NEWS NUGGETS

READY TO GO AT THE ‘BIG GO’: The final race of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing series regular season begins this week at the historic Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. For a select few drivers, every round of qualifying and eliminations might be their last chance to secure a spot in the Countdown to 1 playoffs. Seven spots in all four professional categories (two in Top Fuel, two in Pro Stock, three in Pro Stock Modified) are still up for grabs.

For the Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle classes, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is also a chance to grab some cash and bragging rights as well as both bonus events. The U.S. Smokeless Showdown and Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle will be taking place Saturday and Sunday during professional qualifying for the event. The Pro Stock Motorcycle rider who comes out on top of the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle will take home $25,000, while the winner of the U.S. Smokeless Showdown has the opportunity of taking home an amazing $100,000.

LUCAS TO RACE STADIUM THEMED PAINT SCHEME IN INDY: Top Fuel pilot Morgan Lucas will race a special paint scheme at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals this weekend at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis to commemorate the grand opening of the new home of the Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium. The stadium will hold its season-opener the following Thursday, September 7, as the Colts face the Chicago Bears.

Other special paint schemes set to be unveiled in Indy include Funny Car driver Ashley Force’s pink Rookie-of-the-Year Castrol GTX Ford Mustang and “Fast Jack” Beckman’s Mail From Home Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger R/T.

KB RACING TO FIELD THIRD PRO STOCK CAR IN INDY: The KB Racing team of Greg Anderson and Jason Line will field a third Pro Stock car at the 54th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals this week in Indy. The brand-new Pontiac GXP will feature the team’s induction specialist, Wilson Manifolds, on the hood and will be driven by Wilson Manifolds employee Robbie Mansfield.

“The effort is intended to provide us with valuable data needed as we head into the final phase of the NHRA POWERade Countdown (to the Championship),” said Line. Both KB Racing drivers Line and Anderson have clinched a spot in the Countdown to 1 playoffs. 

COUGHLIN, CONNOLLY OFFICIALLY OPEN zMAX DRAGWAY @ CONCORD: In an opening ceremony that saw Cagnazzi Racing teammates Dave Connolly and Jeg Coughlin cut the ribbon with their 1,500-horsepower Pro Stock cars, zMAX Dragway @ Concord officially opened its doors to drag racing. Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman and CEO Bruton Smith, along with NHRA President Tom Compton and Concord, North Carolina, mayor Scott Padgett, addressed the gathering of local dignitaries and media members prior to the ribbon cutting. The zMAX Dragway @ Concord will host the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals, the first race in the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs, September 11–14.

COMING ATTRACTIONS

MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS, O’REILLY RACEWAY PARK AT INDIANAPOLIS, AUGUST 27–SEPTEMBER 1: The final stop for the regular season, drivers in the NHRA POWERade Series will have one last chance at the historic raceway in Indianapolis to secure a spot in the Top 10 in the point standings and advance to the Countdown to 1. Funny Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors will also have the chance to compete for cash and bragging rights in the U.S. Smokeless Showdown and the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle. Defending winners of the race include Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel); Mike Ashley (Funny Car); Dave Connolly (Pro Stock); and Craig Treble (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

NHRA CAROLINAS NATIONALS, zMAX DRAGWAY @ CONCORD, SEPTEMBER 11–14: In the first race of the Countdown to 1, the NHRA POWERade Series heads to the newly constructed zMAX Dragway @ Concord and its first visit to the state of North Carolina. All four professional categories (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle) will compete in this inaugural event.

O’REILLY SUPER START BATTERIES FALL NATIONALS, TEXAS MOTORPLEX, SEPTEMBER 18–21: Making its second stop of the season in the Lone Star State, drivers in all four professional categories will fight it out in the second race of the Countdown to 1. Defending event winners include Larry Dixon (Top Fuel); Tony Pedregon (Funny Car); Dave Connolly (Pro Stock); and Peggy Llewellyn (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

HE SAID, SHE SAID

THE ‘BIG GO’ IS THE BIG SHOW:
“This is going to be the big showdown of the year. This is like winning the championship if you win the U.S. Nationals." — Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster

“It’s traditionally a dogfight to make the field for this event so all the drivers and team members come prepared and have high expectations.” — Brandon Bernstein, Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster

“It’s like a marathon. You’re there for what seems like a month. It almost becomes a survival of the fittest, especially if it is hot and humid." — Jack Beckman, Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger R/T

“It would be almost as important as winning the championship to get a win at Indy." — Allen Johnson, Mopar/J&J Dodge Stratus R/T.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

10: The difference between ninth-place Dave Grubnic and 11th-place Morgan Lucas in the Top Fuel point standings going into the last regular season race before the Top 10 cutoff for the Countdown to 1.

