By SEMA News Editors

NASCAR Names Craig Stimmel as Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer

NASCAR has hired Craig Stimmel to lead all sales efforts for the sanctioning body as senior vice president and chief commercial officer.

In this role, Stimmel will oversee all sales aspects for NASCAR, including premier partner and official partner categories, race entitlements, track partnerships and media sales across owned channels such as Motor Racing Network (MRN) and NASCAR Digital Media. He will also work closely with NASCAR's media partners, teams and non-NASCAR tracks to cultivate commercial opportunities across the entire NASCAR ecosystem.

Stimmel previously led global sales and partnerships for the WWE, and held a similar role at Snapchat. Most recently, Stimmel was senior vice president of commercial for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Stimmel will be based in NASCAR's New York office and will manage employees across more than 20 office and race track locations. He will report to EVP, Chief Media and Revenue Officer Brian Herbst.

For more information, visit nascar.com.
 

TAG Heuer Extends Partnership With INDYCAR, IMS

Image Courtesy of Penske Entertainment: Chris Owens.
 

Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has renewed its longstanding, multiyear partnership with INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).

Continuing as the official watch and timekeeper of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500, TAG Heuer will remain a presenting sponsor of the Hulman Terrace Club hospitality suites at IMS.

TAG Heuer started its partnership with INDYCAR in 2014 and with the Indianapolis 500 and IMS in 2004.

TAG Heuer branding also will continue to have a strong presence at IMS, including on the IMS Pagoda and on the retaining wall near the Yard of Bricks start-finish line during the "Month of May."

For more information, visit indycar.com.

Drag Illustrated Winter Series Introduces Points Championship for Pro Mod

The 2024-25 Drag Illustrated Winter Series, a three-race championship contested at Bradenton Motorsports Park, will see drivers battling for the first-ever Drag Illustrated Winter Series Points Championship.

Drivers will accrue points for qualifying, elimination round victories and participation, ensuring that consistency and performance across all three events are rewarded. The World Series of Pro Mod will award points-and-a-half during eliminations.

For more information, visit thewinterseries.com.

Got racing industry news? Releasing a new product? Contact editors@performanceracing.com. 

By SEMA News Editors

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares Resigns

Stellantis, the multinational automaker that includes the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and other brands, has accepted the resignation of CEO Carlos Tavares with immediate effect.

The process to appoint the new permanent CEO is under way, managed by a special committee of the board, and will be concluded within the first half of 2025. Until then, a new interim executive committee, chaired by John Elkann, will be established.

"Our thanks go to Carlos for his years of dedicated service and the role he has played in the creation of Stellantis, in addition to the previous turnarounds of PSA and Opel, setting us on the path to becoming a global leader in our industry," said Elkann. "I look forward to working with our new Interim Executive Committee, supported by all our Stellantis colleagues, as we complete the process of appointing our new CEO. Together we will ensure the continued deployment of the Company’s strategy in the long-term interests of Stellantis and all of its stakeholders.”

For more information, visit stellantis.com.

Image courtesy of Stellantis.

Aptera to Showcase Solar Electric Vehicle at CES 2025

Aptera Motors will showcase its solar electric vehicle that requires no charging for most daily use at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025.

Aptera’s flagship vehicle, also called Aptera, offers up to 40 miles of solar-powered driving per day, an ultra-aerodynamic design, unparalleled energy efficiency and the option to plug in to charge for 400 miles on single charge in under an hour, the company said.

Currently, Aptera is in its final developmental stage before it kicks off series production and is building a series of production-intent vehicles.

At CES 2025, Aptera plans to showcase its production-intent vehicle to the public for the first time. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience firsthand how Aptera's solar-powered design redefines mobility. In addition to unveiling its vehicle, Aptera will be offering exclusive driving demos to select media personnel

For more information, visit aptera.us.

Image courtesy of Aptera.

Maaco Appoints Frank Petrane as President

Maaco has appointed Frank Petrane to serve as its brand president.

