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SBTV.com will once again attend and cover the SEMA Show, offering Show highlights and a chance for attendees to market their businesses through video interviews aired on its website. 

The web TV enterprise will produce highlight segments and features about the event, as well as attendee "Spotlight Interviews" in the traveling studio set up front and center on the trade Show floor. SBTV's coverage of the Show will also air on www.SEMAShow.com.

"SBTV.com is very excited about our ongoing partnership with SEMA," says SBTV.com President Dan Demko. "[The Show] provides a wealth of great content for our site, and we are also happy to be able to share it with SEMA for distribution to help them offer even more valuable resources for SEMA members."

Tires and wheels are the most sought-after products by consumers, so it should not come as a surprise that one of the largest and fastest-growing sections of the SEMA Show is the Performance Tires & Wheel area, sponsored by the Tire Industry Association (TIA). Considered by some to be the fashion center of the SEMA Show, this section features the latest technologies in performance and off-road tires for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs and racing cars. The bulk of the exhibitors can be found in the lower level of South Hall, with additional exhibitors located on the north end of the upper level (also in South Hall).

To view all of the exhibitors in the Performance Tires & Wheels section, click here.

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

>> MRC Rep Conference, September 26–27, Phoenix
>> SEMA Show, October 30–November 2, Las Vegas
>> MPMC Media Trade Conference, January 22–24, 2008, Los Angeles
>> SEMA Spring Expo/SEMA Offroad, February 8–9, 2008, Indianapolis
>> SEMA National Education Conference, April 9–11, 2008 Nashville
>> SEMA Washington Rally, May 14–15, 2008, Washington, D.C.
>> PAACE Automechanika Mexico, July 9–11, 2008, Mexico City

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

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 enable the employee to participate in webinars, access free market research, join SEMA committees and more. The newest classified listings posted under Positions Available include:

• Inside Sales, Corona, California
• Territory Sales Manager, Atlanta, Georgia
• Product Category Manager, Stow, Ohio
• Product Manager, Irwindale, California
• Account Manager, Phoenix, Arizona

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.

Nearly one in five (18%) automotive enthusiasts say they have attended drifting events within the last year, according to SEMA's 2007 Automotive Lifestyles enthusiast survey. The following is a short excerpt from the 2006 SEMA Compact Performance Market Report, which delves further into the subject of drifting:

As of 2006, drifting has become such a frequent topic in the industry that hardly anyone is blind to its presence. Still, there remain some questions regarding the current stage of the trend and its future. Some say it's going to be the sport that replaces drag racing while others are adamant that the bubble will pop at any given minute. The most prudent guess is that it will be around for a long time, but will never reach the spotlight enjoyed by NASCAR or the NHRA.

Truth be told, it has growth potential so long as an infrastructure is there to build upon. The industry will have a significant influence on whether or not drifting can be given room to grow. With sanctioned events, an expanded offering of venues and sponsorship opportunities, drifting could blossom throughout the country.

The defining feature of a drift car is platform design. Front-engine, rear-drive cars work best and are by far the most used of any type. Mid-engine layouts are less capable than FR cars because they have better balance and tend to struggle getting loose, so their applicability is limited. Practically everyone agrees that front-wheel-drive cars are technically incapable of drifting, yet some rare examples do exist. This prejudice appears insurmountable, however, and it is doubtful that FF cars will make much impact on the drifting scene.
   
With few exceptions, OEMs have phased out or limited affordable FR cars during the last few years. Of the options that remain, sports cars and high-end sedans are suitable but come with a price penalty that younger enthusiasts cannot overcome. Due to this shallow market, drifting fans have been forced towards the used-car market where they can buy some of the same vehicles their Japanese icons use.

Without question, the most affordable and accessible car targeted is the Nissan 240SX. What the Honda Civic was for early tuners, the 240SX is for drifters. Another favorite is the '83–'87 Toyota Corolla that came with rear drive and some basic performance options. This car became extremely popular overnight due to Internet forums, magazine coverage and industry buzz. Used-car prices for both cars have swelled as demand has grown exponentially. Other favored cars include the Mazda RX-7 (2nd and 3rd generation) and siblings, the RX-8 and Miata MX-5, the Nissan 350Z, Toyota Supra and Honda S2000.

When the Japanese racing series D1 Grand Prix brought drifting competition to the United States, it was open to recruiting experienced drivers that utilized domestic and non-traditional makes. Through these channels, it has become widely accepted to welcome cars such as the Ford Mustang, Pontiac GTO and Dodge Viper into the same arena as the Japanese models.

These would have been taboo in the previous compact-performance environment, but since the mentality has changed to accommodate rear-wheel-drive cars, the loyalties to import brands have loosened. That key element has opened the door for producers of components for domestic cars since this youth-dominated market has had members soften their “strictly JDM” disposition.

Undoubtedly, the hardcore JDM purists will remain loyal to whatever the Japanese are doing, but those on the fence have started to expand their range. Compact performance tuning is dominated by Japanese cars because there are simply more options to choose from and it has been easy for the crowd to stay focused on that perspective. Drifting, on the other hand, leaves the door wide open for domestic cars because the vehicle options are not as plentiful. With the exception of a handful of luxury and sports cars, there are roughly 10 Japanese models to choose from.

Information on the types of performance parts currently purchased and used for drifting can be found in the 2006 SEMA Compact Performance Market Report. SEMA members can receive a complimentary copy of this report as another benefit to being a SEMA member. This data-intensive report may be downloaded by visiting www.sema.org/research.

According to SEMA's 2007 Automotive Lifestyles enthusiast survey, 27% of those surveyed own a pickup, and 85% of these consumers say they have purchased specialty equipment for their trucks within the last year. The following is an excerpt from the 2006 SEMA Light Truck Personalization Report, which provides demographic information about owners of specific pickup models.

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Truck Owner Age
The majority of the truck owners surveyed are between the ages of 35 and 64 with a mean age of 47.06 years for fullsize pickup owners and 49.37 for midsize owners. The Silverado seems to be the most popular fullsize choice for those between the ages of 18 and 24, while the Dakota is the most popular choice for those 65 and older.



Truck Owner Education
The results indicate that Silverado owners have the lowest education level, while owners of the Tundra have the highest. Overall for fullsize pickup owners, 64% of those surveyed have had some college education or less.

In 1999, 32.8% of the truck owners surveyed had some college education, 22% were college graduates and 9.4% had postgraduate degrees. The 2004 results represented an increase in truck owners with postgraduate degrees, a decrease in truck owners with some college education and an equal percentage of truck owners with college degrees. In 2006, the results are spread rather evenly for both the midsize truck owners and the fullsize truck owners. Ridgeline owners are most likely to be college graduates, while Silverado owners are more likely to have a high school education or less.

SEMA members can now receive their complimentary copy of the 2006 SEMA Light Truck Personalization Report as another benefit to being a member. This data-intensive report is filled with valuable light-truck specialty-equipment industry information and can be downloaded by visiting www.sema.org/research.

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In the past decade, light truck owners have increased their purchases of accessory/appearance products, at the expense of performance and suspension/handling products, according to SEMA research. Sales of accessory/appearance products rose 9.1% between 1996-2006 to 62.6% of market segment share.

Performance products, meanwhile, dropped five percent over the decade to 10.1% in 2006, while suspension and handling products dipped six percent to 27.3% last year.

This and other valuable insight into light-truck market trends is available in the September 2007 issue of SEMA News magazine, available online here (or via back issue at 909/860-2961). The 2006 Light Truck Report and Light Truck Accessorization Report, published by SEMA Research and Information Center, are also available to SEMA members as another benefit of membership. Visit www.sema.org/research for more.