Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show, the premier gathering for the automotive specialty-equipment industry, is now open at www.semashow.com/register.

Taking place November 1–4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the 2022 SEMA Show will build upon the positive momentum following last year’s event, which successfully connected the $47.8 billion industry in person in what was the largest automotive trade show in North America since the pandemic shut everything down in 2020.

“The SEMA Show is where industry professionals go to grow existing relationships, create new ones, and push their businesses forward,” said Tom Gattuso, SEMA vice president of events. “Exhibitors are eager to showcase their products and services to the tens of thousands of qualified professionals in attendance.”

Anticipation for this year's SEMA Show ramped up in recent weeks as exhibitors selected their booth locations during Priority Space Selection, a weeks-long process that took place May 2–18.

“Enthusiasm for the 2022 Show continues to exceed last year’s, with more than 1 million sq. ft. of exhibitor space already committed for the 2022 SEMA Show and confirmed spaces running 25% above last year,” said Warren Kosikov, SEMA vice president of sales.

Attendees at the 2022 SEMA Show will learn about the latest products, trends and technology in the industry from manufacturers exhibiting throughout the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, including the surrounding parking lots. Educational seminars led by industry experts and networking events that bring market niches together will also be available during the four-day trade event.

“Our industry continues to thrive despite current challenges in the marketplace, and last year’s event proved that the value of conducting business and networking face-to-face can never be replaced,” said Gattuso. “Our mission is to help continue that momentum by providing an unparalleled experience that builds meaningful business relationships.”

Registration for the 2022 SEMA Show is offered in three categories—attendee, exhibitor and media—and everyone must qualify to attend. Attendees are encouraged to register early at www.semashow.com/register so they can secure their credentials and receive updates on breaking news from the 2022 SEMA Show.

Attendees are encouraged to check the floorplan to see where the companies they need to interact with will be located at the 2022 SEMA Show.

For more information about qualifying documents and the 2022 SEMA Show, log on to www.semashow.com.

By SEMA Editors

Latest Jobs Added to SEMA Career Center

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings around the country. Here are some of the latest jobs posted to the website.

Sales Tech
Classic Performance Products is hiring a sales tech responsible for assisting customers via telephone in parts lookup and ordering; answering heavy call volume of technical calls; handling returns processing and other sales, technical and customer service functions; and providing outstanding customer service while achieving sales objectives. This position requires a working knowledge of automotive systems, replacement parts sales and the needs of classic car owners and industry-specific knowledge of steering, brake and suspension components.

Garage Assistant
Nostrum High Performance is hiring a garage assistant responsible for the maintenance, supply and care of the vehicle fleet as well as the garage and dynamometer facilities themselves. Additionally, product integration activities, such as installation trials and product testing, shall also be available. The associate will support vehicle development, testing and validation in the shop on chassis dynamometer and in the field. The associate will work closely and follow the guidance of the engineering technician and report to the director of calibration. Candidates must hold a valid driver’s license and a good driving record. 

Manufacturing Process Engineer
Cognito Motorsports is hiring a manufacturing process engineer responsible for improving the processes, documentation and efficiencies applied at each stage of the product production cycle, from building-to-packaging-to-shipping. This position will work with cross-functional teams, including engineering, manufacturing, assembly/packaging, marketing and contract manufacturers to establish and refine production processes and workflows. This position will also concurrently develop, review and improve detailed bills of operations for new and existing products with a focus on manufacturing and assembly efficiency, quality control, repeatability and timely completion.

By SEMA Editors

Dates and locations have been scheduled for several upcoming SEMA-sponsored shows, measuring sessions and activities.

By Ashley Reyes

OEMs are transitioning their conventional ICE powertrains to electric. As a result, companies with performance products for ICE vehicles may need to pivot and adjust to electric vehicles.

Discover how one company has taken the traditional performance recipe and applied it to the cars of the future. During SEMA’s webinar “EV Tuning: A Reality Today” on June 23, Marie Pier Forget of Ingenext will share exciting developments that her company developed in EV powertrain tuning.

SEMA members are invited to join the session, where they will hear about the company’s performance gains for EVs, methods used, and application range of their cutting-edge product line.

