Located inside the VIP tent, the event provides the ideal atmosphere for members to make new contacts and strengthen existing connections. It’s the ideal spot to watch the short-course race taking place that evening, and enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks.
King of the Hammers attendees who are not current TORA, WTC, SBN or FLN members but are interested in getting more involved are invited to attend, as it is a great way to introduce yourself and learn about what SEMA councils and networks have to offer.
Registration is requested so that event organizers can plan accordingly. RSVP now.
SEMA Show attendees and exhibitors can start making travel arrangements by taking advantage of the discounted airfare options available through the SEMA Show travel page.
SEMA Show organizers work with major air carriers to offer discounted airfare for exhibitors, attendees and media heading to the SEMA Show. Alaska, Delta and United are among the airlines offering up to 10% off on round-trip airfare to Las Vegas.
Each airline provides discounts for all Showgoers, whether they arrive a few days before the Show, or leave several days after. The valid travel dates that the discounts are available are below.
Travel Dates for Airfare Discounts
Alaska Airlines
October 27, 2023–November 8, 2023
Discount: 7% off published fares.
Online Reservations: www.alaskaair.com and enter discount code ECME606
Phone Reservations: Group Desk at 1-800-445-4435, a $15 per-person ticketing fee will be applied to phone reservations.
Delta Airlines
October 25, 2023–November 8, 2023
Discount: 5%–10%
Online Reservations: www.delta.com and enter the Meeting Event Code NM2EE in the box provided on the “Book a Flight” page.
For guidelines and questions, contact the Delta Meeting Network Desk at 1-800-328-2216 or at DeltaMeetingNetwork@delta.com.
United Airlines
October 24, 2023–November 6, 2023
Discount: 2%–10%
Online Reservations: www.united.com and enter your offer code ZN38 in the Promotions and Certificates box when searching for your flights.
Phone Reservations: United Meetings at 1-800-426-1122, provide them with the following information: Z Code: ZN38, Agreement Code: 978830. Note that a service fee will be collected per ticket when booking by phone.
For rates, booking information, discount codes and additional details on airfare, visit the SEMA Show travel page.
The 2023 SEMA Show takes place Tuesday–Friday, October 31–November 3, in Las Vegas. Visit www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth to secure booth space for the 2023 SEMA Show.
Complete information about the 2023 Show is available at www.SEMAShow.com.
For any company or corporate executive team, responding to an unexpected liability-insurance claim is not the time to find out that the business’ coverage is inadequate.
“We’ve had situations where someone was looking and they wish they found us three months ago,” said Bob Corwin, senior vice president of Alliant Insurance Services, an insurance consulting and brokerage service based in Irvine, California. “Most clients want to know that they have someone who understands their business.”
Product liability insurance is like life insurance for a manufacturing company—you need to know the right questions to ask before purchasing coverage.
Added Corwin’s partner, Franco Ganino, also a senior vice president at Alliant, “The ultimate goal is to provide defense should someone allege that their property has been damaged or they’ve been injured in some way through the use of your product.”
They made these statements during a recent webinar (the video can be viewed at https://learning.sema.org/on-demand-video) hosted by SEMA’s Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC). John Lambert, MPMC chair-elect, opened the online event, saying, “Today we’re going to cover product liability insurance, basically what is it, why do you need it, and if you have it, you may need to update it as your business grows and changes.”
With that he turned over the webinar to Corwin and Ganino, who explained that Alliant Insurance Services does not sell insurance coverage. Instead, as a SEMA benefit partner, Alliant acts as a consultant for SEMA members to make sure they have the right coverage.
“Our experience with the organization is one that we have taken seriously for several decades,” said Corwin. “We’re here to make sure SEMA members are protected properly.”
“Added Ganino, “SEMA defends, perpetuates and promotes the aftermarket industries and that aligns perfectly with our goals.”
In a quick poll, Lambert learned that 57% of the webinar attendees didn’t have product liability coverage, so Corwin and Ganino broke down the session into three primary segments: Section 1 covered the basics of product liability insurance, including how much a company needs and when to reassess those requirements; Section 2 explained how products are classified and how they impact what a company pays for coverage; and Section 3 explained how to be ready when a claim comes your company’s way.
