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

SEMA-member companies have posted several new listings for job opportunities at www.sema.org/classifieds. Working for a SEMA-member company has many advantages. In addition to working for a company that supports and contributes to the success of the overall industry, being employed by a SEMA-member company enables employees to participate in webinars, access free market research, join SEMA committees and more. The newest classified listings posted under Positions Available include:

• AEWC Web site and Media Admin, Chino, California
• AEWC Engineer, York, South Carolina
• Sales Manager, Commerce, California
• Warehouse Manager, Pompano Beach, Florida
• Outside Sales, Renton, Washington

SEMA members: Have a job opening that you need filled? Members are invited to post classified ads on www.sema.org/classifieds free of charge. Categories available are: Positions Available, Positions Wanted, Rep Opportunities, WD Opportunities, For Sale, Items Wanted, Business Opportunities and Internships. Visit the site for details.

Filler for eNews

Prime booth space is still available at the Salon de SEMA, a premier section of the PAACE Automechanika Show, scheduled July 9–11, Mexico City. Show off your products to eager Mexican and Latin American buyers at the largest automotive aftermarket trade show in Latin America.

For more information or to book your booth space, contact lindas@sema.org or visit www.paaceautomechanika.com.

Is your company interested in expanding its business overseas? SEMA provides member companies with free international reports, statistics, contact databases and networking opportunities online at www.sema.org/international.

Pursuing a pro-growth, pro-U.S. manufacturing agenda, creating an even playing field in the global marketplace, combating counterfeit products, finding affordable health insurance for employees and countering overzealous vehicle-equipment regulations: These are just a few of the political issues SEMA members face today.

Rather than watch an unaware Congress legislate our industry out of business, join your fellow SEMA members in Washington, D.C., on May 14–15 to demonstrate to lawmakers the importance and strength of the $38-billion specialty-equipment industry. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to connect face-to-face with your legislators on Capitol Hill and inform them of the issues that matter most to you and your business. The SEMA Washington Rally is exclusively for SEMA members, and there is no charge to participate.

Scheduled Events to Include:

• Opening Reception and Briefing Session
• One-on-One Meetings With Your Legislators
• Political Insider Session
• Capitol Hill Reception
• Tour of the U.S. Capitol and other opportunities to visit attractions in the nation’s capital.

For travel arrangements and room reservations, contact Manya Petropaki at the Travel Store at 949/930-9268.

To register or for more information, visit www.sema.org/dcrally or contact Jason Tolleson at 909/396-0289, ext 168, or jasont@sema.org. 

Registration deadline: May 1, 2008

NHRA ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING HD PARTNERS ACQUISITION CORPORATION VOTE OF SHAREHOLDERS

In a press statement released today by the National Hot Rod Association, the NHRA has been notified by HD Partners Acquisition Corporation that it did not receive the necessary number of votes to finalize the transaction announced last May to acquire all of NHRA’s professional racing assets. 

Said Eddy Hartenstein, chairman and chief executive officer of HD Partners: “We are very disappointed with today’s vote, given our collective enthusiasm for NHRA and the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. Unfortunately, in the time since we first announced this transaction in May of 2007, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in both the financial markets and the perceived strength of the U.S. economy, which we believe adversely impacted the final outcome of this transaction. With that said, we continue to believe that the NHRA and the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, led by Tom Compton and his management team, are very vibrant properties with a bright future. We wish them all the best for continued success.”

NHRA will continue to operate as it has in the past. NHRA worked closely with HD Partners the last several months to finalize the transaction. Given the time and energy spent on this effort, NHRA has no plans to pursue a similar opportunity in the near future. For now, NHRA will remain focused on the business and continued growth of NHRA.

“We appreciate the efforts put forth by Eddy and the entire HD Partners team the last year-and-a-half," said NHRA President Tom Compton. "NHRA is in the best financial position in its history and prospects for future growth are at an all-time high. It is the health of the company, the sport and strong future prospects that led HD Partners to pursue this transaction in the first place and those elements still exist.

“Few would argue we have a great product and an incredible opportunity in front of us to build and grow the sport of NHRA and NHRA POWERade Drag Racing," Compton added. "The initiatives communicated during this process still hold true and we will work together with the racing community, sponsors and business partners to achieve them and continue the growth of the sport.”

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 24 events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal Drags presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the O’Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.

SEMA Chairman Jim Cozzie (left), Chairman-Elect Rick Rollins and President/CEO Chris Kersting (right) will discuss and field questions on industry challenges, such as legislation and vehicle technology, at the February 7 State of the Association presentation.

Discover how SEMA can help specialty-equipment market businesses in 2008 by attending the State of the Association presentation on Thursday, February 7, at 12:00 p.m. (EST) during the SEMA Spring Expo/SEMA OFFROAD in Indianapolis. All SEMA members are invited to attend, entrance is free and we're even providing lunch. The presentation will be held in room 116-117.

Won't be in Indy? No problem. SEMA will offer a live audio stream of the event online here: www.sema.org/stateoftheassociation. Note: A software download (should take about 45 seconds) is required to access the presentation online. For more information, call 909/396-0289.

Held annually, the SEMA State of the Association traditionally features SEMA executives discussing current programs and informing members about what to expect in the coming year. The 2008 program will include a new format, with television personality and current SEMA Board member Dennis Gage moderating the hour-long presentation. Gage will be joined by SEMA Chairman Jim Cozzie, Chairman-Elect Rick Rollins and President and CEO Chris Kersting, as they explore what the association is doing to assist members and overcome today’s tough economic challenges. Discussions will include topics, such as hiring and training, legislation, research, vehicle technology and more.

Those attending in person will be able to talk directly with Cozzie, Rollins and Kersting, and learn what specific programs are available to help them, whether they are manufacturers, jobbers, distributors, retailers, installers or in another category within the industry. Members unable to attend in person may participate in a live webcast of the event or listen to a recorded version afterwards. Details about both these opportunities are available at www.sema.org.

To attend the State of the Association presentation, e-mail Peter MacGillivray at peterm@sema.org.

Registration for SEMA Spring Expo and SEMA OFFROAD, February 8–9, 2008, is in full swing and available online for attendees by visiting www.semaspringexpo.com and www.semaoffroad.com. The spring events deliver the acclaimed SEMA Show experience to the Indianapolis area and surrounding regions. With a special emphasis on trucks and SUVs, exhibitors will display a variety of products and services covering accessories, restyling, wheels and tires, and mobile electronics.

To see all industry manufacturers exhibiting at SSE/SOR, click here.

Additionally, make sure to watch for Ford's 2008 Styling Awards for Best Use of Accessories on a Ford truck/SUV. Awards will be judged by Ford's Warren Nally and are available to any Ford truck/SUV on display at SEMA Spring Expo/SEMA OFFROAD.

For more information about the events, contact Gary Vigil at: garyv@sema.org.

More than 200 media representatives showed up for the 2008 MPMC Media Trade Conference held last week in Los Angeles. Representing trade and consumer publications, media attendees met with 100 leading motorsports manufacturers in one-on-one meetings, and left the three-day event with a year’s worth of editorial content.

The dates and location for the 2009 conference will be announced in the near future. To learn more about how the event operates, click here.

To learn about the MPMC and exhibiting at the conference, visit www.sema.org/mpmc or contact Jim Skelly at jimsk@sema.org. To learn about attending as a media representative, contact Della Domingo at dellad@sema.org.

The SEMA eNews staff had the opportunity to meet with a broad cross section of the motorsports manufacturer community. Here are some of the folks we had the pleasure to check in with, and in some cases, meet for the first time.

Dave McClelland and MPMC Chairman Lisa Chissus open the
Media Trade Conference banquet and awards ceremony.

Bill Tichenor, Director of Marketing, Holley Performance Products Inc.

Kevin Feeney, Product Manager, Racing Head Service

(From left) Rick Craze, President; Ken Wagstaff, Creative Director;
Brian Downard, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Lokar Performance Products

Bart Ivic (left), Marketing Manager; Joe Young, Product/Marketing Manager
Instrumentation, SPX Corporation

Dan Qualls, National Sales Manager, Total Seal

Ken Warner (left), V.P. Sales and Marketing, Dick Cepek Tire & Wheels;
Don Sneddon, Advertising Manager, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels

Kelly Tidwell, Pure Power! Lubricants

L.J. “Lou” Lobsinger Jr., National Sales Manager, Specialty Auto Parts USA Inc.

Steve Cole, Communications Manager, Flaming River Industries

Eric Waters, Sales and Marketing Coordinator, Zoom Performance Products

Beth Mooney, Brand Manager, North American Aftermarket, Tenneco

Harold Johnson (left), Market Research Analyst, John Espino,
New Business & Market Development, Gale Banks Engineering

Eric Flavin (left), Head of Development, Randy Schnose, Director of Operations, Speed Direct

Gregg Ghelfi, President, True Flow

Steve Houtman (left), Jon Clark, Mopar/Chrysler

Bob Scheid, Vice President, Fidanza Engineering Corp.

Hank Daniecki (left), Kevin Woodruff, Sales Manager, SLP Performance Parts

Peter Medina, President, Synapse Engineering, with his company's New Product Award-winning wastegate.

Gregg Vandermark (left), Duane Sampson, Yokohama Tire Corp.

Kevin Doyle, Sales & Marketing Manager,
Global West Suspension

Scott Gross, Technical Training Manager, Sales Support, Skyjacker

Elie Nahed, Mr. Gasket Company

Ron Rotunno, Product Manager, Federal Mogul Corp.

Kyle Snyder, Performance Market Analyst, Garrett by Honeywell

Lisa Chissus, President, Flex-a-Lite, MPMC Chairman

Duane LaFleur, Motorsports Sales Manager, Jiffy-tite

Bruce Bennett, President, Stage 8 Locking Fasteners

The Ford Flex is among the 2009 models for which Ford is accepting project car proposals.

SEMA members! Ford is now accepting proposals from companies that would like to build a Ford or Lincoln project vehicle. This year's program includes new 2009 models Ford Flex, F-150 and the Mercury MKS. For proposal criteria and the submission deadline, visit www.sema.org/oem and click on the 2008 Ford Project Vehicle Program link under the Ford logo.

Also note that a limited number of awards will be given this year for vehicle modifications that result in significant improvements in vehicle fuel economy and/or reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Such modifications must not impair vehicle emissions performance. Projects that explore opportunities beyond bio-fuel conversion will be given greater consideration.

For additional information on project-vehicle programs, contact Bill Wolf at billw@sema.org.