Attendees will learn how:

• Performance increases on EVs are possible and obtain examples of opportunities for performance modifications of electric vehicles.
• The traditional hot-rod recipe of applying ingenuity to make products better and unique still holds true on EVs.
• Enthusiasts come in all types, and a car doesn’t need to be gasoline powered to be fast and fun.

Registration is free. Sign up here.

By Rachel Tatum

The automotive industry is excited to reconnect with manufacturers this November in Las Vegas for the 2022 SEMA Show. While buyers at the SEMA Show often stop at booths that catch their eyes, 70% of buyers arrive at the SEMA Show with a plan and a list of exhibitors that they want to see. Here are five ways to advertise you’re coming to this year’s Show.

Update your website!

Include messaging on your website to notify clients that you're attending this year’s SEMA Show. Buyers and media start planning their SEMA Show activities early. Don't miss the opportunity to notify clientele that you're attending the industry’s hottest trade event of the year! SEMA has compiled readymade tools that may be used in conjunction with your own marketing materials.

Write a Press Release!

The SEMA Show Online Media Center is an easy and effective tool to help exhibitors get their press releases to journalists covering the SEMA Show. Available exclusively to SEMA Show exhibitors, the site allows them to submit press releases and photos at no cost.

Tips to Writing an Effective Press Release

• Post early. Many publications, including SEMA News, run preview stories with deadlines beginning in July. Releases often run in the order they are submitted. Include a photo. Releases with photos are more likely to be used than those without photos. Tag correctly when you upload to the site. Many editors use the search function to find news that is relevant to their audience.

An easy-to-read press release with relevant content can create a lasting impression, generate media coverage and ultimately drive traffic to an exhibitor's booth. Exhibitors can upload their press releases now.

Update Your Email Signature!

Notify existing buyers that you're attending the SEMA Show by updating your staff's email signature to include SEMA Show dates and your booth number. Need a hand? Download this official SEMA Show email signature graphic to get you started.

Tell Your Social Media Followers!

SEMA Show attendees are encouraged to continue updating their social media feeds with content focused on plans for November’s event. Free social tools can be downloaded from the SEMA Show website. Don't forget to use the official hashtag, #SEMA2022, and tag us so we can engage with your posts!

Social Copy Ideas

• Did you hear? We're in for this year's SEMA Show! We can’t wait to see you in Las Vegas—it’s been too long!
• We're In! Visit us in booth #_________ for this year's hottest automotive event. We're looking forward to reconnecting with you at #SEMA2022!
• Don’t miss out! This year's SEMA Show is on and WE’RE IN!

Newsletter/Email Notifications!

Update your newsletter, blog or emails to include information notifying clients that you're attending the 2022 SEMA Show. Need help with graphics? Visit www.semashow.com/digital-tools for additional information.

Edelbrock Grand Opening to Celebrate Completion of Next Phase of HQ Renovation, Relocation

As part of a multi-million-dollar corporate investment plan, the headquarters of both Edelbrock Group and COMP Performance Group were consolidated to an existing facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

Edelbrock Group is celebrating another milestone in its headquarters relocation plan with a dedication and ribbon-cutting scheduled for June 10 at 11:00 a.m. Several dignitaries and guest speakers planned for the ceremony include members of the Desoto County Board of Supervisors; Olive Branch Mayor Ken Adams; Mississippi Development Authority Chief Economic Development Officer Bill Cork; and Edelbrock Group CEO Tim Jones. With an array of show vehicles parked outside, dignitary and media tours are available. There is also a special guest appearance from six-time IHRA World Champion and current NHRA Top Fuel driver Clay Millican, who will fire up his dragster to dedicate the building.