DID YOU KNOW…

…that Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden will be honored during the pre-race ceremonies for the MacTools U.S. Nationals. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Glidden’s last win at the famed quarter-mile dragstrip. Glidden still holds the record for most wins (nine) of any driver in any category at the MacTools U.S. Nationals.

Tire Group International (TGI) opened a new sales office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and hired Martin Sanchez to head up the new location. “TGI is always looking for quality people to add to its sales team, and the addition of Martin Sanchez gives TGI a presence in a market that has great growth potential for years to come,” said Tire Group International CEO Tony Gonzalez. “TGI has been more focused than ever on the mining and industrial segments, and our presence in Argentina will allow us to continue to grow these market segments.”

Holley Performance Products promoted Harry Miller to director of performance aftermarket sales. Miller most recently served as Holley’s regional manager for the Southeast territory. In his new role, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day aftermarket sales functions for all divisions of Holley Performance Products. Miller’s past experiences include owning and operating a jobber store, a WD business and a long career as a manufacturers’ rep for various aftermarket companies.

OnSight Solutions (OSS) sold its 20th franchise to Chris McCauley of Duluth, Georgia. McCauley joins the company with a background in car sales and knows the benefits of an OSS program firsthand.

“I was the general sales manager with a Nissan dealership in South Carolina who utilized the OSS program,” McCauley stated. “I really liked the call to action it provided. Having been in car sales for over 15 years, I’ve tried many different sales tactics and nothing compared to the results we received once we implemented the OSS visual merchandising plan.”

McCauley has already hired salesman Dave Crain to assist in generating leads in the Atlanta market.

The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Foundation Inc. announced that veteran racecar driver David Hobbs is the honoree for the 14th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, set for March 13–15, 2009, at The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach. Hobbs is a commentator for SPEED TV and provides expert analysis for a variety of series, including Formula One, sports car and endurance racing.

Joe Schott’s ’32 Ford three-window coupe was named America’s Most Beautiful Street Rod (AMBSR) presented by Hushpower during the Goodguys 22nd West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, California. Featuring a House of Kolor custom mix called “Oriental Blue” and Camel leather interior stitched by Lux Interiors, AMBSR was built by Mike and Randy Way of the All Ways Hot Rod shop. For more information, visit www.good-guys.com.

Dynamat is the sponsor of the Dynamic Legends VIP and Honorees site at the 2008 NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion, set for October 10–12, at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California. Dynamic Legends VIP and Honorees section features special displays and past and present grand marshals and honorees of the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunions.

The Bridgestone Firestone facility in Graniteville, South Carolina, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary in Aiken County. In recognition of the anniversary, the facility made a $5,000 contribution to the Aiken Technical College.

The Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) will hold its 41st annual convention on January 23–25, 2009, at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Trevose, Pennsylvania. The convention includes a variety of press conferences featuring speedways, race teams, racers and organizations sharing their plans with the attending media. The event also features networking opportunities and the annual NASCAR/EMPA Hall of Fame Awards Dinner.

Alpine Electronics of America Inc. hosted a private, outdoor block party at its U.S. headquarters in Torrance, California, on August 23, to celebrate its 30 years of business in the United States and to thank its most enthusiastic aftermarket customers. Attendees were treated to live music from bands that participated in Alpine’s “Rock the Dash” online music contest. The party featured a golf simulator, dunk tank and rock-climbing wall, and raffles were held for Alpine products and other prizes.

HURST announced that it partnered with Dodge to create the 2009 HURST/Hemi Challenger. Starting with the Hemi-powered Dodge Challenger, HURST takes it to the next level as a 500-plus-hp supercharged limited edition built and tuned by the best in the business. The collectible limited-edition musclecar with the looks, attitude and credentials to back it up will be available in four stages of performance trim through participating Dodge dealerships.

The details are iconic and impressive; the huge polished five-spoke HURST alloy wheels and the “Pistol-Grip” HURST shifter are inspired by the originals that helped make HURST the legendary brand that it is today. The HURST/HEMI Challenger makes its debut at the 2008 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Vehicle production is slated for early 2009.

Click on the logo to visit MPMC's website.

Auto Club Speedway of Southern California and SEMA’s Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council Celebrate Motorsports Awareness Month with the Take a Friend to a Race Campaign  

Auto Club Speedway has teamed up with the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC), a council of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), to celebrate Motorsports Awareness Month with the Take a Friend to a Race Campaign, a grassroots program aimed at increasing attendance at motorsports events by introducing new fans to the sport.  

“We are very excited to be working with SEMA and the Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council to get the word out about the great racing at Auto Club Speedway,” said Speedway President Gillian Zucker.  “SEMA members’ love of cars and motorsports, combined with our great event schedule, means we are the perfect partners to promote motorsports awareness.”

