Compiled by SEMA Editors

Mac Tools and Kalitta Motorsports Extend 20-Year Partnership

Kalitta Motorsports and Mac Tools have announced that one of the longest running sponsorship relationships will continue into its 20th NHRA season through a multiyear extension agreement. Doug Kalitta, one of the winningest Top Fuel racers in NHRA history, will continue to race the red-and-white 300-mph Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster throughout the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Kalitta, along with the rest of the Kalitta Motorsports team, will continue their commitment to building the Mac Tools brand, raising product awareness with fans and technicians while engaging with Mac Tools’ distributors across the country. Throughout the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, Kalitta Motorsports will highlight its Top 20 Mac Tools Moments. Additionally, the team designed a commemorative logo which will be featured throughout the season.

Chip Ganassi Racing to Enter Extreme E With GMC

GMC has announced a new multiyear sponsorship with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) for the team’s first electric racing venture in the inaugural Extreme E season in 2021. CGR will compete in a 550-hp electric SUV inspired by the GMC HUMMER EV. Noted off-road racers Kyle LeDuc and Sara Price will serve as drivers for CGR in the series. The Extreme E five-race global championship will take place in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles.

Season 1 Extreme E Calendar:

• Desert X Prix: AlUla, Saudi Arabia: April 3-4
• Ocean X Prix: Lac Rose, Senegal: May 29-30
• Arctic X Prix: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland: August 28-29
• Amazon X Prix: Para, Brazil: October 23-24
• Glacier X Prix: Patagonia, Argentina: December 11-12

40 Races For Inaugural BMR Drivers Academy Season

Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) has released the 40-race schedule for the inaugural BMR Drivers Academy, which begins on March 26, at the All American Speedway in Roseville, California. The series will compete at five NASCAR National and Weekly Series tracks across the state. There are 16 two-day events on the calendar, which will visit oval tracks like Irwindale Speedway (Irwindale, California) and Kern County Raceway Park (Bakersfield, California). Road courses include Sonoma Raceway (Sonoma, California) and Thunderhill Raceway (Willows, California). The roster of drivers includes standouts from grassroots motorsports across North America. Drivers will compete in full-sized stock cars utilizing a 625-hp NASCAR Yates spec engine and the same chassis components as ARCA and the NASCAR Truck Series.

After races 14, 24, and 30, the points leader will be awarded an opportunity to compete in the Bill McAnally Racing Toyota for a 2021 ARCA event. Drivers that win race events in the Drivers Academy during the season will also receive one entry per win towards a drawing for the opportunity to compete with BMR/MHR in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Phoenix in November. Races will be streamed live to a worldwide audience via SPEED SPORT TV. For more information, visit www.bmrdriversacademy.com.

HPD Announces Super Formula Scholarship

Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Honda Motor Company have announced a new scholarship program to support the Formula Regional Americas series and the Super Formula Championship based in Japan. HPD and Honda Motor will award the 2021 champion of the Formula Regional Americas series with a scholarship—value of up to $600,000—to participate in the 2022 Super Formula series season.

The Formula Regional Americas (formerly F3) is an FIA-supported series promoted by Parella Motorsports Holdings and sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing. The internationally known Super Formula series is the top level of open-wheel racing in Japan and features a high downforce Dallara chassis powered by 500+ hp engines.

For more racing news, visit Performance Racing Industry’s (PRI) website.

This is the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor, and video confirms that at least one Raptor variant will pack a 5.2 V8 engine straight from the heart of the Shelby GT500, and will make between 725 and 750 hp, according to sources. The engineer was overly cautious when it came to accelerating, and even went as far as cutting through subdivisions to get back to Roush (the same Roush that helped develop the GT500).

One source said “Honestly, we had to counter RAM once we knew they installed the HellCat in the TRX”. The team is allegedly looking to beat the Ram TRX at all costs.

Expect an official debut in Q1 2021.

Photo credit: Brian Williams/SpiedBilde

This is the upcoming Ford F-150 Raptor, and video confirms that at least one Raptor variant will pack a 5.2 V8 engine straight from the heart of the Shelby GT500, and will make between 725 and 750 hp, according to sources. The engineer was overly cautious when it came to accelerating, and even went as far as cutting through subdivisions to get back to Roush (the same Roush that helped develop the GT500).

One source said “Honestly, we had to counter RAM once we knew they installed the HellCat in the TRX”. The team is allegedly looking to beat the Ram TRX at all costs.

Expect an official debut in Q1 2021.

Photo credit: Brian Williams/SpiedBilde

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA is accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame.

Established in 1969, the SEMA Hall of Fame recognizes people who have contributed a significant body of work to the industry over a long period of time, and is the most prestigious award presented to an individual by the association. It is designed to honor the leaders, innovators, creators and enthusiasts who have helped transform small, burgeoning businesses into an industry worth more than $44.6 billion annually.

Nominate an individual who epitomizes the essence of ingenuity in action, before the Friday, March 19, deadline.

To learn more about the SEMA Hall of Fame and for a list of inductees, visit www.semahof.com or contact Lindsay Bianco at lindsayb@sema.org or 909-978-6692.

By Ashley Reyes

Join the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) as they host a Facebook Live Chat with Kathryn Reinhardt, senior marketing manager at 4 Wheel Parts, and a member of the SEMA Board of Directors, February 9, 12:00 p.m. (PST).

Reinhardt has worked in the aftermarket automotive industry for more than 15 years, and has a proven track record of accomplishments, both in her career and as a volunteer for the association. In addition to her professional career experiences, Reinhardt is the chairwoman of SEMA Cares, and she plays an active role in the success of many SEMA councils and networks, earning her recognition as 2015 SEMA Person of the Year, 2015 YEN Vanguard Award winner, 2014 SBN Woman of the Year, and 2014 LTAA (now TORA) Chairman’s Award.  

As host of SBN’s Live Chat, Reinhardt will share detail about her start in the industry, inspirational stories about the women she met along the way and give advice on knowing what you want and how to ask for it.

Tune into SBN’s Facebook page, February 9, at 12:00 p.m. (PST).

By Ashley Reyes

Join the SEMA Young Executives Network (YEN) as they host a Facebook Live Chat with managing partner of Lodestone Events Lindsay Hubley, Wednesday, February 10, at 12:00 p.m. (PST).

Having started her career in 2003 with her family-owned company, The Promotion Co. & Family Events, Hubley is experienced at managing large-scale consumer events. In 2014, Family Events was acquired by Bonnier Corp, where Hubley led the company’s event division before leaving in 2018 to form Lodestone Events in partnership with her sister, Jessica Kirchner. The following year, Lodestone Events acquired the world’s premier overland and adventure travel event, Overland Expo.

Join the Live Chat on YEN’s Facebook page to hear how Hubley has managed disruption in the events industry during the past year, how Covid has impacted business, and what her company has planned to move forward in 2021. 

  By Ashley Reyes

Mark your calendars and join the SEMA Young Executives Network (YEN) for a virtual happy hour, February 1, at 5:00 p.m. (PST).

This is an ideal opportunity for young industry professionals to network and make new connections at a time when travel and physical interactions may be limited. Attendees will hear about the network’s upcoming programs for 2021 and participate in a career development breakout session.

Meeting Agenda:
Ice Breaker – 10 minutes
Virtual Breakouts – 30 minutes

*Attendees can participate in one breakout session of their choice and will be encouraged to turn on their audio and webcam for the best experience.

Breakout Topics:

• Product Development/Engineering
• Marketing and Social Media Engagement
• Managing Sales Territories and Customer Visits in COVID Era.

General Forum and Updates on YEN events – 10 minutes

Register here.

Questions regarding the event can be directed to YEN Director Denise Waddingham at deniselw@sema.org.

By Richard Hail

Gear up for a brand-new episode of the “2020 SEMA: Battle of the Builders” TV special, Sunday, February 7, at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on the History Channel by watching past episodes in a week-long marathon on the SEMA Show YouTube channel.

For the first time ever, the entire catalog of “SEMA: Battle of the Builders” specials will play exclusively on the SEMA Show YouTube channel. With each episode from 2014-2019 debuting on the channel from Monday, February 1–Saturday, February 6, at 9:00 p.m. (EST), the one-hour program will premiere with past hosts and organizers introducing each episode and joining in on live chats and commentary about the competition.

The newest episode of “SEMA: Battle of the Builders” will air on A+E Networks’ History Channel on Sunday, February 7, at 9:00 a.m. (EST). You’ll be transported behind the scenes of the competition and see exclusive interviews with the builders that aren’t available anywhere else. Hear their stories, see their builds and watch as the judges choose their winner.

“Since the competition was introduced in 2014, the SEMA Battle of the Builders celebrates the products, companies and builders who have vehicles on display at the SEMA Show,” stated Ira Gabriel, vice president of marketing, PR and communications.

Starting with just over 125 entries in 2014, the pool of challengers has more than doubled with 300+ vehicles competing in 2020 during SEMA360.

Vehicles are judged according to their respective category, and include Hot Rod, Truck/Off-Road and Import/Sport Compact. In 2016, SEMA added the Young Guns category, which highlights and supports up-and-coming builders who are 27 years old or younger.  

Be sure to subscribe and click the “set reminder” button once the premieres go up on the SEMA Show YouTube channel. And follow along with all the #SEMABOTB action on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For more information about the SEMA Battle of the Builders program, point your browser to www.semabotb.com.

By SEMA Editors

Longtime automotive aftermarket marketing and advertising professional Stan Goldstein passed away, Tuesday, January 19, after a year-long battle with health issues.

During his life, Goldstein represented many iconic brands, including Hooker Headers, where he created the famous Hooker heart logo and tag line “I love my Hooker Headers.”

While senior vice president and creative director at J.R Powers Associates, Goldstein managed the WR Grace Automotive Division brands, including, Mr. Gasket, HURST, Sig Erson, Weld Wheels, HURST/Airheart, Airheart Brakes, and Keystone Industries. His company, Stan Goldstein Advertising, continued to flourish, representing Alston Race Car Engineering, ARP, Power Slot Brakes and countless others.

In his earliest days, Goldstein, along with lifelong friend, Craig Breedlove, was a founding member and past president of the original all-Chevrolet club, “Chev’s of Venice.” Goldstein was a regular at Sagus, Santa Ana, San Fernando, and Lions drag strips, as well as on the Southern California dry lakes in his flathead-powered ’32 Coupe.

Always up for an adventure, Goldstein joined Breedlove’s Spirit of America land-speed record team as general manager, and was a contributor from Breedlove’s first attempt though his final attempt. Goldstein was once again by his friend’s side as general manager during the 1997 “Dual in the Desert,” where  Breedlove went head-to-head with Andy Green to see who would be the first to go supersonic on land.

Goldstein was an active SEMA member for more than 30 years, and was one of the original group that came together at a Downey restaurant to create the Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association. As general manager of the Spirit Equipment Company, he was a major participant at the first SEMA Show held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Over the years, Goldstein held two terms as chairman of the SEMA Public Relations Committee. In addition, as chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the SEMA Foundation, Goldstein directed and participated in the writing and development of the original product safety specs and certification program that became the base of today’s SFI program.

Goldstein never strayed far from his street-racing roots, and was the executive vice president of the International Brotherhood of Street Racers. Together, Goldstein and club president Big Willie Robinson were instrumental in the founding of Brotherhood Raceway on Terminal Island—the first drag strip officially permitted in Los Angeles County.

Never one to shy away from the driver’s seat, between 1985 and 1990, Goldstein became a five-time SCCA Road Racing Champion, setting lap records at Riverside, Willow Springs, Firebird, and Las Vegas Raceways in his beloved March sports racer.

A memorial will be held at Willow Springs Raceway; date to be announced. Donations may be made to the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund in memory of Stan Goldstein.

By Ashley Reyes

SEMA Virtual Education includes a comprehensive library of on-demand sessions that members are invited to access anytime, anywhere. Available at www.sema.org/virtual-education, the program includes live, simu-live and new recordings that feature leading experts talking about the most current topics and trends.

Upcoming live and debut sessions are listed below, with more sessions to be announced throughout the year. Stay tuned to SEMA eNews as new events are announced weekly.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021 – How to Protect Your Brand’s Online Reputation

Track: Marketing & Sales

Your online reputation can make or break your business. The challenge is that people are more motivated to post online when they’re unhappy than when they’re happy. How should businesses respond when they receive negative feedback? How can you create a process for acquiring more positive reviews? All this and more will be answered in this session.

Register here.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021 – Facebook Live Chat with Kathryn Reinhardt

Track: Industry Talks

Tune into a Facebook Live Chat with Kathryn Reinhart, SEMA Board of Director and Senior Marketing Manager at 4 Wheel Parts. Named SEMA Person of the Year in 2015 for her dedication and accomplishments in the industry, Reinhardt will share details about her start in the industry, inspirational stories about women she met along the way, and give advice on knowing what you want and how to ask for it.

Location: SBN Facebook page

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 – Replica Car Program Finalized: Everything You Need to Know

Track: Legislative & Regulatory

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has completed a rule allowing low volume vehicle manufacturers to produce and sell replica cars, vehicles that appear to be at least 25 years old. Join a panel of industry experts as they provide an overview of the new program and practical considerations if selling replica cars, engine packages, or vehicle parts.

Register here.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 – Facebook Live Chat with Lindsay Hubley

Track: Industry Talks

Hear from Lodestone Events’ managing partner Lindsay Hubley as she talks about challenges in the events industry during Covid-19 and what her company has planned for 2021. Lodestar Events is an event production company that specializes in event planning & logistics, marketing & communications, and sponsorship & exhibitor sales, and oversees the world’s premier overland and adventure travel event, Overland Expo.

Location: YEN Facebook page

Tuesday, February 16, 2021 – Classic Cars, Modern Markets  

Series: SEMA Industry Insight Series

Track: Trends & Research

Classic cars and trucks represent a $890 million market. Find out how you may be able to capitalize on this market by learning about new research that shows what types of parts are bought for classic vehicles, what the vehicles are primarily used for and the behaviors of the vehicle owners. Presented by SEMA Market Research, the information represents new data and findings that will help you better understand the opportunities available.

Register here.