Edelbrock Group was formed in 2020 after merging two automotive aftermarket racing and performance companies: Edelbrock LLC and COMP Performance Group (CPG). As part of a multi-million-dollar corporate investment plan, the headquarters of both companies were consolidated to an existing CPG facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

The project’s first phase completed last year included transitioning many positions, machinery and manufacturing from Edelbrock’s California headquarters to Olive Branch. The second phase began in October 2021 and was recently completed in May 2022. It included the build-out of offices and a complete remodel of the second floor, making way for the relocation of the marketing, product management, sales and customer service divisions from offices in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Grand Opening festivities will conclude with a Celebratory Cruise-In Sunday, June 12, from 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. outside the new HQ building. During the event, guided tours will be offered to a limited number of registered guests. The GO Cruise-In is timed to precede the first stop on the Hot Rod Power Tour, being held at Tiger Lane at the Memphis Fairgrounds on Monday, June 13. The Edelbrock Group event trailer will be on display at the event and a special company-sponsored Hot Rods on Beale Street Cruise from Tiger Lane to Beale Street is planned for that evening. For more information about any of these events, contact Trent Goodwin at tgoodwin@edelbrock.com.

Mullen Automotive CEO to Be Featured on Benzinga’s “All Access” Series

Mullen Automotive Inc. has announced that David Michery, CEO and chairman, will be featured on Benzinga’s “All Access Series” on Friday, June 3, at 11 a.m. (EDT). Benzinga’s “All Access show” is a hub for discovering the latest trending stocks and investment opportunities and where individual investors get front-row access to live CEO interviews, due diligence presentations and Q&As with company leadership. Michery will begin his interview with host Spencer Israel at 11 a.m. (EDT). Michery’s previous interview with Benzinga was on March 30, and drew in viewers from around the world to watch his one-on-one fireside chat interview.

Mullen recently announced the “Strikingly Different” U.S. Test Drive Tour, covering 19 cities across the United States. The tour will begin this fall in Southern California and work its way throughout the United States. Further details can be found here, or place your Mullen FIVE reservation here. 

Peter MacGillivray Joins Electrify Expo

Electrify Expo has engaged trade-show and media-industry veteran Peter MacGillivray to lead the company’s B2B growth, development and expansion of  its future trade show offerings.

“We have big plans to expand our industry-facing events, education, and media channels with the leadership and expertise from Peter’s 20-plus years in the trade show and media business,” said BJ Birtwell, Electrify Expo Founder and Executive Producer.

Recently, MacGillivray expanded Electrify Expo's ‘Industry Day’ in both Long Beach and Austin, adding a full day of networking, programming and industry leadership to the schedule, including breakout sessions for the auto- and micro-mobility categories.

To attend Electrify Expo visit: www.electrifyexpo.com/attend.

Have some company news you would like to share? Let us know and the news may appear in an upcoming issue of SEMA News. Send your items for consideration to editors@sema.org.

Hagan, Salinas and Enders Earn Wins at NHRA New England Nationals

Matt Hagan delivered a run of 3.922 seconds at 327.98 mph in his 11,000-hp Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat for Tony Stewart Racing in the championship round against Robert Hight.

For the first time this year, Funny Car points leader Matt Hagan knocked off Robert Hight in the final round, powering to a third win of the season last Sunday at the NHRA New England Nationals at a sold-out New England Dragway. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) also picked up wins at the eighth of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. For the second straight day, NHRA and New England Dragway officials announced a sellout crowd at the facility.
 
Hagan delivered a run of 3.922 seconds at 327.98 mph in his 11,000-hp Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat for Tony Stewart Racing in the championship round against Hight, as the two standouts met in the final for the third time in 2022. Hight won the first two, including at the most recent race, but Hagan earned his 42nd career win on Sunday.

In Top Fuel, Salinas drove to his third win in what has been a stellar 2022 campaign, powering past Justin Ashley in the final round with a 3.729 at 330.80 in his 11,000-hp Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster. A year after falling in the final round at New England Dragway, Salinas made amends on Sunday, climbing to second in points with his sixth career victory. Brittany Force, who set the track speed record on Sunday with a run of 334.90, maintained the points lead, now 50 points over Salinas.

Enders capped off her weekend with a winning run of 6.547 at 211.00 in the finals in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Enders knocked off defending event winner Aaron Stanfield in the final round, claiming her third straight victory and fourth in what’s been a dominant 2022 season. Stanfield stayed second in points, though Enders’ lead grew to 92 points with the victory.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action June 17–19 with the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

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

By Juan Torres

Tickets to the 2022 SEMA Awards Gala, a prestigious celebration where industry leaders and SEMA Hall of Fame members are recognized, are now available at www.sema.org/gala.