Bob Corwin
Breaking It Down
Starting with the basics, Corwin and Ganino described product liability insurance as life insurance for a manufacturing company. It will protect a company from financial loss arising out of claims because it transfers the burden from the corporation to the insurance company. “Product liability is a critical element of transferring risk away from a manufacturer’s balance sheet,” said Ganino. It will pay for defense costs should there be a need to hire an attorney and will indemnify a third party for damages if needed.
Corwin explained that being more educated about the coverage lets an executive make a smarter choice at renewal time. It’s all about “making sure you have the proper coverage in place by maximizing the lowest cost possible with the best outcome with the insurance carrier and the coverage you have,” he said.
Technically speaking, product liability coverage is a subset of a general liability policy. It can be purchased individually, but most often, it’s part of a package. Part of the decision to purchase coverage can include determining that your company doesn’t need it. There are three paths a company can take. “You can transfer the risk by buying insurance,” said Ganino. “You can avoid the risk by not making the product, and the last one is to assume the risk.”
This is where asking the right questions before buying coverage comes into play. This is also where Alliant can play a key role because it doesn’t sell the insurance, but instead recommends coverage to companies. “You’re buying the expertise of the company, so if there’s a claim, they are ready to handle it,” said Ganino.
A typical liability policy generally covers a company’s aggregate, products/completed, operations aggregate, personal and advertising injury, per occurrence, fire legal liability and medical payment.
General policy limits start at $1 million with policy limits of $2 million for general aggregate; $2 million for products/completed, operations aggregate; $1 million for personal and advertising injury; $1 million per occurrence; $1 million for fire legal liability; and $5,000 for medical payments.
When it comes to assessing the risks and how much insurance is needed, the overall value of the company’s assets and the level of risk based on the products are key considerations. For example, if a company uses a wholesale distributor for its products, the manufacturer will want to be protected if someone buys through the distributor and files a claim.
“Those companies generally have insurance and legal departments that ask for $5 or $10 million,” said Ganino. With Alliant representing a company, he will push back against those numbers to ease the cost burden.
When shopping for liability insurance, a company should be aware of endorsements that exclude specific parts or uses of products. For example, an insurance policy could be considered to be “full coverage,” but it has an endorsement in the fine print for safety equipment or tires. If the company makes either of these two items and there’s a claim, there would be no coverage because of the endorsements.
The same goes for an employee using a personal car for business. If an incident occurs when an employee is using his/her own personal car and there’s an incident, a company will want to carry “hired and non-owned auto insurance coverage.” With the SEMA Show, many manufacturers basically lease a vehicle from a car company to display their products and accessories. An exhibitor is going to want to obtain coverage for that vehicle at least for the duration of the event.
Worldwide coverage is required for companies that do business outside their home country. “If you’re going to carry a distribution center in Germany, at that point you need to work with an agent that allows you to have defense in that country’s legal system,” said Ganino.
Then there’s the positioning or classification of products, and that’s where an experienced agency can prove valuable. “One of the things we found early on is insurance carriers having a big concern for various auto parts,” said Corwin. “One of the issues that came up was how were the companies marketing their products.”
For example, a low-risk category is restyling products like trim; medium-risk are powertrain products like pistons, rings and connecting rods. Safety equipment like suspension, brakes, steering are considered high risk.
“What we’re trying to do with underwriting is work closely with them based on these categories,” said Corwin. “How is the premium promulgated?”
Ganino said that different companies will approach the same part from a different angle. For example, is a bumper a higher-risk safety item or a low-risk trim part? “Make sure your product is put into a perspective of the lowest common denominator because it will affect the rate the carrier charges,” said Ganino. “A true operating part, if it fails, can have sudden overturn or upset consequences. It can cause a car to end up on its roof.”
It’s also important to pay attention to the type of policy. An occurrence form is preferred over a claims-made policy. With a claims-made policy, coverage is triggered by the date a company became aware of a claim and must notify the insurance carrier of a claim or potential claim. This must occur within the policy period, subject to a retroactive date. On an occurrence form policy, the coverage is in force on the date of the loss and the insurer responds with coverage. The claim may come years after the policy period passed, but the coverage would still apply.
“We’re seeing fewer claims-made policies to limit the amount to a high-exposure client,” said Corwin. A company with claims-made coverage would need to purchase a policy that provides prior-acts coverage as a bridge between the two.
When it comes to a new product, the most important thing is documenting everything that went into its development from design to testing. “What you document up front as to how you design the part, how it was put to use—there’s a deep conversation we like to have about how you prepare today for a claim tomorrow,” said Ganino.
Franco Ganino
When Claims Happen
Finally, we have the inevitable claim. That’s not to say that every part made by a company isn’t high quality and will result in a claim. Lawyers are trained to look for opportunities, and an accident involving a vehicle equipped with one of your components could be that
opportunity.
There are three types of product liability claims—defective manufacture, defective design and failure to provide adequate warnings or instructions concerning the use of the product.
While the first two are self-explanatory, “Failure to warn is when a manufacturer does not adequately inform the public of potential risks that may occur when their product is used by a consumer that leads to a product liability claim,” said Corwin.
Regardless of the type of claim, as soon as a company is informed of a claim on one of its products, the first step is to make sure its attorney and the claims adjuster from the insurance company are involved early. “Don’t admit fault,” said Ganino. “Make sure your broker knows, and follow conditions in your insurance policy that allow you to meet the obligations of the policy.”
Obviously, the goal is to never have to use product liability insurance, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. A liability policy that isn’t tailored to your company and its products isn’t going to help when a claim is filed, so do your homework and make sure the broker and the coverage are what your company needs.
“There are a ton of great brokers in their areas who are car people,” said Ganino. “Make sure your agent has oil in his or her DNA.”
SEMA is accepting nominations for its Hall of Fame program, now through March 17.
The award honors individuals in the automotive aftermarket who have enhanced the stature of the industry. Inductees include visionaries, innovators and leaders who have positively impacted what is now a $50.9 billion market. Nominees may be business leaders or contributors from any aftermarket segment or niche.
The SEMA Hall of Fame award honors individuals in the automotive aftermarket who have enhanced the stature of the industry.
“The SEMA community is filled with men and women whose accomplishments are so great that the entire industry is changed for the better,” said SEMA Project Manager of Recognition Programs Chris Standifer. “The SEMA Hall of Fame honors these individuals for their outstanding contributions. Without them, our industry would be significantly different from what it currently is.”
Criteria for the SEMA Hall of Fame are:
His/her contributions must have extended beyond the local level and reach throughout the national or international level.
The candidate is and/or has been involved in the specialty-equipment automotive industry and/or SEMA for a minimum of 10 years.
The candidate must have made outstanding contributions toward enhancing technology, professionalism, dignity and/or general stature and growth of the specialty-equipment automotive industry.
The candidate must have conducted him/herself with a high degree of integrity both within and outside of the specialty-equipment automotive industry.
Candidate must be at least 50 years of age prior to the 2023 SEMA Show, or they may be at any age if deceased as long as the nomination is presented at least one year posthumous.
New Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in May. Nominations can be submitted now at www.sema.org/hof.
All-new, behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews from the newest SEMA Battle of Builders competition will premiere January 28, at 9:00 a.m. (EST) on the History Channel’s Drive Block and A+E Network’s FYI.
“SEMA: Battle of the Builders, Presented by Mothers High Performance Car Care” began with 240-plus vehicle builders and culminated during the 2022 SEMA Show last November in Las Vegas. In addition to featuring the winner and finalists, the one-hour television special highlights many new, up-and-coming builders and includes all-new stories and footage chronicling their journeys to the SEMA Show.
“This was one of the best and most exciting SEMA Battle of the Builders competitions yet,” said RJ de Vera, SEMA vice president of marketing. “The TV special is a chance for those who did not attend the SEMA Show to see what happened at the Show, and for those at the Show to relive the excitement and even discover some of what they may have missed.”
Since 2015, the SEMA Battle of the Builders competition has shined the light on vehicle builders who have already proven their talents by showcasing their vehicles at the SEMA Show. With the world’s best vehicle builders competing against one another, the contest is considered by many to be the ultimate battle.
