsylvania, facility will also have truck routes that will improve service and delivery times to the central and southern Pennsylvania regions.”
NPW Raises $6,000 During 32nd Annual Charity Golf Event
NPW held its annual charity golf event last month at Miami Lakes Golf Club. In addition to having more than 100 players from the automotive industry, PGA’s Erik Compton held a clinic before the shotgun start to help improve the players’ handicaps and offer guidance. At the end of play, an affair was held at the Miami Lakes Golf Club’s facility. The event culminated with $6,000 pledged to First Tee Miami.
SuperSprings International Names New Director of Sales
SuperSprings International (SSI)—the manufacturer of suspension solutions and products based in Carpinteria, California—has announced Justin Coulter as the director of sales. He will help lead company growth with a focus on entering new markets. Coulter is based south of Louisville, Kentucky, and has more than 10 years of experience in the industrial sector.
Race Winning Brands Adds Ross Clark to Technical Sales
Race Winning Brands (RWB)—a Mentor, Ohio-based portfolio company of MiddleGround Capital in Lexington, Kentucky—has announced the addition of Ross Clark in a technical sales role. He will focus on the MGP Connecting Rod brand while providing supplementary support to Diamond Racing Pistons. Clark will be responsible for providing product technical guidance and sales process support. He will report to RWB Michigan Sales Manager Steve Rhodey. Clark holds experience in the performance aftermarket and OE segments, with prior roles involving technical sales and analytics with various companies, including Dart Machinery, Recaro and General Motors Accessories.
Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA News. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.
Speaker applications are open to present at the 2023 SEMA Show in Las Vegas as well as for SEMA’s year-round virtual education program. Speakers who can deliver valuable presentations, host insightful discussions and inspire automotive specialty-equipment professionals are invited to apply now to share their ideas, technologies and expertise with the industry.
Speakers who can deliver valuable presentations, host insightful discussions and inspire automotive specialty-equipment professionals are invited to apply now to share their ideas, technologies and expertise with the industry.
Below are common questions and details about the speaker selection process:
Who should apply?
SEMA receives many seminar proposals for the various education programs and the selection process is highly selective. Speakers who are bold, visionary and authentic are wanted to deliver the best possible content experience that is relevant to aftermarket businesses and professionals.
What are the most common topics of interest?
Each year, SEMA reviews the topics and issues that are of greatest interest to its members. Topics of greatest interest for the 2023 program include aftermarket updates and future trends; diversity, equity and inclusion; electric vehicles; emerging and executive leadership; legal and regulatory; sales and marketing; small-business strategy; vehicle technology; and specific industry segments.
Who is the program audience?
The program audience includes, but is not limited to, representatives from all segments of the automotive aftermarket industry, including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, builders, installers, automotive small-business owners, managers and employees.
What information am I required to submit with my application?
Speakers who submit an application must be prepared to provide a session description, learning objectives and key takeaways and why they are a great choice to present on their topic.
What is the deadline for speaker applications?
Speaker proposals for the 2023 SEMA Show must be submitted by January 27. Virtual education proposals can be submitted at any time throughout the year.
For more details, visit www.sema.org/speakers or contact Gary Vigil at garyv@sema.org or 909-978-6738.
Working with content creators/social-media influencers can help aftermarket companies reach their business and marketing goals. Effective influencer marketing can help increase brand awareness, reach targeted audiences, build brand credibility, increase conversions and keep consumers engaged through new and organic content.
Presenters Derek Drake and Lisa Cabalquinto.
SEMA members are invited to learn about working with influencers during the “Influencer Marketing for Aftermarket Brands” live webinar, January 17, at 10:00 a.m. (PST). Attendees will hear from industry leaders at DriveShop—an influencer marketing agency specializing in the automotive aftermarket—as they deep-dive into the fundamentals of influencer marketing.
Attendees will discover:
How to integrate influencer marketing into your existing marketing strategy.
How to identify the right influencers to work with and how audience relevancy and story alignment come into play.
How to get the most out of influencer partnerships.
Common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid when choosing an influencer.
Presented by DriveShop CEO Derek Drake and Program Director Lisa Cabalquinto, this online event will teach businesses the best-kept secrets for successfully utilizing social-media influencers. Attendees will participate in a Q&A session with the speakers and get real examples of influencer marketing that are taking off in the aftermarket industry.
Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest jobs posted to the website.
The AAM Group is hiring an engine parts product manager to develop and execute private-brand product strategies to maximize return on inventory investment, generate measurable sales growth, manage inventory turns and position the company’s products to generate demonstrable value to customers. This position will be responsible for evaluating, sourcing and ongoing product management of engine parts for domestic and import vehicles, diesel engine parts, high-performance engine applications and parts for heavy duty, agricultural and other special application engine parts.
AMS Performance is hiring a mechanical engineer to design new products for current and future vehicle platforms. This position will be responsible for kicking-off the development process by creating a well-scoped product charter, and once approved, creating CAD parts, assemblies and drawings. Utilizing in-house rapid prototyping and computational simulation resources, you will validate that fit, form and function are aligned with the project intent. With the design work largely complete, you will work with the company’s vendor network to produce sample and production components. In order to gear up for high-volume production, you will leverage the fabrication team’s experience to design and produce fixtures, check jigs and inspection processes that enable sustainable and efficient manufacturing to take place. Engineering support continues after the product is released via design revisions, vendor resourcing and cost-save initiatives.
ProCharger is hiring a second-shift machinist responsible for performing operation and setup, and possible programming of various CNC and HURCO machines; performing setups and inspections for other departments as needed, studying and interpreting drawings or sample parts to determine dimensions and tolerances of finished workpieces; maximizing efficiencies through effective work set-up and transitions; and communicating and reporting non-conforming parts to the supervisor, engineers, production control and/or quality control to resolve the issue. Candidates should have a high-school diploma or GED and three years’ experience on CNC and/or HURCO machines.
Prominent rally racer and action sports star Ken Block passed away after a snowmobile accident in Utah on Monday, January 2, according to a statement posted on the Hoonigan website. He was 55 years old.
“Ken was a visionary, a pioneer, and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband. He will be incredibly missed," said his team, Hoonigan Racing, in a statement.
Ken Block takes a photo with a fan during an autograph session at the 2022 SEMA Show.
In addition to his autograph sessions and special appearances, Block was a featured speaker at the 2022 SEMA Show Kickoff Breakfast, where he discussed the making of "Electrikhana," a tire-shredding trip on the Las Vegas Strip through the lens of a bespoke, 800-volt, bi-motor, AWD Audi S1, developed and built by Audi.
Block also competed in the American Rally Association (ARA) along with his wife Lucy and 16-year-old daughter Lia, one of three children. Block, a co-founder of the skateboarding brand DC Shoes, was also known for his Gymkhana action videos that received a large following on YouTube and related social media outlets.
The MagnaFlow Group has acquired Camburg Engineering, a leading brand in off-road racing and aftermarket suspension. Founded in 1997, Camburg was built on the philosophy of building durable race-winning technology for challenging off-road environments. The founders of Camburg Engineering, Jerry Zaiden and Jason Campbell, will continue their roles within the business, with their focus on shaping the future of suspension and off-road racing.
Jeep Wrangler High Tide and Limited-Run ‘Jeep Beach’ Models Return for 2023
The Jeep Wrangler High Tide and Wrangler Jeep Beach special-edition models will both return for the ’23 model year.
Jeep brand is once again heading seaside with the Wrangler High Tide and Wrangler Jeep Beach special-edition models, both of which return for the ’23 model year. This year’s Jeep Beach model commemorates the 20th anniversary of Jeep Beach in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“Jeep Beach week in Daytona Beach, Florida, is one of the biggest Jeep vehicle events in America, bringing in more than 200,000 Jeep fans and 20,000 Jeep SUVs in 2022 alone,” said Jim Morrison, senior vice president and head of Jeep brand – North America.
The ’23 Jeep Wrangler High Tide, based on the Sport S model and powered by the 3.6L Pentastar V-6 and eight-speed automatic transmission. Available for order this month to arrive in time for next April’s Jeep Beach week, the ’23 Jeep Wrangler High Tide is priced at a U.S. MSRP of $51,540 (all prices exclude $1,795 destination charge).
Xcite Automotive Launches the Xcite Trade Network
Xcite Automotive has announced the launch of Xcite Trade Network (XTN) to provide dealers a more efficient, effective, and economical way to purchase and sell wholesale vehicles.
Xcite is leveraging new technologies to provide dealers access to over 60,000 vehicle listings in a marketplace designed to allow dealers to buy and sell confidently and with peace of mind. With the launch of XTN, Xcite Automotive provides one centralized solution to assist its 1300+ dealers in the process of selling and acquiring wholesale vehicles.
Wes Wise Joins AACF Board of Trustees
Wes Wise
The Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF) announced the election of Wes Wise, vice president, professional sales for O’Reilly Auto Parts, to its board of trustees. Wise joined O’Reilly in 1991 as a merchandising specialist at a store in Springfield, MO, where he held many different management positions within the organization. He was promoted to his present position in January 2022.
“Wes has many years of experience from the store level up and is well connected in the automotive aftermarket,” said Larry Magee, president of AACF. “He is passionate about helping people and will bring another strong voice to our growing board of directors. AACF is very fortunate to have Wes contributing his time and talent to the growth of the Foundation.”
Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA News. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.
Here’s another look at the ’24 Ford F-150, this time a Lariat SuperCrew (with the Sport appearance package).
The ’21 F-150 debuted in June 2020 with all new looks, and now it’s that time again (just on the heels of the new Tundra). Looking at the ’24 F-150, it will have a revised front end with new headlights, grille and front fascia. Around back, the F-150 should feature a revised tailgate (with optional multi-use feature), bumper and taillights. Inside, expect updates to the gauge cluster and center stack.
Power should come from a four-engine suite, but it’s unknown if there will be upgrades to performance.
World of Outlaws Names Ruben Mireles as Late Model Series Announcer
Dodge Reveals Seventh “Last Call” Commemorative Edition Model
NPW Raises $6,000 During 32nd Annual Charity Golf Event