The prestigious SEMA Awards Gala will return to Anaheim, California, on July 29, to honor industry leaders and SEMA Hall of Fame inductees.

Formerly known as the SEMA Installation Banquet & Gala, the annual SEMA Awards Gala is open to the industry and will take place July 29, at the brand-new Westin Anaheim Resort in Anaheim, California, in what will be a sort of homecoming for the industry. Following the inaugural SEMA Show at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1967, the trade show was held at the Anaheim Convention Center from 1968 to 1976 before moving to Las Vegas the next year.

“The SEMA Awards Gala is a great opportunity for the industry to come together at mid-year to connect in person and have meaningful conversations in an intimate setting,” said SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola. “Our roots extend to the city of Anaheim, so it will be exciting to return with friends and colleagues to honor industry leaders."

Among those honored at this year’s Gala are incoming and outgoing board members and 2022 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees Walker Evans, Jack Roush and “Gene” Winfield.

The SEMA Cares Pinewood Drags, a cherished Gala tradition, will also return to offer industry participants the chance to sponsor a child-built pinewood racecar or challenge industry colleagues in head-to-head competition. The races, which are run throughout the Friday reception and into the evening, support SEMA Cares, a group that unites the automotive aftermarket’s fundraising efforts to raise money for various charities.

To secure one of the limited number of available seats and tables available for the 2022 SEMA Awards Gala, visit www.sema.org/gala. For more information about the SEMA Pinewood Drag Races or to sponsor a car, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana and South Dakota will hold their 2022 primary elections on Tuesday, June 7, and it’s important to know which candidates support racing when going to the polls or voting early. For information on voting in the primary (including absentee and early voting), registering to vote and identifying your lawmakers and the candidates running in 2022, visit SEMA’s vote racing page.

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act), H.R. 3281 and S. 2736, enjoys strong support from California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana and South Dakota members of Congress. The bipartisan RPM Act guarantees the right to modify street cars, trucks and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles and safeguards the industry’s right to offer parts that enable racers to compete. For more information on the RPM Act, click here.

Below is a list of federal lawmakers who have co-sponsored the RPM Act in the 2021–2022 session of Congress and are running for re-election in 2022.

CALIFORNIA:

• Rep. Raul Ruiz [D-CA-36]*
• Rep. Tom McClintock [R-CA-4]*
• Rep. Norma J. Torres [D-CA-35]*
• Rep. David G. Valadao [R-CA-21]*
• Rep. Salud O. Carbajal [D-CA-24]*
• Rep. Doug LaMalfa [R-CA-1]*
• Rep. Ken Calvert [R-CA-42]*
• Rep. Julia Brownley [D-CA-26]*
• Rep. Scott H .Peters [D-CA-52]*
• Rep. Jimmy Panetta [D-CA-20]*
• Rep. Mike Thompson [D-CA-5]*
• Rep. Young  Kim [R-CA-39]
• Rep. Pete Aguilar [D-CA-31]
• Rep. Jay Obernolte [R-CA-8]
• Rep. Tony Cárdenas [D-CA-29]

IOWA:

• Rep. Cyntia Axne [D-IA-3]

MISSISSIPPI:

• Rep. Trent Kelly [R-MS-1]

MONTANA:

• Rep. Matthew M. Rosendale Sr. [R-MT-At Large]

SOUTH DAKOTA:

• Sen. John Thune [R-SD]
• Rep. Dusty Johnson [R-SD-At Large]

*Original RPM Act co-sponsor

For more information, contact erics@sema.org.

This is the upcoming ’23 Ram HD refresh in 3500 dually form.

Taking a look at the truck, it appears that the biggest change will be to the hood, which will get a RAM air intake similar to what’s found on the Silverado and Sierra HD. From there, we see a new set of advanced camera mirrors, specifically Magna’s CLEARVIEW camera monitoring system. The technology is reportedly going to be ready for production applications starting in ’22–’23, and some variants of the RAM lineup will be the first to use the system.

The ’23 Ram HD is set to debut shortly before launching later this year.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde