NEWS NUGGETS

INDIANAPOLIS-BASED NHRA RACERS HAVE BUSY WEEKEND OFF: Nitro Generation was in full force last weekend in Indianapolis as four area NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series drivers took part in two separate events. On Saturday, entrants to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis were greeted by a 7,000hp Funny Car in the shadow of two dinosaurs. Inside the main entrance, driver Mike Neff and Pro Stock Motorcycle champions Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec signed autographs for the thousands of guests who streamed into the museum.

“NHRA Drag Racing is a family sport more than it is just an outing and an activity,” Krawiec said. “One of the key things here that is awesome is to come and meet and greet with some of our future stars. Who knows, we could have met one of them this weekend. It’s great to do and exciting, and anytime you can bring the family is a good activity.”

Sunday featured Top Fuel racer Brandon Bernstein taking part in the IU Health Healthy Cooking Showdown against the first lady of Indiana, Cheri Daniels, at the Indiana State Fair. They were given similar pasta dishes to cook in a 30-minute race against the clock and judged by three independent judges. Bernstein made penne with fresh tomato sauce and was narrowly defeated by Daniels. Even in the losing effort, Bernstein was glad to take time out of his weekend to teach others about a healthy lifestyle.

COUGHLIN KEENLY FOCUSED ON CONSISTENCY EN ROUTE TO PROCUREMENT OF COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP BERTH: When four-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. announced that he would return to Pro Stock in 2012 following a year devoted solely to intense bracket racing and Sportsman competition, his name automatically returned to the list of drivers to never let out of sight. After all, the last time that Coughlin took a hiatus from Pro Stock, he returned with such vigor and drive that he won four events in eight final rounds to collect the biggest and brightest trophy at the end of the season.

JIMMY VASSER CHEVROLET TO ENTER COPO CAMARO IN FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN AT U.S. NATIONALS: Jimmy Vasser Chevrolet in Napa, California, will enter a Chevrolet COPO Camaro in the NHRA Factory Stock Showdown at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, August 29–September 3. Jimmy Vasser Jr.—the 1996 IndyCar World Series champion and co-owner of KV Racing Technology, which competes in the IZOD IndyCar Series with Chevrolet power—along with his father, Jim Vasser Sr.—a longtime drag racing aficionado, former racer and general manager of Jimmy Vasser Chevrolet—will operate the team. The car—The Jimmy Vasser Chevrolet King Kong COPO Camaro—will be driven by Bay Area drag racing star Eric Reyes.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS, BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, August 16–19: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 16th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points at the penultimate race in the regular season for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Johnny Gray (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 866-444-4455 or log on to BrainerdRaceway.com.

MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS PRESENTED BY AUTO-PLUS, LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS, August 29–September 3: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 17th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season, and drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points at the last race in the regular season for the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships. The 2011 winners are Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Mike Neff (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to NHRATix.com.

O’REILLY AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS PRESENTED BY SUPER START BATTERIES, zMAX DRAGWAY, September 14–16: The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its 18th stop of 23 events in the 2012 season for the first event of the Countdown to the Championship. The top 10 drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will earn points in the Countdown—the NHRA’s playoffs. The 2011 winners were Del Worsham (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). For tickets, call 800-455-FANS (3267) or log on to zMAXDragway.com.

HE SAID, SHE SAID

ENDERS, SHOWING THE BOYS SHE CAN HANG TOUGH, LOOKS TO ACCOMPLISH NEXT GOAL, A CHAMPIONSHIP: With two wins under her belt in the Pro Stock category, Erica Enders has her eye on the next prize: an NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series championship. “It’s definitely our goal, and for this season, absolutely. We’ve got the race car, we’ve got the team and I’ve been driving really well. So I honestly, at the expense of sounding a little too positive, I think we can do it just as well as anybody else out there. And we’re actually gaining momentum.”

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

11: DRIVERS WHO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE SPOTS IN BRAINERD FOR FULL THROTTLE COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP:


Top Fuel


• Doug Kalitta will clinch by qualifying.
• Shawn Langdon can clinch by qualifying (depending on qualifying position and qualifying bonus points), or will clinch if Clay Millican or Bob Vandergriff Jr. lose in round one, or will clinch by winning round one.
• Morgan Lucas will clinch if Millican or Vandergriff lose in round one, or will clinch by winning round one.
• Brandon Bernstein will clinch if he goes one round further than Millican or Vandergriff.
• David Grubnic will clinch if he goes two rounds further than Millican or Vandergriff.

Funny Car


• Mike Neff will clinch by making a qualifying run.
• Johnny Gray will clinch by making a qualifying run.
• Courtney Force can clinch by winning round one (depending on qualifying position and qualifying bonus points), or will clinch by winning round two.
• Cruz Pedregon can clinch by earning maximum number of points.

Pro Stock


• Shane Gray can clinch by earning maximum number of points.

Pro Stock Motorcycle


• Karen Stoffer can clinch by going one round further than Steve Johnson, or will clinch by winning round two.

DID YOU KNOW…

NHRA TECH DEPARTMENT APPROVES COCKPIT CANOPY FOR TOP FUEL: NHRA Technical Department officials have announced that a cockpit canopy for Top Fuel dragsters has been approved for use beginning with this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd. The cockpit canopy will be manufactured and distributed by Aerodine Composites Group and will be available for use by all Top Fuel teams. The equipment is an optional component, not mandatory.

“We were able to see the finished product yesterday and give our final approval to the Aerodine representatives,” said Glen Gray, NHRA vice president of technical operations. “The product includes a fresh air system, fire bottle and kick-out panels. The cockpit canopy will be available to any team that wants to use it starting this weekend in Brainerd.”

Congratulations to Russ Deane, SEMA’s General Counsel, on becoming a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club. Deane set a new world land speed record of more than 226 mph for four-cylinder production cars (SRT-4, aka Dodge Neon). He surpassed the previous record of 224 mph for a Class F/PS vehicle. Deane and his Hinckley Automotive race team are participating in Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. His race team includes Jim Hinckley, Dave Harris (chief), Craig Ohlson, Camel Joe George, Troy Cheney, Stuart Gosswein and Jim Hinckley Jr. 

Russ Deane prepares to set a new world land speed record.	Hinckley Race Team at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

	The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, sponsored by eBay Motors, featured hundreds of pinewood cars—built by children from Victory Junction and Childhelp and sponsored by SEMA-member companies—racing against the clock for bragging rights and to support these two worthwhile charities.
	John Menzler (left) of Competition Cams ran the track at the Pinewood Drag Races, while Joe Sebergandio of Motor Media called the races.

The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors—held at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center in Pomona, California, Friday, July 27—brought new challengers and former champions together to race against the clock for a good cause.

The annual drags featured hundreds of pinewood cars constructed primarily by the children at Childhelp and Victory Junction and sponsored by SEMA-member companies. Childhelp is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect, and the Victory Junction Camp is a facility dedicated to enriching the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences.

The Pinewood Drag Races included three vehicle classes—Stock, Modified and Unlimited. There was also the Build It for Me/Sponsor a Child category, where a child from Childhelp or Victory Junction built a car and a member-company representative raced it on the child's behalf. In addition, the races also featured the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Builder's Challenge and the Council Cup Challenge.

The HRIA Builder's Challenge included uniquely styled pinewoods crafted by an incredible class of hot-rod builders. These design creations will be on display at the HRIA booth during the 2012 SEMA Show, October 30–November 2, in Las Vegas, before being placed on eBay for public auction. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Childhelp and Victory Junction children’s charities.

The final heat for this year's Pinewood Drag Races was the Council Cup Challenge—which pitted SEMA-member company representatives on SEMA’s 10 councils and committees up against one another for council honor. In 2011, SEMA's Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) took the checkered flag in the inaugural Council Cup Challenge.

As the flag dropped, a new champion was crowned—SEMA's Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA).

The full list of winners, by class, included:

Build it for Me

1st: AJ Kuck, Transfer Flow
2nd: Kim Ziebell, Bushwacker
3rd: Mandi Woodell, Weathers Auto Supply

Stock

1st: Nate and Tom Gattuso, SEMA
2nd: SEMA Busineswomen's Network
3rd: Travis and Janette White, Rampage Products (with Childhelp children)

Modified

1st: Eric Saltrick, Matt Agosta, Steele Rubber Products
2nd: Nicholas Hoffend, Freeman Co.
3rd: Chuck Schwartz, ConVexx

Unlimited

1st: John Menzler, Competition Cams
2nd: Russell Stephens, MSD Ignition
3rd: Nicholas Hoffend, Freeman Co.

Council Cup

Weathers Auto Supply, sponsored by TORA and represented by George Lathouris, TORA council chairman

Builder's Race

Derek White, Street Vizions (three-time defending champion)

	The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, sponsored by eBay Motors, featured hundreds of pinewood cars—built by children from Victory Junction and Childhelp and sponsored by SEMA-member companies—racing against the clock for bragging rights and to support these two worthwhile charities.
	John Menzler (left) of Competition Cams ran the track at the Pinewood Drag Races, while Joe Sebergandio of Motor Media called the races.

The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors—held at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center in Pomona, California, Friday, July 27—brought new challengers and former champions together to race against the clock for a good cause.

The annual drags featured hundreds of pinewood cars constructed primarily by the children at Childhelp and Victory Junction and sponsored by SEMA-member companies. Childhelp is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect, and the Victory Junction Camp is a facility dedicated to enriching the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences.

The Pinewood Drag Races included three vehicle classes—Stock, Modified and Unlimited. There was also the Build It for Me/Sponsor a Child category, where a child from Childhelp or Victory Junction built a car and a member-company representative raced it on the child's behalf. In addition, the races also featured the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Builder's Challenge and the Council Cup Challenge.

The HRIA Builder's Challenge included uniquely styled pinewoods crafted by an incredible class of hot-rod builders. These design creations will be on display at the HRIA booth during the 2012 SEMA Show, October 30–November 2, in Las Vegas, before being placed on eBay for public auction. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Childhelp and Victory Junction children’s charities.

The final heat for this year's Pinewood Drag Races was the Council Cup Challenge—which pitted SEMA-member company representatives on SEMA’s 10 councils and committees up against one another for council honor. In 2011, SEMA's Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) took the checkered flag in the inaugural Council Cup Challenge.

As the flag dropped, a new champion was crowned—SEMA's Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA).

The full list of winners, by class, included:

Build it for Me

1st: AJ Kuck, Transfer Flow
2nd: Kim Ziebell, Bushwacker
3rd: Mandi Woodell, Weathers Auto Supply

Stock

1st: Nate and Tom Gattuso, SEMA
2nd: SEMA Busineswomen's Network
3rd: Travis and Janette White, Rampage Products (with Childhelp children)

Modified

1st: Eric Saltrick, Matt Agosta, Steele Rubber Products
2nd: Nicholas Hoffend, Freeman Co.
3rd: Chuck Schwartz, ConVexx

Unlimited

1st: John Menzler, Competition Cams
2nd: Russell Stephens, MSD Ignition
3rd: Nicholas Hoffend, Freeman Co.

Council Cup

Weathers Auto Supply, sponsored by TORA and represented by George Lathouris, TORA council chairman

Builder's Race

Derek White, Street Vizions (three-time defending champion)

	The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, sponsored by eBay Motors, featured hundreds of pinewood cars—built by children from Victory Junction and Childhelp and sponsored by SEMA-member companies—racing against the clock for bragging rights and to support these two worthwhile charities.
	John Menzler (left) of Competition Cams ran the track at the Pinewood Drag Races, while Joe Sebergandio of Motor Media called the races.

The SEMA Pinewood Drag Races, presented by eBay Motors—held at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center in Pomona, California, Friday, July 27—brought new challengers and former champions together to race against the clock for a good cause.

The annual drags featured hundreds of pinewood cars constructed primarily by the children at Childhelp and Victory Junction and sponsored by SEMA-member companies. Childhelp is a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect, and the Victory Junction Camp is a facility dedicated to enriching the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences.

The Pinewood Drag Races included three vehicle classes—Stock, Modified and Unlimited. There was also the Build It for Me/Sponsor a Child category, where a child from Childhelp or Victory Junction built a car and a member-company representative raced it on the child's behalf. In addition, the races also featured the Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Builder's Challenge and the Council Cup Challenge.

The HRIA Builder's Challenge included uniquely styled pinewoods crafted by an incredible class of hot-rod builders. These design creations will be on display at the HRIA booth during the 2012 SEMA Show, October 30–November 2, in Las Vegas, before being placed on eBay for public auction. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Childhelp and Victory Junction children’s charities.

The final heat for this year's Pinewood Drag Races was the Council Cup Challenge—which pitted SEMA-member company representatives on SEMA’s 10 councils and committees up against one another for council honor. In 2011, SEMA's Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC) took the checkered flag in the inaugural Council Cup Challenge.

As the flag dropped, a new champion was crowned—SEMA's Truck and Off-Road Alliance (TORA).

The full list of winners, by class, included:

Build it for Me

1st: AJ Kuck, Transfer Flow
2nd: Kim Ziebell, Bushwacker
3rd: Mandi Woodell, Weathers Auto Supply

Stock

1st: Nate and Tom Gattuso, SEMA
2nd: SEMA Busineswomen's Network
3rd: Travis and Janette White, Rampage Products (with Childhelp children)

Modified

1st: Eric Saltrick, Matt Agosta, Steele Rubber Products
2nd: Nicholas Hoffend, Freeman Co.
3rd: Chuck Schwartz, ConVexx

Unlimited

1st: John Menzler, Competition Cams
2nd: Russell Stephens, MSD Ignition
3rd: Nicholas Hoffend, Freeman Co.

Council Cup

Weathers Auto Supply, sponsored by TORA and represented by George Lathouris, TORA council chairman

Builder's Race

Derek White, Street Vizions (three-time defending champion)

	Increase your knowledge and prepare for a successful Show through SEMA's Exhibitor Series webinars.

Exhibiting at the SEMA Show is an important investment. Is your company prepared for the Show? Join the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) and Executive Show Manager Chuck Schwartz for a webinar, Thursday, August 16, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT). This session is specifically designed for SEMA Show exhibitors. The webinar will cover:

• Your overall Show plan
• Staff preparation and training 
• Pre-Show marketing 
• Display development

Whether you are a small or large company, veteran exhibitor or first-timer, you don't want to miss this opportunity to increase your knowledge and prepare for a successful Show.

Join Chuck Schwartz and SEI, Thursday, August 16, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT) for this informative session. Register today!

Participate live or download the webinar when it’s convenient. And remember: SEMA webinars are free to SEMA members and only $29 for non-members.

	Increase your knowledge and prepare for a successful Show through SEMA's Exhibitor Series webinars.

Exhibiting at the SEMA Show is an important investment. Is your company prepared for the Show? Join the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) and Executive Show Manager Chuck Schwartz for a webinar, Thursday, August 16, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT). This session is specifically designed for SEMA Show exhibitors. The webinar will cover:

• Your overall Show plan
• Staff preparation and training 
• Pre-Show marketing 
• Display development

Whether you are a small or large company, veteran exhibitor or first-timer, you don't want to miss this opportunity to increase your knowledge and prepare for a successful Show.

Join Chuck Schwartz and SEI, Thursday, August 16, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT) for this informative session. Register today!

Participate live or download the webinar when it’s convenient. And remember: SEMA webinars are free to SEMA members and only $29 for non-members.

	Increase your knowledge and prepare for a successful Show through SEMA's Exhibitor Series webinars.

Exhibiting at the SEMA Show is an important investment. Is your company prepared for the Show? Join the SEMA Education Institute (SEI) and Executive Show Manager Chuck Schwartz for a webinar, Thursday, August 16, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT). This session is specifically designed for SEMA Show exhibitors. The webinar will cover:

• Your overall Show plan
• Staff preparation and training 
• Pre-Show marketing 
• Display development

Whether you are a small or large company, veteran exhibitor or first-timer, you don't want to miss this opportunity to increase your knowledge and prepare for a successful Show.

Join Chuck Schwartz and SEI, Thursday, August 16, at 10:00 a.m. (PDT) for this informative session. Register today!

Participate live or download the webinar when it’s convenient. And remember: SEMA webinars are free to SEMA members and only $29 for non-members.

	Ed Pink Racing Engines' General Manager Frank Honsowetz with this year's engine block.

The SEMA Scholarship Committee has announced that it will once again be auctioning an engine on eBay in conjunction with the 2012 SEMA Show to benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund (SMSF). Proceeds will help provide assistance to university, college and trade school students seeking careers in the automotive industry. There is also a Loan Forgiveness Program, wherein employees of SEMA-member firms can provide assistance in paying off student loans. Following in the footsteps of last year’s successful program, highly regarded Ed Pink Racing Engines (EPRE) of Van Nuys, California, will again be responsible for the build.

For 2012, the program has been significantly enhanced, as the winning bidder will have the engine custom built to their requirements from a variety of options. The program will again be spearheaded by long-time Scholarship Committee member Bill Holland of Holland Communications, who explained, “We’ll be opening the bidding for the engine during the SEMA Show and closing it in two weeks. The winning bidder will receive a packaged trip to Orlando, Florida, for the PRI Show (November 29–December 1) that includes airfare, lodging, ground transportation and full credentials. There, he or she will meet with Ed Pink and key EPRE staff to finalize the build. The engine can be set up for street or mild competition applications, depending on the compression, intake system, camshaft profile and other variables selected.”

Last year’s project saw a 347-cid small-block Ford built entirely with aftermarket parts supplied by SEMA- and Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC)-member firms. They included: ARP, ATI, Champion, COMP Cams, Crane Ignitions, Dart Machinery, Edelbrock, Fel-Pro, Hedman Hedders, Joe Gibbs Driven, Mahle, Manley Performance, Milodon, Moroso, Power Master, Scat, Speed Pro and Total Seal. Many of the firms that supported the project in 2011 are expected to return.

Details on the 2012 build will be forthcoming, with Dart starting things off by providing an SHP block and their new SHP aluminum cylinder heads for a small-block Chevrolet build. The sale will by conducted through Auction Cause on eBay. And, as the SMSF is a recognized 501(c)(3) charity, the winning bid can be tax deductible (check with your financial advisor).

	Ed Pink Racing Engines' General Manager Frank Honsowetz with this year's engine block.

The SEMA Scholarship Committee has announced that it will once again be auctioning an engine on eBay in conjunction with the 2012 SEMA Show to benefit the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund (SMSF). Proceeds will help provide assistance to university, college and trade school students seeking careers in the automotive industry. There is also a Loan Forgiveness Program, wherein employees of SEMA-member firms can provide assistance in paying off student loans. Following in the footsteps of last year’s successful program, highly regarded Ed Pink Racing Engines (EPRE) of Van Nuys, California, will again be responsible for the build.

For 2012, the program has been significantly enhanced, as the winning bidder will have the engine custom built to their requirements from a variety of options. The program will again be spearheaded by long-time Scholarship Committee member Bill Holland of Holland Communications, who explained, “We’ll be opening the bidding for the engine during the SEMA Show and closing it in two weeks. The winning bidder will receive a packaged trip to Orlando, Florida, for the PRI Show (November 29–December 1) that includes airfare, lodging, ground transportation and full credentials. There, he or she will meet with Ed Pink and key EPRE staff to finalize the build. The engine can be set up for street or mild competition applications, depending on the compression, intake system, camshaft profile and other variables selected.”

Last year’s project saw a 347-cid small-block Ford built entirely with aftermarket parts supplied by SEMA- and Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC)-member firms. They included: ARP, ATI, Champion, COMP Cams, Crane Ignitions, Dart Machinery, Edelbrock, Fel-Pro, Hedman Hedders, Joe Gibbs Driven, Mahle, Manley Performance, Milodon, Moroso, Power Master, Scat, Speed Pro and Total Seal. Many of the firms that supported the project in 2011 are expected to return.

Details on the 2012 build will be forthcoming, with Dart starting things off by providing an SHP block and their new SHP aluminum cylinder heads for a small-block Chevrolet build. The sale will by conducted through Auction Cause on eBay. And, as the SMSF is a recognized 501(c)(3) charity, the winning bid can be tax deductible (check with your financial advisor).