Auto Club Speedway is the premier motorsports venue in California.  The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pepsi 500—Labor Day’s biggest party—will be held on Sunday, August 31, and presents a great opportunity for Southern California race fans to invite friends to attend the events with them. The top stars of NASCAR, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya, will be competing for the Pepsi 500 trophy. The race is an important stepping-stone to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, which kicks off less than two weeks after the Pepsi 500.

In addition to Sunday’s Pepsi 500, Labor Day weekend at Auto Club Speedway will also include the NASCAR Camping World RV Service 300 on Saturday, August 30—part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series—and free entertainment throughout the weekend in the track’s Opportunity, California FanZone.  Fans can also enjoy the Speedway’s fan amenities, including new escalators, shade structures and misting zones, souvenir shopping and the Apex by Wolfgang Puck restaurant. Just prior to Sunday’s Pepsi 500, ticket holders will be treated to a free concert by rock legend Chris Cornell.

To purchase tickets for the Pepsi 500 weekend call 888/849-RACE (7223) or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com for more information.

SEMA PR Contact: Della Domingo, dellad@sema.org.

ARMO Special Projects in Motion

Sponsorships are being accepted for the ARMO Industry Awards Reception. Now is the time to participate in this great opportunity to show your support of the restoration market, its community, its people and its businesses. Click here to download and print a sponsorship form.
 
For more information, contact any Select Committee member or Jan Desma, 909/396-0289, ext. 134, or e-mail jand@sema.org.

ARMO Column in SEMA Member News

Click on the logo to visit TORA's website.

Read TORA's column featured in the July/August issue of SEMA Member News by clicking here.

Filler for eNews

SEMA Show exhibitors: Get some extra company exposure at the 2008 SEMA Show by offering your products to builders through the SEMA Products for Project-Vehicle Builders list. Included each week in SEMA eNews, the list is accessed by hundreds of builders seeking the pieces that add extra flair to their project vehicles. Product placement opportunities such as this are so beneficial that many exhibitors offer products for free or at a greatly reduced rate.

SEMA Show exhibitors: Generate more buzz for your company and products by announcing your SEMA Show incentives and specials in SEMA eNews.

Exhibitors with special pricing, promotions, two-for-one offers and other incentives are encouraged to let SEMA know so that the information can be included. To announce your company’s special offers, send information to Adrienne Bailey at adrienneb@sema.org.

Details on the 2008 SEMA Show are available at www.SEMAShow.com.

Here are this week's specials:

Byers Products Group is introducing its new Versa Lift power storage lift for home garage-to-attic, commercial garage-to-mezzanine or second-floor storage area lifting. The companion Product is the Versa Rail attic ladder safety railing, which is being offered free with all Versa Lift orders placed at the Show. It is a $159 value. Customers that do not need the Versa Rail may choose shipping for systems purchased at regular retail. Website: www.bpghome.com.  

RegenEV Shocks is providing free demonstrations of its latest innovation: a regenerative suspension system on a "green" Chevy SUV. RegenEV's shocks are hydraulic-electric generators. Hydraulic pressure from vehicle weight powers a gear motor and generator to recharge a plug-in Hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) battery bank. Stop by booth 31215 to see this amazing technology in action!

Dates and locations for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows and activities have been announced. Details are:

>> SEMA Webinar, "Make 2009 Turn Out Fine: It's Only the Little Things that Matter," September 4, 2008 10:00 a.m. (PDT)
>> Honda Fit Measuring Session at American Honda, Torrance, California, September 23, 2008 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
>> SEMA Show 2008, November 4–7, 2008, Las Vegas 
>> SEMA Dealer Day, November 5, 2008, Las Vegas
>> SEMA Speed Networking Breakfast, Powered by SBN, November 6, 2008 7:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m. (PDT), Las Vegas
>> SEMA MPMC Media Trade Conference, January 20–22, 2009 El Segundo, California
>> SEMA Technical Skills and Training Conference, March 27–28, 2009, Orlando, Florida
>> Aftermarket eForum, July 13–15, 2009, Chicago
>> PAACE Automechanika Mexico, July 15–17, 2009, Mexico

For association-related travel, contact Manya Petropaki (manya.p@travelstoreusa.com) at Travel Store USA, 949/930-9268.

Looking for Some Extra Publicity for Your Industry Event?
Publicize your events through the SEMA Online Calendar of Events located at www.sema.org/calendar. The calendar is stocked with information on events taking place throughout the year, broken down by month. Examples of events featured in the calendar include consumer shows and club events, educational and training workshops, conventions and trade shows, races and more.

To submit your event details for the calendar, e-mail company name and the date(s), location and name of the event to Shirley Presecan at shirleyp@sema.org.

Ford recently announced that it will charge a $700 premium for its EcoBoost engine system debuting in 2009. According to AutoWeek, the 20% improvement in fuel economy comes from the use of turbocharging and direct injection and will enable buyers to recoup the premium within two years (the article assumes that drivers will travel 15,000 miles per year, spending $3.25 a gallon for gasoline).

Automotive enthusiasts are likely to continue to opt for gasoline-powered vehicles, so engine technologies that improve the fuel economy of these traditional powertrains may bode well for the specialty-equipment industry. SEMA surveyed automotive magazine subscribers via its 2008 Automotive Lifestyles Survey of enthusiasts, a group of consumers that say they spent more than $3,000 on specialty equipment during the last year.

According to the preliminary results gathered this month, 77% say that they would “definitely” consider a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle upon their next vehicle purchase, compared to 20% that would opt for a gas-electric hybrid or 34% that would choose a diesel.

Gas-saving engine technologies, such as EcoBoost, however, may draw the attention of specialty-equipment-buying enthusiasts.

The vehicles slated to receive EcoBoost include the Lincoln MKS sedan and Ford Flex CUV, which will receive the twin-turbocharged 3.5 V6 version in 2009, and the Ford F-150, which will receive a 340-plus horsepower V6 in 2010. Four-cylinder engines powered with EconoBoost systems will arrive in 2010, but Ford has not announced the models that will receive the new technology.

For more specialty-equipment market research, please visit www.sema.org/research.

Total small-car sales increased by 14% in July over the same-month sales last year. Although gas prices began to fall back below $4 a gallon last month, prices are still hitting consumers hard and forcing them to trade in their larger SUVs and pickups for small cars. Top sellers, such as the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cobalt and Ford Focus, have attracted the attention of more car buyers than last year, as noted in the chart below.



Small-car sales are expected to climb to 2,716,400 units by year end, growing by 14% over 2007 sales, according to AutoPacifc third-quarter new-vehicles sales forecast. AutoPacific actually revised its forecast from its second-quarter prediction of 2,424,500 units. New subcompacts entering the market in 2009 will help boost overall sales even further. Ford will unveil its 2010 Ford Fiesta next year while Chrysler will begin selling its 2011 Dodge Hornet the following year. And GM also recently announced its plans to release the 40-mpg-plus Chevrolet Cruze (Cobalt replacement) to the U.S. market in the middle of 2010.

Further hikes in gas prices over the past few months are likely to have a lasting impact on consumer new-vehicle buying preferences. A little over half of SEMA members surveyed earlier this year said that they manufacture and/or sell custom parts and accessories for small cars. With more small cars on the road this year, companies serving this market could stand to benefit by taking advantage of potential sales opportunities that lie ahead.

For more specialty-equipment market research, please visit www.sema.org/research.

Motorsports has been a profit stream for many specialty-equipment companies for decades, from those that manufacture and sell parts for race cars and trucks to those that take advantage of the advertising opportunities the often large crowds of spectators at these venues present. SEMA Market Research recently published its 2008 Motorsports and Performance Report. Here are just a few highlights from the report:

• Total manufacturer sales for the Racing niche reached $358 million in 2007, a 4% increase over 2006. The sales of performance parts across all nine specialty-equipment market niches—Light Truck, Off-Road, Street Performance, Racing, Restoration, Restyling, Street Rod & Custom, Compact Performance, and Other—reached $2.43 billion in 2007, up 44% in the last five years and up 72% from 1993.

• The full-length report provides detailed performance-parts sales growth for each of the nine market niches. Manufacturer sales of performance parts for the light-truck market, for example, have grown a total of 33% since 2001, with a jump of 4.3% between 2006 and 2007.

• Across the United States, there are 1,010 oval tracks, 776 dirt tracks, 238 paved tracks, 292 dragstrips and 76 road courses. This means that on any given weekend, there are potentially more than 100 racing events taking place across the country.

• There are approximately 250 sanctioning bodies in the United States. They range from the local track groups that operate by applying the rules of a larger sanctioning body to the official umbrella sanction groups themselves.

• The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has 80,000 members and 300,000 participants.  There are 140 member tracks which host more than 5,000 events each year. As with NASCAR, the NHRA has experienced significant growth in television viewership and event attendance. Scarborough Research, a market research service company, indicates that 32.5 million people, 14.5% of the United States population, have some interest in NHRA Drag Racing.

• NHRA fans are very likely to be loyal to NHRA sponsors. For example, 88% indicate that they are likely to purchase NHRA sponsor products over non-sponsor products, according to a study by EventCorp Services Inc., a company that specializes in event market research.

Data from some of the larger and most recognizable sanctioning organizations, including fan demographics and buying preferences, are discussed throughout the pages of the full-length 2008 Motorsports and Performance Report.

The list of sanctioning bodies includes: NASCAR, NHRA, USAC, Grand-Am, SCCA, DHRA and the USHRA.

SEMA members can download their copy of the 2008 Motorsports and Performance Report by visiting www.sema.org/research or by e-mailing research@sema.org.