Photography Courtesy: Bob D’Olivo, Petersen Publishing Company Archive
A lot was at stake when drag racers from around the country converged at the brand-new Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) for the NHRA’s seventh annual National Championship Drags in 1961. More than 900 competitors from some 40 states turned out to win races, set records, cement championships and build reputations during that humid Labor Day weekend.
A veritable who’s-who of the nation’s quickest and fastest was at IRP, including Mickey Thompson, Jack Chrisman, Dode Martin, George Montgomery, Joe Schubeck, Tommy Ivo, Joe Hrudka, K.S. Pittman and many, many more—including a young dragster pilot whose last name the editors at Hot Rod misspelled as McKewen.
To the winners went glory, trophies, a mention (and maybe even a picture) in Hot Rod as well as some substantial merchandise. Chrisman, whose season-long success made him a shoo-in for the Competition Car championship even prior to the Nats, won a new ’61 Thunderbird courtesy of George Hurst’s Hurst-Campbell Corporation. The Stock champion, Ron Morgan, won a ’61 Pontiac Catalina, also sponsored by Hurst-Campbell and prepped for racing by Royal Pontiac.
These 348hp Pontiac Trophy V8 engines, all fitted with Tri-Power induction, three-speed transmissions and Hurst shifters, were donated by Hurst and given to the event’s Eliminator winners: Top Eliminator Pete Robinson (“An unknown engineer from the deep South” who “successfully invaded the domain of the giants and conquered all who dared approach,” as Hot Rod’s LeRoi Smith described him); Middle Eliminator Walt Knoch Jr., who won driving his “Walt’s Puffer Too” Hemi-powered Model T roadster; Little Eliminator Willie Ragsdale and his ’61 Chevy-powered T named “Raunchy”; and Street Eliminator Junior Garrison and his Chevy-powered Willys. The fifth engine was not awarded, as Stock Eliminator winner Don Nicholson was disqualified during the post-race teardown “on several technical points.” Wrote Smith: “It’s either factory stock or it isn’t stock—period.”
In addition to his Top Eliminator win, Robinson set low e.t. of the meet at 8.68 seconds. Dode Martin’s “Two Thing” dragster set top speed of the meet at 177.87 mph. Though he was fast, Martin was beaten in AA/Dragster competition by the young Tom McEwen, who ran against Robinson in the AA/D final and lost at the top end.
Having weathered more than a year of global pandemic and with the 2021 SEMA Show now clearly on the horizon, I want to draw your attention to recent SEMA research that yields some clarity on how the industry has managed during the pandemic and what we can expect moving forward.
A great new research tool from the SEMA Market Research department, the Spring 2021 “State of the Industry Report” is a 63-page study that projects our long-term economic outlook. The forward-looking report makes use of outside data gathered from government, academic and auto industry sources, along with a survey of 1,939 individuals within the specialty-equipment industry.
The plan is to conduct this type of survey as often as twice a year. The SEMA research team is also offering monthly webinars to help provide updated perspectives during this fast-moving business climate.
The full report can be downloaded by visiting www.sema.org/research. The key findings portray a specialty-equipment industry that survived the pandemic better than many sectors of the economy—and good reason for optimism moving into 2022.
The study documents a business sector that, overall, has come through a historic period of disruption and has become stronger in many ways because of it. While there were some companies that suffered poor outcomes, many more saw increased sales. The overall industry growth curve has stayed close to its five-year trend. Many businesses reported success with online and social-media channels to shore up retail sales, and businesses of all types discovered new ways to engage their customers.
Looking ahead, a remarkable percentage of the SEMA companies surveyed expect their sales to grow significantly over the next year as the country moves from disruption to normalcy. Other companies report that there will be some digging out to do before their businesses fully recover.
This enthusiasm for the coming business year comes within the context of a positive overall economic outlook that projects strong growth for the larger economy. Rising consumer confidence, rebounding new-vehicle
production and healthy consumer spending levels are among the tailwinds supporting the anticipated recovery.
Although the overall outlook is favorable, the study notes that there are still some headwinds facing the economy. Supply constraints have affected our sector, and while many businesses reported plans to increase staffing in the next 12 months, it may take time to find the right people. Overall, the challenge will be to gear up to take advantage of strong consumer demand for products and shore up sources for parts and raw materials. The upcoming SEMA Show will provide an excellent occasion to address both opportunities and challenges—and the industry is showing eagerness to reconnect.
The SEMA Show management team is seeing registration trends outpacing those of normal years. Exhibitors are making plans to use the New Products Showcase to display a bumper crop of products developed over the past 18 months, and many exhibitors have taken advantage of the opportunity to expand their booths.
Attendees can expect the annual Monday-night Reveal party and Thursday-night Industry Awards Banquet to return bigger and brighter than ever, and the annual SEMA Ignited after-party will once again cap the week. Anchoring the value offerings, the 2021 educational lineup includes expert speakers who will provide perspectives on how the business environment has changed and tactics for capturing current opportunities. And newly completed convention center facilities will ease congestion and provide a fresh experience for all.
If you haven’t finalized your plans to attend the 2021 SEMA Show, now is the time to visit www.SEMAShow.com, check out the floorplan, and set yourself up to take advantage in an accelerating business landscape.
European Union Sets New Online Sales Requirements for Overseas Suppliers
By Linda Spencer
The Import-One-Stop-Shop (IOSS) is designed specifically
for the sale of “low-value” goods (not exceeding €150) from
outside the EU to buyers inside the EU. If the value of your
goods is higher than that, then you should follow other
traditional Import VAT rules. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
U.S. suppliers selling over the internet to European consumers need to comply with new regulations regarding the collection, reporting and payment of value-added taxes (VAT). Starting July 2021, sellers located outside the European Union (EU) and shipping orders to consumers located in any of the 27 EU states are required to collect and pay VAT taxes through a new platform known as the Import-One-Stop-Shop (IOSS). These new requirements cover all individual sales of up to €150 (approximately $178 USD) but do not include sales overseas suppliers make through third-party platforms such as Amazon. The following are frequently asked questions regarding requirements for overseas suppliers.
Q: I understand that there are two registration platforms. Should I register for the IOSS or the One-Stop-Shop (OSS)?
A: The IOSS is designed for companies located outside the EU selling to European customers. The OSS is designed for companies based in the EU selling goods to customers in other EU countries.
Q: Can I continue to send European consumers orders for up €22 (approximately $26 USD) VAT-free?
A: No. The VAT exemption for imported goods valued up to €22 has ended. Under the new regulations, vendors are required to collect and pay VAT tax on all sales to consumers valued under €150.
Q: I sell my products exclusively on platforms such as eBay and Amazon. Do I need to register for the IOSS and pay VAT taxes?
A: No. The registration requirement is only for those selling their products directly to European consumers. The third-party market platforms are the ones required to collect and handle the VAT tax rather than the individual sellers.
Q: I sell directly to European consumers, but the items are much more expensive than the €150 noted in the new regulations. Am I affected?
A: This scheme is specifically for the sale of “low-value” goods (not exceeding €150) from outside the EU to buyers inside the EU. If the value of your goods is higher than that, then you should follow the traditional import VAT rules.
Q: Will I need to register for the IOSS in each European country in which I sell, since each has different VAT rates?
A: No, you apply for the IOSS in one country. You are required to collect the correct VAT for each sale depending on the European country in which the consumer is located, but all reporting and payment is done from this one IOSS account. The European Commission website and the websites of national tax administrations provide the VAT tax for each country. If your company does not have an EU-registered entity and is not based in the EU, you will need to appoint a locally established intermediary to handle the registration process.
Q: What are the reporting requirements?
A: IOSS registrants are required to report sales/VAT tax monthly and pay the tax due on a quarterly basis. Suppliers are required to maintain VAT records for 10 years.
Q: What are the situations in which I do not need to fill an IOSS entry?
A sale valued more than €150. These goods will be taxed at importation.
A sale to a European consumer not living in one of the 27 EU countries. For example, the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland and Iceland are not members of the EU and thus sales into those countries are not included in the new IOSS requirements. These non-EU countries may have their own so-called low-value VAT schemes. For example, the United Kingdom has just this year instituted a system requiring companies register and pay VAT on all e-commerce sales more than £135 (about $186 USD).
If you sell to a tax-registered business.
If the sale of goods is facilitated through an electronic marketplace into the EU, the platform is considered to have made the sale and is liable for the payment of VAT.
Building a pre-Show list of leads is a proven time-
management tool for the Show. It helps attendees prioritize
conversations with the first-time exhibitors while innovations
can lead to business growth.
First-time exhibitors are often of special interest to SEMA Show attendees because they bring never-before-seen products and services to the industry. In fact, first-time exhibitors are great sources of innovation and the latest product-line opportunities for installers, jobbers and retailers. They can even introduce attendees to potential crossover markets.
As of June, more than 200 first-time exhibitors were already on the SEMA Show floorpan. That data is offered here to assist attendees in building a prioritized list of leads, which will help them make the most of their time at the Show.
The following list is organized by Show category for easy research. While these listings are accurate as of press time, the full up-to-date exhibitor roster that resides online at www.semashow.com/floorplan will always provide the most current status of all exhibitors.
Now is also the time to secure Show credentials and book hotel rooms. Registration is open at www.semashow.com/register. Approved domestic buyers who register online prior to October 12 will pay the lowest price of $40 and will have their badges mailed to them before the Show, thus avoiding lines on-site. Hotel deals can be found at www.semashow.com/travel courtesy of OnPeak, the SEMA Show’s official housing partner.
The Ins and Outs of ADAS—and How SEMA Can Help Members Master the Technology
By Douglas McColloch
The new 45,000-sq.-ft. SEMA Garage Detroit facility, slated to open
in the first quarter of 2022, will feature 5,000 sq. ft. of dedicated floor
space for ADAS testing and calibration, with two ADAS technicians on
staff to assist member companies with product R&D.
The proliferation of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) on OE vehicles since the turn of the 21st century has posed numerous challenges to the automotive industry. That has been especially true for the automotive aftermarket, where modification and customization are the coin of the realm. Even the slightest modification to any ADAS-equipped vehicle—a new layer of window film or a freshly painted bumper, for example—can potentially affect an ADAS system’s ability to function as intended by the manufacturer. Further complicating matters is the lack of any standardized industry protocols regarding sourcing, positioning and calibrating these systems. The learning curve can seem steep indeed to an aftermarket manufacturer looking to R&D new products to integrate with ADAS sensors or a repair shop tasked with installing them.
The first of a recent three-part SEMA Virtual Education webinar, “ADAS Technologies: Real-World Systems and Trends,” was aimed at demystifying ADAS by shedding some light on what can seem at first to be an impenetrable subject. Moderated by SEMA Vice President of OE Relations Mike Spagnola, the webinar provided an overview of ADAS while offering some expert service and repair tips from a pair of industry experts. (Future issues of SEMA News will feature coverage of subsequent webinars in the series, which will include subjects ranging from aftermarket product development to detailed testing and calibration procedures.)
The bigger the vehicle, the greater the amount of floor space that’s
needed for 360-degree camera and sensor testing. Large trucks and
SUVs in particular can require as much as 2,500 sq. ft. or more of
level flooring. Photo courtesy: Dmitry Dven/Shutterstock.com
Benefits and Drawbacks
Brian Daugherty, chief technology officer for the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, restated the basic need for ADAS systems by starting with the surprising fact that vehicle fatalities actually rose 7% over the previous year in 2020, while the number of vehicle miles traveled declined by double that percentage. Accidents involving motorcycles and pedestrians were both up, and “as the roads were less crowded,” Daugherty concluded, “people were doing things that were less safe and taking more risks.” While ADAS is not a foolproof technology, one of its most important benefits, Daugherty explained, is to help protect motorists from their own worst impulses, and the need for such proactive systems was never more apparent than during the pandemic.
In addition to helping reduce vehicular fatalities, ADAS can also provide cost-saving benefits to motorists by reducing the overall number of collisions and repair expenses, Daugherty noted. They also provide an environmental benefit by optimizing a vehicle’s on-road performance, which can improve mileage and reduce emissions.
At present, Daugherty mentioned, more than 80 million vehicles on the road are equipped with at least one OE ADAS feature, and that number is certain to grow exponentially in the coming years as the technology becomes less costly and more widespread across the spectrum of vehicle platforms and as more older pre-ADAS vehicles are retired from service. While posing potential obstacles to the aftermarket, ADAS also presents opportunities to companies that can grasp the technology and leverage it to their advantage by launching products and services that can integrate with the systems most seamlessly.
As with any emerging technology, ADAS also comes with its share of challenges. Performing basic installations and calibrations can be complex and time-consuming. There are also numerous OE suppliers of sensors and systems, each with its own installation protocols and no standardized nomenclatures.
“You can also have several different suppliers for one vehicle model, with totally different calibration sequences for each one,” Daugherty said.
Keeping track of the steady flow of software updates can also be daunting. Additionally, simple static testing and calibration requires a significant amount of level floor space—as much as 2,500 sq. ft. by some estimates. How many fully equipped collision and repair facilities have that much level and uncluttered space? Because of that issue, the calibration process can be “cheated,” i.e., by positioning a target too close to a sensor due to constraints on floor space.
“What we are left with is a crazy patchwork of hundreds of different procedures for both repairing and calibrating these systems on all the vehicles that are on the market,” Daugherty concluded.
How SEMA Can Help
To better help member companies understand and work with ADAS, the association’s new state-of-the-industry SEMA Garage facility, located in metro Detroit and slated to open in the first quarter of 2022, will incorporate a 5,000-sq.-ft. shop space that’s set aside exclusively for ADAS testing. Two dedicated ADAS engineers will be on staff, and two static on-site calibration centers will employ both OE and aftermarket tools and equipment.
Additionally, SEMA will purchase 20 new vehicles in the coming year to use as test beds in both stock and modified configurations (e.g., lifted or lowered). Test procedures will be both static and dynamic—the latter to be done off-site in cooperation with Detroit-area test tracks. The overarching goal is to assist industry partners in better understanding the ins and outs of ADAS calibration, particularly on modified vehicles.
“The SEMA Garage Detroit facility opens new doors and opportunities,” Spagnola said in a recent interview with SEMA News. “We will be able to take our current offerings to a whole new level by making the services accessible to new members, incorporating new technology, and collaborating with key partners in the area.”
Spagnola provided an example of SEMA’s prospective ADAS test methodology.
“Starting with a ’22 Ram truck, for instance, we’ll lift it a couple of inches and install a set of 35-in. tires on it,” he said. “Then we’ll lift it 3 in. and then 4 in.
and go through all the iterations so we can better understand what happens with these vehicles’ ADAS sensors when the vehicles are modified. We really think this is a problem that the whole industry has to solve—particularly the collision-repair industry.” Spagnola added that SEMA will eventually use the knowledge gathered during testing to produce and issue a series of industry best practices for member companies.
Backup cameras, likewise, require a lot of uncluttered shop
space to test and calibrate successfully. With 5,000 sq. ft.
set aside for the task, the new SEMA Garage Detroit can
accommodate any modern-day OE production platform.
Basic Testing and Troubleshooting
Scott Brown, former president of the International Automotive Technicians Network and founder of Diagnostic Network, reviewed some of the issues related to ADAS calibration and testing. In the process, Brown offered a few suggestions for service techs looking to successfully integrate ADAS repairs into their existing businesses. Among his recommendations:
Access to both OE and aftermarket software and tools. “I’ve experienced both elements, where OEM software failed to execute the right commands, and I could grab the aftermarket tool and successfully control the calibration process,” Brown noted.
“The inverse is true as well. Sometimes, an aftermarket tool can’t communicate with a late-model car, but the OEM tool provides the right information.”
Having the proper tools for calibration. “This is dependent on what you’re actually servicing,” he said. “Typically, the domestic manufacturers don’t require a lot of static-type targets, but if you go into the Asian market, you find that a lot of static targets are required.”
That can also require a facility to have the needed space to accommodate the targets, which can be a logistical problem for smaller shops.
Access to the latest service information. “It needs to be the most current information, because this technology is always changing,” Brown advised.
Adequate floor space and lighting. Big vehicles, such as Ford pickups, require a lot of room for a full 360-degree camera calibration. The proper lighting is also essential, Brown insisted, because “when these cameras go into calibration mode, there are certain filters being applied to the cameras that put them into a ‘hypersensitive mode,’ and if the lighting isn’t correct and they’re looking for a high-contrast target, the camera might not be able to see the target.”
Brown said that this challenge also presents an opportunity for startup companies that can offer ADAS calibration and testing services for collision and repair facilities that lack the space and lighting for it.
The brains of a software programmer and the intuition of a service tech. This one is harder to quantify, but Brown provided a pair of examples. The first involved a ’16 Lexus that had been to a collision shop following an accident but, which according to the factory service documentation, did not require retesting or resetting of the vehicle’s front collision-avoidance camera. Brown test-drove the car, and while it seemed to ride and handle normally, he decided that it was better to be safe than sorry, so he put on his R&D cap and tested the camera back at his shop.
Surprisingly, it failed. Surveying the windshield, he noticed a thin film of grime on the inner glass (he suspected smoking or vaping as the cause). Once the grime was removed, the camera was retested, and it passed without difficulty.
The other example involved a low-mileage ’19 Honda Civic that had been purchased used and was demonstrating jerkiness in the steering that caused the vehicle to lurch uncontrollably to the left during straight-line driving and triggered numerous warning lights on the dash. The car had been brought in for service more than once without a successful resolution. The culprit? A left lower control-arm pivot bolt was slightly egged out of its bolthole, resulting in a misalignment. The bolt was retightened to spec, and a complete realignment and vehicle scan was performed. A subsequent test drive exhibited no steering abnormalities—a reminder that the solution to a technical glitch can sometimes be the simplest.
“The problem was elementary (i.e., mechanical), but the service techs had been looking at the ADAS technology as the problem instead,” Brown concluded.
About SEMA Garage Detroit
Three times larger than SEMA’s Diamond Bar technical facility, the SEMA Garage in Detroit, scheduled to open in early 2022, is a state-of-the-art emissions testing lab and ADAS research and development center, with a staff of full-time technicians on hand to assist SEMA-member companies with product testing and development.
SEMA Garage Detroit will include new equipment such as emissions and horsepower testing for all-wheel-drive and diesel vehicles as well as vehicle lifts, fabrication equipment, an alignment rack, 3-D scanning tools, and engineering software. In addition, 5,000 sq. ft. of shop space will be set aside for dedicated ADAS testing and research, with both static and dynamic test procedures offered. The new emissions lab will be purpose-built to accommodate a 48-in., all-wheel-drive chassis dynamometer and will include equipment that meets the California Air Resources Board’s new 1066 testing requirement standards.
For further information about the SEMA Detroit Garage and its many programs and services, visit www.semagarage.com.
Photos courtesy SpiedBilde, Brian Williams. Reuse or reproduction without the copyright holder’s consent is prohibited.
Porsche 992 GT3 RS
Yet another prototype of the 992 GT3 RS has been spotted at the German Nürburgring race circuit. There are multiple clues showing this to the Rennsport model.
For starters, the early development stage seems to fall in line with the life cycle of the 992, and the air extractors on the front wings have 3RS written all over them.
A super-sized rear wing seems more suitable for a race car than a street car. The central exhaust tips indicate a naturally aspirated engine, most likely a 4.0L flat six delivering 500-plus hp.
’23 Ford Bronco Raptor
It’s been called the “Bronco Warthog,” but a source has confirmed that we’re actually looking at the Ford Bronco Raptor. All the expected workings of a Raptor are present and accounted for, including significantly higher ground clearance, wider wheel arches, and a wider, more aggressive stance.
The prototype rides on a set of BFGoodrich AT All Terrain T/A tires, though we can’t quite make out the size. (It appears to be a 17-in. rim.) It’s not clear what suspension upgrades are in place, but the Raptor is definitely expected to feature a more rugged and capable chassis. The latest rumblings pin the Bronco Raptor as launching for the ’23 model year, where it will join the F-150 Raptor and Ranger Raptor.
Techart GTStreet R
The GTStreet R performance model of the Porsche tuning company Techart was spotted parked in downtown Stuttgart. The front has been aerodynamically improved over the “standard” 911 Turbo S. Carbon-fiber flaps ensure improved air flow on the new front apron. The carbon-fiber front hood with large GT3-like air inlets makes us expect significantly reduced lift. Also clearly visible above the widened fenders on the front are pronounced air outlets. The rear features an aerodynamic carbon-fiber spoiler.
Performance of the engine under the wings can only be guessed. With the performance increase for the 911 Turbo S being 60 hp and 74 lb.-ft. of torque to a total of 710 hp and 665 lb.-ft., a total power output of around 800 hp is expected.
The Boninfante Group hired Tom Kundrik as ProTorque’s director of motorsports and sales. In addition to fielding customer service calls and offering technical support over the phone, Kundrik will also travel the country to attend drag-racing events and provide on-site service and support for customers. He will also facilitate the launch of several new product lines, including supercharger-specific torque converters for ProTorque. Kundrik comes from Mickey Thompson Performance Wheels & Tires as the motorsports manager.
Speedway Motors announced four recent promotions within the company. Richard Thomas (left) was promoted to director of operations. Thomas, who held various leadership positions in the U.S. Navy, first joined Speedway Motors in 2018 in the compliance department, where he helped oversee regulatory compliance. Andrew Boellstorff (second left) was promoted to director of digital product and technology. With more than 15 years of experience, he’s held positions at GT Exhaust, EMIT Technologies, Nebraska Book Company and Spreetail. Brandon Bisch (second right) was promoted to director of e-commerce. Bisch held numerous positions in the company since 2005. Kaitlin Mathison (right) was promoted to director of marketplaces. She first joined Speedway Motors in 2015.
Banks Power announced Matthew Gamble as its design, assembly and testing manager for its DMax engine programs. Gamble will help design, develop and launch the high-performance, turnkey variants of the Banks D866T engine in his new position, and he will also lead performance and durability demonstration events, among other duties. He arrives at Banks from Edelbrock, where he managed the company’s cylinder head and water pump lines. Previously, he managed 15 successful launch campaigns of Delta IV rockets at Rocketdyne and oversaw the health monitoring systems at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.
Warn Industries announced the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Fabtech Industries Inc., a manufacturer of aftermarket suspensions for light trucks, Jeeps and SUVs. Fabtech’s product offerings include suspension systems, shocks and leveling kits. The company was founded in 1989 as a custom fabrication firm specializing in racing suspension systems and prerunner builds, cages, bumpers and other products. Today, the company has more than 2,000 SKUs in its portfolio.
Holley announced that Dominic Bardos was appointed CFO. A financial executive with extensive public company experience, Bardos will serve as a member of the executive leadership team and report directly to President and CEO Tom Tomlinson. Bardos recently served as vice president of finance for Tractor Supply Co. He previously served as CFO for Cambridge Franchise Holdings. Additionally, he held several leadership positions at ServiceMaster, including three years as the divisional CFO for Terminix, its largest division.
Westin Automotive announced that Adam Trowbridge was promoted to COO, which will include responsibility for D.C. operations, product management and marketing. As Westin COO, Trowbridge’s experience and ability to execute will help drive the future success of the business as it grows.
ATI Performance Products announced the appointment of Vince Fourcade as chief transmission technology officer. Fourcade brings three decades of performance racing and automatic transmission building expertise to this new position. Fourcade raced in the Pro Stock, Pro Rear Wheel Drive, Top Sportsman and Top Dragster categories in the ’80s. He opened his own transmission shop in 1998.
The Wheel Group (TWG) announced Gerry Geronimo as its new marketing manager. His past positions were most recently leading the marketing efforts at Vision Wheel. Prior to that, he spent nearly a decade in multiple marketing functions at Wheel Pros as well as other companies outside of the industry. Geronimo will lead the marketing efforts for all 17 proprietary brands in The Wheel Group’s portfolio.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) technical department announced the addition of Lonnie Grim as the new national tech director. Grim comes to the NHRA with more than 15 years of experience within the sport of drag racing. He most recently served as the competition/series tech director at the Professional Drag Racing Association. Grim joins the technical department led by NHRA Vice President of Competition Ned Walliser.
McCarthy Tire Service purchased the assets of Tire Sales LLC, an affiliate of The TSS Group LLC, which specializes in services to the mining and aggregate industries. Tire Sales’ product and service operations will be merged into McCarthy Tire’s current commercial locations in nearby Levittown and Trainer, Pennsylvania. The five key service team employees of Tire Sales will join McCarthy Tire Service. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Race Winning Brands Inc., a portfolio company of Kinderhook Industries LLC, announced the acquisition of Victory 1 Performance, a supplier of manufactured and forged high-performance titanium and alloy valves. Victory represents the eighth add-on acquisition for Race Winning Brands. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Victory has been a source of valvetrain components for engine builders, cylinder head manufacturers and racers for nearly three decades.
MagnaFlow announced the hire of Cary Redman as director of retail sales. Before joining MagnaFlow, Redman served as vice president at Edelbrock, where he oversaw brand management activities along with the conceptualization and implementation of market segment strategies. Prior, he spent nearly 15 years in sales management with Prestolite Performance and Holley Performance. Redman reports to MagnaFlow Senior Vice President of Sales Kevin German.
Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) announced the addition of Hollie Maxymillian, a veteran automotive retail marketing specialist, to serve as the company’s new Hot Shot’s Secret product manager. Reporting to LSI President Brett Tennar, Maxymillian will review all current Hot Shot’s Secret distribution to capitalize on retail advertising opportunities, co-op programs, shelf placement, in-store and e-commerce promotions.
The lifting of COVID restrictions and stimulus spending
are helping to drive the economic recovery, according
to the latest “SEMA Industry Indicators.”
May Indicators: Strong Tailwinds Drive U.S. Economic Recovery
The current outlook of the U.S. economy remains positive, with several tailwinds helping to drive the recovery, according to the latest “SEMA Industry Indicators.” States have lifted many COVID-19 restrictions as vaccination rates rise and consumers are responding. This, combined with loose federal monetary policy and stimulus payments, is spurring consumer spending.
As of May 2021, retail sales were nearly 18% higher than they were prior to the pandemic in February 2020—further helping the recovery. It will be difficult for retail sales to continue to grow at these historic rates in the coming months and years, as the increased opening of the service economy will likely pull away some of this growth later in 2021.
New-vehicle sales hit record highs in April. However, supply constraints are hurting production levels. The auto sector is racing to keep up with this historic demand, but supply-chain shortages may take some time before fully recovering.
For more information, download the latest “SEMA Industry Indicators” report today at www.sema.org/research.
The Conrad Las Vegas is among the new hotels offering discounted
rates for 2021 SEMA attendees.
New Hotels Available for 2021 on SEMA Show Block
The SEMA Show’s official housing partner, onPeak, has added several new hotels for this year. Showgoers are guaranteed low rates with no hidden fees when booking through onPeak.
Take advantage of door-to-door service and air conditioning by riding complimentary shuttle buses to get to and from the SEMA Show. All official hotels not within walking distance (more than half a mile away) will run shuttles to the Las Vegas Convention Center each day of the Show.
New hotel/casinos added for 2021 include the Conrad Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Hilton, both at Resorts World, and the OYO Hotel and Casino. Nightly rates start as low as $278 for SEMA Show attendees. Additionally, several non-casino properties are offering discounted rates, including the Hilton Grand Vacations and Residence Inn, both at the Convention Center, as well as the Renaissance, Las Vegas Marriott and others. Nightly rates start as low as $164.
All hotel information can be found at the Travel & Lodging page on www.SEMAShow.com, which features a real-time listing of the hotel deals and discounts available for the 2021 SEMA Show, which takes place November 2–5 in Las Vegas.
General Motors’ new Charlotte Technical Center is a 130,000-sq.-ft.
facility that will expand GM’s performance and racing capabilities.
GM Breaks Ground on New Charlotte Technical Center
General Motors has broken ground on its new technical center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 130,000-sq.-ft. facility will expand GM’s performance and racing capabilities and will accelerate strategic knowledge transfer between motorsports and production vehicle development.
Representatives of Chip Ganassi Racing, Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports joined GM for the groundbreaking at the complex in Concord. The site was selected for its proximity to partner racing teams and major technical suppliers. The new technical center will support racing efforts across all series in which GM competes. The facility is a $45 million investment for GM and is scheduled to open in early 2022.
The center will also provide more opportunities for GM to recruit top talent in the fields of software engineering, computational science, electrical engineering and other technical skill sets. The new technical center will feature advanced virtual tools, including three state-of-the-art driver-in-the-loop simulators, aero development and other software-enabled vehicle modeling technology designed to enable faster analysis and iteration.
Kevan Morris
Longtime Pioneer Veteran Kevan Morris Passes Away
Kevan Morris, executive vice president of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. and a longtime consumer electronics industry veteran, passed away on Saturday, June 26, 2021.
A respected member of the aftermarket community, Morris’s affiliation with Pioneer began in 1984. While working at Pacific Stereo selling car stereo components directly to consumers, he was recruited into the role of product specialist at NLS Marketing, a rep firm in Bellevue, Washington, selling Pioneer car electronics to retailers throughout Washington state.
In August of 1986, Morris officially joined Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. as a district sales manager covering car electronics in the Pacific Northwest territory. In the 35 years since, Morris quickly ascended the ranks of Pioneer and held numerous sales and management positions related to Pioneer’s car electronics, home electronics and television businesses, culminating as executive vice president, a position in which he served with distinction since May 2011.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, and his sons, Devon and Ryan.
Rookie Exhibitors From the 2019 SEMA Show Share Their Experiences and Offer Advice on How to Shine
By Chad Simon
MFR Engineering had a 20x40-ft. booth in the South Hall where it
featured its widebody twin-turbo Dodge Challenger during the 2019
SEMA Show.
The SEMA Show is back for 2021! Attracting more than 150,000 industry leaders, including 60,000 buyers from around the world, the annual Show, to be held November 2–5 in Las Vegas, is still growing. This year, it will expand into the Las Vegas Convention Center’s brand-new West Hall, providing an additional 1.4 million sq. ft. of exhibit space. Despite the Show having been canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies industry-wide (including those that were first-time exhibitors in 2019) are reporting record sales over the past year, and those that struggled are now starting to bounce back.
We contacted three first-time exhibitors from the 2019 SEMA Show to find out about their experiences, strategies, what they learned and what advice they would offer to exhibitors who will be new to the Show this year. They included Bruce Couture, owner of Modern Driveline; Mike Jercan, owner of MFR Engineering; and Steven Balusik, general sales manager/head of product development for Cam Motion.
MFR built a Porsche GT3 and an Acura NSX, which it also displayed in
its SEMA Show booth.
SEMA News: Why did you decide to exhibit in 2019?
Bruce Couture: I’ve been going to the Show as an attendee since 2001, and we felt that it was the right thing to do for us as a company. We had grown to a point that we had enough product offerings and were prepared, so we wanted to take it to the next level. Before then, we didn’t feel that we were ready to take on that level of exposure.
Mike Jercan: I’ve attended the SEMA Show since 2014 or maybe even earlier. In 2019, I was opening my own business and trying to leave a footprint in this industry as a serious contributor to motorsports. It wasn’t something that we could avoid, being the new guy. A lot of people don’t understand why we use the material we use or why we do what we do, so we had to take that step and have a booth so people could come and ask the correct questions and not have social media kind of take over with the “he said, she said” type of thing. That’s why we pulled the trigger and invested the time and effort to do SEMA.
Steven Balusik: We’ve been exhibiting at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show since the beginning of time, but 2019 was the first year we did the SEMA Show. One of our friends over at American Racing Headers told us that he had good luck out there, and another friend from Scoggin Dickey told me that he didn’t see a lot of market overlap. He said a lot of the people he’s seeing at SEMA are a new audience for him, so he felt like he was reaching some people at SEMA that he wasn’t reaching at PRI.
SN: How would you describe your overall experience at the Show?
Bruce Couture and his team at Modern Driveline entered eight
products in the 2019 New Products Showcase and ended up winning
that year’s Best Engineered New Product.
BC: Overall, it was a very good experience. We had a booth in the Performance Pavilion. The folks who worked with us were very helpful and made sure to stay in contact with us. The Exhibitor Summit we attended in June prior to the Show was also helpful, gave us a lot of information, put us at ease and got us to feel that SEMA was not this huge entity but an organization of people who cared.
I think having that information ahead of time and being engaged with the staff really made the difference in terms of being prepared, and having a timeline certainly helped us make sure that we were staying on track. Understanding what our requirements were for the booth was also helpful. We were encouraged to put products into the New Products Showcase, which we took full utilization of. In fact, we ended up winning that year’s Best Engineered New Product.
The New Products Showcase was beneficial to us because people may not have found us as a company, but they certainly found our products. We had eight products in the New Products Showcase; we took almost the entire display case.
In 2019, Modern Driveline had a 10x40-ft. booth in the
Performance Pavilion. This year, the company will
exhibit in a 20x20-ft. booth and explore the possibility
of buying a hanging sign to help draw attention to its
booth.
MJ: It was a great experience as an exhibitor just being able to see what other industry people bring out, what their expectations are, who raises the bar and what’s next. We had a 20x40-ft. booth in the South Hall close to the Toyo Treadpass entrance/exit.
SB: We were in the Racing & Performance section, and it was a good Show. I think we actually had more new interest and fruitful interactions than we did at PRI, which was surprising. I fully expected to have to kind of develop into SEMA, but it just was an excellent Show right from the start. We came away with a lot of leads, and we got new customers that we hadn’t seen before going to the PRI Trade Show, so that was very nice for us.
SN: What were your expectations going in, and how did you prepare yourself?
BC: Our expectation was that the Show would be very good for us. It would certainly put us in the spotlight and give us more of an opportunity to interact with customers who perhaps hadn’t heard of us, and it certainly has done that.
MJ: We were mainly focused on making our booth as welcoming and warm as possible.
We spent a good amount of money trying to see what worked so that we’d know where we’re really going to focus and what to do differently coming into the next Show. We didn’t really have high expectations because it was our first year actually having a booth there. We didn’t want to have to leave the booth and go reach out and try to network with people because we might miss somebody who showed up at the booth.
In 2019, Steven Balusik (left) and his team at Cam
Motion decided to try their hand at the SEMA Show and
walked away with a whole new audience.
SB: We really didn’t know what to expect. There were a lot of different types of products—everything from wheels to appearance products and truck accessories. We’re into hardcore racing, so PRI was always kind of our show.
The SEMA Show was so organized and had clearly defined sections, so if people are interested in racing and high performance, they can go straight to that section. Because they had done such a good job of organizing the enormity of the Show, I don’t think it deterred from our success. It was well enough sectioned and organized that we were able to reach the people we wanted to reach effectively.
SN: How did you promote your company to draw people to your booth?
BC: We did mailings with flyers, essentially to our database of people who we knew. We also had a vehicle outside the Las Vegas Convention Center. I believe we did do some type of advertising with SEMA, and we dedicated a page or a section on our website. We had just launched a new website prior to the 2019 SEMA Show.
MJ: We had three vehicles in our booth: a Porsche GT3 and an Acura NSX that we built, which actually got quite a bit of traffic, especially with Speed Hunters and a lot of the bigger social-media groups. We also debuted our widebody twin-turbo Challenger. Then we had a couple cars outside. I think there were a total of around 20 cars at the Show that we collaborated on, including a famous YouTuber’s car.
We also paid for banners outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center. We had a marketing team that helped us as far as networking at some of the post-Show meetings. We tried to make a presence. It was a stepping-stone for us and a great learning experience because now we know where to spend the money correctly. We did get compliments from a lot of big companies that we had one of the nicer booths at SEMA.
SB: We didn’t do anything differently. We let everyone know on Facebook and Instagram that we would be there, but that’s about it. We didn’t do anything beyond that. We simply had a 10x10, and this year we’ll have a 10x20. We had good results at the Show, and we were able to get into the main area. We were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. The Show was packed. There were tons of people, and it was the right kind of people.
SN: How would you define a successful Show?
BC: I would say that we achieved all that we basically expected and probably a little bit more for our first Show. As a new exhibitor, to win a major award was really kind of surprising. I know that they’re changing the Show in the sense of the layout of the new hall that’s opened. I am hoping that our next experience is going to take us to the next level so that we can get exposed to more buyers who are in our field. I want to be a part of the core of the market that I am addressing.
MJ: Return on investment. I am pretty confident that our second experience will be even better because we will take advantage of what we learned for sure and the ROI will definitely be a lot better.
SB: A successful Show for us is always two things: First, we want to have an opportunity to see and spend some time with our existing customers; and second, we want to reach out and try to find new customers who are in our ideal target market.
SN: How do you think you can improve upon your experience at this year’s Show?
BC: We’ve looked into getting a different type of booth; instead of a 10x40 in an aisle, we opted for a 20x20. We’ll do whatever kind of promotion ahead of time that we can within reason and budget. I do intend to look at getting a hanging sign, like I see so many other companies doing, so at least when you’re on the floor, you can look up and say, “Hey, there’s a company that I need to see.”
MJ: I would definitely spend a lot more money and effort on directing people to our booth. I’d also look into the different advertisement options that SEMA offers.
SB: We’re going to have a bigger and better-quality display this year.
SN: What advice would you offer to a first-time exhibitor this year?
BC: I would certainly follow the path that I took, which is to get involved, be informed. I definitely would recommend entering a product in the New Products Showcase. It’s a big show to get prepared for as a small exhibitor. Try to pace yourself. Set your expectations on a realistic level. The Show is a top-quality, world-class-type show.
MJ: Be a little bit more open on the advertisement side. I’ve been doing SEMA for so many years, so I kind of went into this thinking I had the gist of it, but it’s a whole different ballgame when you’re an exhibitor. Let people know where you are, what you do, and drive people to your booth.
SB: Go to the Show first, get familiar with it, understand how it works and see how you can be effective.
Surviving COVID-19
SEMA News: How has your company been affected by the pandemic?
Bruce Couture: We saw a 25% increase in business last year. We also sell truck transmissions, and we announced a new product that has been selling like crazy, which has made us extremely busy. Our sales are up because people aren’t traveling. They’ve got time on their hands, and if they have money, they’re building cars.
Mike Jercan: It’s been a rollercoaster ride. We’ve been blessed not to have closed. We had continuous orders, but it’s been a little crazy. Some months are great, and then others we’re in the red because we don’t have enough traffic. Our products are on the higher end and are very niche.
A lot of the teams we work with weren’t racing because everything was shut down, so we weren’t producing products for the guys who were going out and beating up their cars. We pushed through, and we’re still pushing and hoping that we can continue to move forward. If certain things that we have planned work out, we’ll be back at the Show and hopefully stronger than we were in 2019.
Steven Balusik: I think a lot of recreational, outdoor and leisure companies have done quite well. It seems like the entire performance industry has basically been selling everything that they could make ever since the pandemic started. People who normally would have been busy doing other things spent time on their hobbies, and that included the high-performance and racing market. We just have literally been nonstop ever since the pandemic started.
Despite the Pandemic, Automotive Specialty-Equipment Sales Grew to $47.89 Billion
By Chad Simon
One trend that stood out when analyzing data from the “2021
SEMA Market Report” was an increase in online purchasing.
COVID-19 forced people to shop online, but not exclusively by
any means.
Even in the face of a pandemic that ravaged livelihoods and economies globally, the automotive specialty-equipment market somehow managed to continue its steady growth trend, up to $47.89 billion in 2020—a 4% increase over 2019, according to the recently released “2021 SEMA Market Report.” Slower growth is expected to continue into 2022 as more businesses reopen and compete for consumer dollars before taking off again in late 2022 or early 2023.
The COVID Effect
While some businesses felt pain, the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t hurt the automotive specialty-equipment industry as much as one would have thought. The market was expected to contract to some degree with the economic disruption that took place in 2020, according to Gavin Knapp, SEMA director of market research, but many businesses reported record sales in 2020.
“March and April were a big shock to the entire economy, but a lot of businesses were able to adapt and find ways to keep selling products,” said Matt Kennedy, SEMA market research manager. “At the end of the year, we finished with strong growth that rebounded quickly and continued forward from that initial shutdown period.”
Despite layoffs and high unemployment, consumers still spent money on the items that were available to them because certain things were considered out of bounds, according to Knapp. They couldn’t spend money on entertainment, travel, food and hospitality, but they could spend it on their cars, so a lot of people started engaging in their hobby.
One such instance was performance-related products, which did well last year at $11.47 billion.
“We began to see people be of the mindset that, ‘I don’t have to drive my car every day if it’s a daily driver,’ or ‘I’ve got this project, and now I have the time to work on it, so I can do more intricate, even more expensive upgrades,’” Knapp said.
Industry-wide, sales were up around 4% last year. In 2019, the industry reached $46.2 billion in retail sales. In 2020, that number increased to $47.89 billion, and sales are forecast to reach $57.16 billion by 2024.
“When you take the disruption—and some companies did have poor years—it all balanced out by those that saw record growth,” Knapp said. “Ultimately, the overall industry stayed close to what’s been our growth trend over the last five years.”
Specialty-Equipment Retail Sales $ Billions
Specialty-equipment parts sales hit a new high in 2020 of
$47.89 billion. Sales are projected to reach nearly $57.16 billion
by 2024. Source: 2020 SEMA U.S. Market Data
Industry Segments That Took a Hit
As with the entire economy, the second quarter into the middle of 2020 was a challenging time for the automotive specialty-equipment industry due to supply-chain disruptions and also because some businesses had to close their doors while the rest were required to comply with social-distancing policies, according to Knapp.
The repair-and-replacement side took somewhat of a hit because shutdowns forced people to stay home. However, it also gave consumers an opportunity to have both time and disposable income that they weren’t using on things such as vacations to spend on their cars, even though they weren’t necessarily wearing out parts by driving a lot.
“Sometimes when people need to replace a part, they upgrade, and that’s part of our industry,” Kennedy said. “That was offset by how people suddenly had disposable income but fewer things to throw it at, so working on their cars or trucks remained an option for them. There were competing and odd dynamics in play.”
Mobile electronics was another segment where sales were flat at $3.24 billion—not due to COVID-19 but largely because cars now come with a quality sound system or an integrated system that you can’t swap out anymore, according to Knapp. Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are still growing, but not nearly as fast as they’ve grown on the OEM side, where all new cars have multiple ADAS products installed, so there’s less of a need for add-on products.
Because new-vehicle sales were down last year, sales of utilitarian products such as racks that consumers add on at the dealership dropped a bit from $0.80 billion in 2019 to $0.76 billion in 2020, according to Kennedy. Apart from a few isolated cases that are tied to the decline in vehicle sales, everything else has been following the consistent upswing seen over the past several years.
2020 Consumer Purchase Estimates by Sales Channel % of Sales
Just over half of dollars spent in 2020 went through online
channels—an increase from 35% to 40% in previous years.
Source: 2020 SEMA U.S. Market Data
Online Sales Increase
One trend that stood out when analyzing data from the “2021 SEMA Market Report” was an increase in online purchasing. COVID forced people to shop online, but not exclusively by any means, according to Kennedy. In fact, a sizable share of sales came from retail stores because many auto-parts businesses were considered essential during the pandemic. As a result, they weren’t forced to shut down as much as some other retail businesses, and that allowed the industry to continue with in-person sales. However, those who weren’t comfortable entering to a store turned to online sales channels.
“It wasn’t a drastic increase in online sales, but we’ve been ahead of the curve for a while, so when sales tip over to a little more than half online, that’s an increase from about 35% to 40% previously,” Kennedy said.
Parts sales channels vary by vehicle segment, but it’s often more related to the part than anything else. For instance, motor oil is easy to buy online and ship, but it’s one of those things that people buy in a store when they need it.
“Certain parts really lend themselves to online purchases,” Knapp said. “Are they easy to ship? Are they easy to install? Does it make much more sense for you to know what you want and purchase it online? Other products may require a more complicated installation or they’re heavy, so they are difficult and expensive to ship.”
It used to be true that hardcore enthusiasts who had an understanding of what they were looking for preferred to shop in stores versus online, but that’s all changed.
“When I first started in the industry, people used to say, ‘Our guys don’t go online; they’re just in the garage,’” Knapp said. “Obviously, that’s not true at this point. Our guys are doing their research and shopping online—especially the most hardcore guys, because they have the most understanding of what they want. Although they may not buy online, they go there to look up specs and prices.”
As for the general market, if customers are going after a big purchase, they’ll probably take a somewhat similar path. They are usually armed with less internal knowledge, so they may be more likely to go into a store and talk to salespeople. However, many of their purchases are also going to be on a whim, according to Knapp.
2020 Consumer Purchase Estimates by Vehicle Segment % of Sales
Pickups comprise 28% of the vehicle market. Source: 2020
SEMA U.S. Market Data
Non-Enthusiasts vs. Enthusiasts
The SEMA Market Research team continues to see that younger consumers are the more dynamic and daring participants in the automotive specialty-equipment industry. For a hobby that transcends generations, the data indicates that people tend to slow down as they get older. Among accessorizers, about 60% are under the age of 40.
In addition, while non-enthusiasts still hold the upper hand in terms of sales, enthusiast purchases are catching up.
“The population didn’t really shift regarding who made changes to their vehicles; it’s still a narrow split in favor of non-enthusiasts,” Kennedy said. “But if you analyze who is actually spending money, enthusiasts spend more dollars, but non-enthusiasts didn’t drop out of the market all of a sudden.”
With the pandemic keeping people in their homes and doing more do-it-yourself projects, a larger shift toward enthusiast purchases was expected, especially in the amount of purchases made. However, the SEMA Market Research team expects non-enthusiast sales to accelerate in 2021 and beyond as those consumers get back into their cars and start thinking about the things they’d like to do to personalize them.
2020 consumer purchase estimates $ Billions
Accessories and appearance products comprised $25.22
billion in 2020, of which chemicals represented $7.41 billion.
Source: 2020 SEMA U.S. Market Data
Motivation Behind Customization
The SEMA Market Research team found three motivating factors behind vehicle customization. The first is appearance and utility. Next is lifestyle (those who are in car clubs and post their vehicles on social media). Finally, there are the classic upgraders or hobbyists who enjoy wrenching on their cars in their garages.
People will customize or modify any type of vehicle up to a point, but pickups are a huge slice of the market, representing 28% of dollars spent in 2020 among both enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts. SUVs (13%) and CUVs (16%) are also popular targets for customization. On the other end of the spectrum, electric and alternative-power vehicles make up only a small fraction of total vehicles on the road and represent just 1% of automotive specialty-equipment market sales.
“There are certain vehicles that really lend themselves more to the aftermarket, either because of their type or a lifestyle or culture around them,” Knapp said. “Pickups are the ultimate platform, because you can do anything to them. On the off-road and utility side, you’ve got SUVs and CUVs. You’re going to see a lot of customization in any vehicle that’s considered off-road-capable, starting with the Jeep Wrangler. On the traditional car side, we see some of the smaller compact cars still getting accessorized, but the key ones right now are the ones you might consider the new musclecars—Mustang, Camaro and Challenger. Then there’s a whole range of classics, which are always going to be a good spot for our industry.”
Wheels and tires have long been considered the “gateway drug” into the automotive specialty-equipment industry, according to Knapp. Whether performance tires or off-road, oversized tires are a large piece of the market.
“They are among the things you can do right away, and they’re very simple,” Knapp said. “They give you a lot of bang for your buck in terms of changing the look and even performance. From there, people tend to take a couple different paths. One might be aesthetics and changing the look of your vehicle. The other is performance—for example, suspension parts or lift kits, which are big for the truck category.”
2020 Consumer Purchase Estimates $ Billions
Performance products and wheels, tires and suspension
make up a large chunk of the industry at $11.47 billion and
$11.20 billion, respectively. Source: 2020 SEMA U.S. Market
Data
What the Future Holds
Despite all the doom and gloom, 2020 actually turned out to be a profitable year for many companies, according to Knapp. However, he expects slowed growth over the next couple of years.
“As the economy begins to reopen and there are more options regarding where people can spend their money, will we see a little pullback in spending on our industry? I think the answer will be yes, but I don’t think it’ll be an overwhelming yes,” Knapp said. “People will actually expand their spending due to the fact that the rate of savings in this country is greater, so they’ll say, ‘What I’m doing here is still cool, but I also have this savings that I’m going to use to go on a vacation.’ So our expectation is that we’ll see some slower growth, flattening a little in late 2021 into 2022, and then we’ll ramp back up to our normal level.”
Even with consumer spending higher at this time than it was in 2019, there are still some areas to watch. For instance, despite high unemployment, more companies are looking to hire, which Knapp said indicates a labor shortage. In addition, supply-chain disruptions and the availability of raw inputs and input parts have led to price inflation.
“Because we also have high savings rates, consumers will have even more money to spend going forward, as they will typically spend down their savings somewhat, so we could also see the economy take fire here in the second half of the year,” Knapp said.
“2021 SEMA Market Report” Fast Facts
In 2020, the automotive specialty-equipment market hit a new high of $47.89 billion in total parts sales.
Sales are projected to increase to nearly $57.16 billion by 2024.
Among accessorizers, 60% are under the age of 40.
Pickups once again make up the largest vehicle segment with a 28% market share.
Just over half of dollars spent in 2020 went through online channels. n
Source
The “2021 SEMA Market Report” is free and a benefit of SEMA membership. Along with a host of other free industry reports, it can be found at www.sema.org/market-research. The SEMA Market Research team is also available to help the industry directly. If you have any specific questions, contact SEMA Market Research Manager Matt Kennedy at mattk@sema.org or 909-978-6730.
A lot was at stake when drag racers from around the country converged at the brand-new Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) for the NHRA’s seventh annual National Championship Drags in 1961. More than 900 competitors from some 40 states turned out to win races, set records, cement championships and build reputations during that humid Labor Day weekend.
Having weathered more than a year of global pandemic and with the 2021 SEMA Show now clearly on the horizon, I want to draw your attention to recent SEMA research that yields some clarity on how the industry has managed during the pandemic and what we can expect moving forward.
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About SEMA Garage Detroit
The Boninfante Group hired Tom Kundrik as ProTorque’s director of motorsports and sales. In addition to fielding customer service calls and offering technical support over the phone, Kundrik will also travel the country to attend drag-racing events and provide on-site service and support for customers. He will also facilitate the launch of several new product lines, including supercharger-specific torque converters for ProTorque. Kundrik comes from Mickey Thompson Performance Wheels & Tires as the motorsports manager.
Speedway Motors announced four recent promotions within the company. Richard Thomas (left) was promoted to director of operations. Thomas, who held various leadership positions in the U.S. Navy, first joined Speedway Motors in 2018 in the compliance department, where he helped oversee regulatory compliance. Andrew Boellstorff (second left) was promoted to director of digital product and technology. With more than 15 years of experience, he’s held positions at GT Exhaust, EMIT Technologies, Nebraska Book Company and Spreetail. Brandon Bisch (second right) was promoted to director of e-commerce. Bisch held numerous positions in the company since 2005. Kaitlin Mathison (right) was promoted to director of marketplaces. She first joined Speedway Motors in 2015.
Banks Power announced Matthew Gamble as its design, assembly and testing manager for its DMax engine programs. Gamble will help design, develop and launch the high-performance, turnkey variants of the Banks D866T engine in his new position, and he will also lead performance and durability demonstration events, among other duties. He arrives at Banks from Edelbrock, where he managed the company’s cylinder head and water pump lines. Previously, he managed 15 successful launch campaigns of Delta IV rockets at Rocketdyne and oversaw the health monitoring systems at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.
Westin Automotive announced that Adam Trowbridge was promoted to COO, which will include responsibility for D.C. operations, product management and marketing. As Westin COO, Trowbridge’s experience and ability to execute will help drive the future success of the business as it grows.
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