Prior to his appointment, Petrane served as senior vice president of fleet programs at Driven Brands. Petrane has spent more than 18 years in roles of increasing responsibility at Driven Brands, after starting with Maaco as a national account manager in 2006.

For more information, visit maaco.com.

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Future Leaders Network (FLN) has named Albert Torres, national sales manager at RIGID Industries, as the network's newest spotlight member.  

Get to know Torres in his interview with SEMA News below.  

SEMA News: What is the best advice you have ever received?  
Albert Torres: Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you adjust and correct the mistake that matters. This advice has allowed me to take chances and be more open to new things and changes. 

SN: What keeps you in the industry?  
AT: The community, for one, is phenomenal. When at an event or on a trail run, it is great to see everyone support each other. 

SN: Where can you be found on a Saturday?  
AT: When I am not working an event, you will find me on a baseball field. Two of my kids play baseball and I help with coaching as well. If there is no baseball or work, then camping is the go-to. 

SN: How do you prepare for an important meeting?  
AT: I like to make a list of my main points or questions prior to going to the meeting. 

SN: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who would it be?  
AT: Well, it wasn't lunch, but I was stoked this past MINT 400 to have the opportunity to meet [former professional off-road racer] Ivan Stewart. The guy is a legend! Ivan had a great presence at this last MINT 400, and it was great to hear some of his racing stories. 

Fill out an FLN member spotlight form to be eligible to be featured on FLN's social media, SEMA News and FLN member updates.  

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

Responding to an active effort to convince President-elect Trump to retain the Biden-Harris Administration's tailpipe rules and forgo a key campaign promise to halt electric vehicle mandates, SEMA has urged the incoming administration to stay the course and reject widely unpopular electric vehicle mandates. 

SEMA's letter follows a New York Times report that several of the nation's largest automakers are requesting that President-elect Trump keep the Biden-Harris Administration tailpipe emissions policy that would eliminate consumers' vehicle choice by mandating electric vehicles. 

"It is disheartening to hear that some within the automotive industry are seeking to largely keep the Biden Administration's tailpipe rules in place," the letter says. "On behalf of SEMA's members, we support your stated goal of a 'Day 1' end to EV mandates. As you are well aware, such mandates stifle the innovation and ingenuity that makes our nation great.

"EV mandates are the antithesis to what drives America. Whether these mandates arrive in the form of tailpipe emissions standards that can only be achieved through the sale of EVs or waivers that enable some states to impose their own standards on other states (as is the case of California's standards that as many as 16 states can adopt), they all destroy consumers' freedom to choose what vehicles they want--or need--to drive. While EVs are a part of the solution for reducing carbon emissions for mobile sources, mandates rob our nation's innovators of the opportunity to develop new technologies and solutions that meaningfully reduce emissions in a way that doesn't hurt consumers and small automotive businesses. They harm our economy, threaten to stifle interstate commerce, and place millions of jobs at risk." 

Read the full letter here.  

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

Responding to an active effort to convince President-elect Trump to retain the Biden-Harris Administration's tailpipe rules and forgo a key campaign promise to halt electric vehicle mandates, SEMA has urged the incoming administration to stay the course and reject widely unpopular electric vehicle mandates. 

SEMA's letter follows a New York Times report that several of the nation's largest automakers are requesting that President-elect Trump keep the Biden-Harris Administration tailpipe emissions policy that would eliminate consumers' vehicle choice by mandating electric vehicles. 

"It is disheartening to hear that some within the automotive industry are seeking to largely keep the Biden Administration's tailpipe rules in place," the letter says. "On behalf of SEMA's members, we support your stated goal of a 'Day 1' end to EV mandates. As you are well aware, such mandates stifle the innovation and ingenuity that makes our nation great.

"EV mandates are the antithesis to what drives America. Whether these mandates arrive in the form of tailpipe emissions standards that can only be achieved through the sale of EVs or waivers that enable some states to impose their own standards on other states (as is the case of California's standards that as many as 16 states can adopt), they all destroy consumers' freedom to choose what vehicles they want--or need--to drive. While EVs are a part of the solution for reducing carbon emissions for mobile sources, mandates rob our nation's innovators of the opportunity to develop new technologies and solutions that meaningfully reduce emissions in a way that doesn't hurt consumers and small automotive businesses. They harm our economy, threaten to stifle interstate commerce, and place millions of jobs at risk." 

Read the full letter here.  

By SEMA News Editors
 

Formula 1 Approves GM/Cadillac Entry for 2026

Formula 1 has announced that it has reached an agreement in principle with General Motors (GM) to bring GM/Cadillac as the 11th team to the Formula 1 grid in 2026. The automaker will also launch an F1 power unit by the end of the decade, GM said.

"Innovations created for Formula 1 will contribute to GM's push to drive the future of transportation, leveraging advanced electrification, powertrain, software and internal-combustion-engine technology for consumers around the globe," GM representatives said in a statement announcing the agreement. "Launching a Formula 1 team will also highlight the Cadillac brand to a diverse international audience, showcasing GM's technology and design capabilities."

Mario Andretti, the last American F1 Champion, will serve as a director on the team's board.

Since GM's bid to join F1 was announced in January 2023, Cadillac Formula 1 has assembled an experienced team to work on aerodynamics, chassis and component development, software, and vehicle dynamics simulation. The team has operations in Fishers, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Warren, Michigan; and Silverstone, England.

In addition to the Cadillac F1 partnership with GM, TWG Global owns and operates Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing and Spire Motorsports.

For more information, visit formula1.com or gm.com.

KYB-Supported Lexus LX600 Wins Stock Full Size Class at Baja 1000

KYB, the Japanese shock and strut manufacturer with American operations based in Indiana, partnered with the JAOS off-road racing team to claim victory in the Stock Full Size Class at the 2024 Baja 1000 with the team's Lexus LX600.

The team completed the endurance race in 28 hours and 47 minutes.

Tomonori Noto completed the drive as an Ironman competitor, meaning no other driver took the helm of the vehicle during the race.

To read more about the manufacturer and team's joint effort, visit kyb.com.

WoO Releases 2025 Sprint Car Schedule

World Racing Group has released the 2025 schedule for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car series.

The 48th season in series history will include 41 tracks in 21 states, as well as its first trip to Canada in eight years.

On-track action for 2025 kicks off in February at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida, and concludes in November at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, North Carolina.

Additionally, Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin, will join the calendar in 2025, the lone new facility on the schedule. Ohsweken Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway also return to the schedule for the first time since 2017 and 2014 respectively, making up a three-race swing in Ontario, Canada.

For more information, including the full 2025 schedule, visit worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars.

By SEMA News Editors

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings nationwide. Below are a few of the latest postings, including the following SEMA/PRI job listing:
 

Performance Racing Industry (PRI) and SEMA
Associate Editor in Diamond Bar, California
This new hire will contribute to the content and production of PRI Magazine across all platforms, plus work within the editorial department and closely with the art department and sales team to efficiently produce industry-leading content, among other duties.

Renegade Racing Fuels & Oils (A Division of Valor, LLC)
National Sales and Marketing Director in Owensboro, Kentucky
This new hire will, among additional duties, establish new business, maintain existing sales and increase the company's market share by working closely with the distributor's key personnel.

AMS Performance
Mechanical Engineer in Batavia, Illinois
This new hire utilizes their mechanical aptitude to spearhead the creation of innovative high-performance vehicle components, spanning from intake filters to exhaust tips and everything in between. 

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA's government affairs team has recently received a number of inquiries about the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) decision not to exempt motorhomes from their Advanced Clean Trucks rule. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule would require all medium- and heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2036.

SEMA has consistently opposed California's zero-emissions vehicle mandates in all forms, including filing a lawsuit against CARB's Advanced Clean Fleet rules in October. SEMA recently spoke with our counterparts at the RV Industry Association (RVIA) about CARB's Advanced Clean Trucks decision and how the organizations can better work together to oppose these eventual internal-combustion-engine bans. RVIA is continuing to hold its own discussions with CARB about a potential delay or exemption from the state's rule and recently shared this update with its membership.

SEMA has led the effort to pass legislation and resolutions in nine states over the past 18 months that support governments remaining technology-neutral when it comes to carbon emissions and vehicle technology. The "ban the [internal-combustion engine] bans" effort maintains that all forms of vehicle technology should remain on the table and that the government shouldn't mandate one form of vehicle technology over all others. SEMA, through its Driving Force Action SuperPAC, also implemented a successful voter education effort during this year's presidential and congressional campaigns, with a focus on ensuring voters in battleground states understand the impact of EV mandates on automotive aftermarket small businesses.

President-elect Donald Trump has committed to and prioritized a "Day 1" reversal of the federal EV mandates, as well as reversing California's internal-combustion-engine bans, should President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency approve those rules before President Biden leaves office.

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA's government affairs team has recently received a number of inquiries about the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) decision not to exempt motorhomes from their Advanced Clean Trucks rule. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule would require all medium- and heavy-duty trucks to be zero-emissions vehicles by 2036.

SEMA has consistently opposed California's zero-emissions vehicle mandates in all forms, including filing a lawsuit against CARB's Advanced Clean Fleet rules in October. SEMA recently spoke with our counterparts at the RV Industry Association (RVIA) about CARB's Advanced Clean Trucks decision and how the organizations can better work together to oppose these eventual internal-combustion-engine bans. RVIA is continuing to hold its own discussions with CARB about a potential delay or exemption from the state's rule and recently shared this update with its membership.

SEMA has led the effort to pass legislation and resolutions in nine states over the past 18 months that support governments remaining technology-neutral when it comes to carbon emissions and vehicle technology. The "ban the [internal-combustion engine] bans" effort maintains that all forms of vehicle technology should remain on the table and that the government shouldn't mandate one form of vehicle technology over all others. SEMA, through its Driving Force Action SuperPAC, also implemented a successful voter education effort during this year's presidential and congressional campaigns, with a focus on ensuring voters in battleground states understand the impact of EV mandates on automotive aftermarket small businesses.

President-elect Donald Trump has committed to and prioritized a "Day 1" reversal of the federal EV mandates, as well as reversing California's internal-combustion-engine bans, should President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency approve those rules before President Biden leaves office.

By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

U.S. Representatives Bill Posey (R-FL) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA), the co-chairs of the Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus, recently sent a letter (read the full letter HERE) to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requesting clarity on the agency's Combating Auto Retail Scams Trade Regulation Rule (CARS Rule) to ensure that it isn't used as a justification for auto dealers to limit customization options offered before the first point of sale.  

The CARS Rule is intended to provide more transparency to the process of buying and leasing cars and to stop deceptive and unfair practices that harm consumers, including bait-and-switch tactics, hidden charges, and other conduct. While the rule makes it illegal for auto dealers to charge customers for add-ons that don't provide a benefit, some dealers cite the CARS Rule as a reason they can't continue to offer legitimate add-ons offered by members of SEMA's Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) Council. 

The letter from Reps. Posey and Bishop requests that the FTC affirm that the rule does not prohibit dealerships from offering services that consumers demand, such as window tint, paint/underbody paint coating, replacing cloth with leather seat covers, paint protection film that scientifically reduces clear coat damage from rock chips, truck lifts, wheel and tire replacements, truck accessories, window tint that reduces ultraviolet (UV) rays, Tonneau Covers, spray-in bed liners, and remote starts.  

"Thank you to Representatives Posey and Bishop for seeking guidance from the FTC on this important matter," said Colby McLaughlin, President of Trim Illusion and Chair of SEMA's PRO Council. "It is critical that the FTC clarifies that the CARS Rule allows auto dealerships to continue to offer vehicle upgrades and customization offered by restylers. This letter from SEMA's allies in Congress is a testament to the association's advocacy efforts to protect our businesses and the future of the industry." 

Implementation of the CARS rule is currently delayed as the FTC awaits the outcome of a lawsuit before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals from the National Automobile Dealers Association. 

For additional information, contact Eric Snyder, SEMA's senior director of federal government affairs, at erics@sema.org.