The television program is hosted by Adrienne Janic and Tanner Foust, and features Cam Miller, Ryan Basseri, Jeremiah Prophet and Kyle Kuhnhausen as industry experts selecting the top 12 builders in four categories: Hot Rod/Hot Rod Truck; Sport Compact, Luxury & Exotics; 4-Wheel Drive & Off-Road; and Young Guns—a category for builders age 29 and under. Viewers will see the judges narrow the competitors down to 12, and then the top 12 finalists vie among themselves to select the final winner.
For more information about the SEMA Battle of the Builders, visit www.semashow.com/botb.
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.
Antigravity Batteries is hiring an e-commerce specialist. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, a team player and experienced Amazon/eBay/e-commerce specialist with knowledge of developing strategies and tactics to drive Amazon sales, vendor central, seller central and optimizing listings. A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, data sciences or a related field is desired.
EDO Performance is hiring an automotive mechanic. Previous experience with highly modified cars is required. Racecar and fabrication experience are a plus. Experts in suspension geometry, engine design and modern electronics and communications system should apply. Experience with a chassis dyno or standalone or custom fuel-injection operations are also a plus.
Cognito Motorsports is hiring a performance shop technician to troubleshoot and diagnose mechanical problems. Candidates should have at least two years of experience working in a professional automotive or powersports service and repair shop in the following areas: steering and suspension systems; drivetrain and transmission systems; brake and traction control systems; electrical and electronic systems; fuel and cooling systems; tire and wheel mounting/balancing; internal-combustion engine systems; frame, roll cage and bodywork; and race-car preparation.
NASCAR Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Induction
(L-R): NASCAR Hall of Famers (front row) Bobby Allison, Leonard Wood, Matt Kenseth, Hershel McGriff, Kirk Shelmerdine, Jerry Cook, Jack Roush (back row) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, Joe Gibbs, Bobby Labonte, Red Farmer, (back row) Ray Evernham, Dale Jarrett and Ron Hornaday Jr. Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images
The NASCAR Hall of Fame—based in Charlotte, North Carolina—has welcomed its class of 2023 with an induction ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Inductees included 2003 NASCAR Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth; Kirk Shelmerdine, who helped guide Dale Earnhardt Sr. to four Cup titles; and Hershel McGriff, who secured four Cup races in 1954 and returned to NASCAR racing in 2018 at the age of 90.
In addition, NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton was honored with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR, while the late photojournalist T. Taylor Warren was honored with the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
For more information, visit the NASCAR announcement here.
Midwest Pro Stock Association Set With Seven Races in 2023
Motorsports pros Rick Jones, Kevin Lawrence, Dave River and Jeff Wick have announced the rebirth of the Midwest Pro Stock Association (MPSA), a drag-racing series formed by Jim Wick in the late ’80s. The series folded following the passing of Wick in 2002. The series will visit five cities across seven race dates beginning in June.
2023 Midwest Pro Stock Association schedule (subject to change):
June 10: Central Illinois Dragway/Havana, Illinois/Spring Nostalgia Drags
June 16–17: Cordova Dragway/ Cordova, Illinois/Summer Nationals
July 8: Eddyville Raceway Park/Eddyville, Iowa/Night of Fire
July 29: Cordova Dragway/Cordova, Illinois/Door Wars
August 19: US 41 Dragstrip/Morocco, Indiana
August 25–26: Cordova, Illinois/World Series of Drag Racing
September 23: Bunker Hill Dragstrip/Bunker Hill, Indiana
For more information, visit the series’ Facebook page.
In response to constituent complaints, councilmembers in Washington, D.C., have introduced the Vehicular Noise Reduction Act of 2023, which would test noise cameras to ticket loud cars and trucks. The program would take place over a two-year period with at least two cameras installed in each of the city’s eight wards. The bill does not specify fine amounts but would instead leave that power with the city’s mayor.
If passed, Washington would join New York City and Knoxville, Tennessee, as the only jurisdictions in the United States to deploy such cameras, which take a photo if a certain sound limit is reached. However, neither the sound meter nor the camera can differentiate what caused the offending noise. It is up to a reviewer to make that determination, which may require that individual to select from a group of vehicles in an intersection and then issue a ticket. Given the intended use in an urban area, which will have a higher concentration of vehicles and buildings that reflect sound, the feasibility of using these devices to accurately pinpoint and ticket the offender has already proven difficult. For example, when the Canadian city of Edmonton, Alberta, tested the technology during a three-month period at a cost of $192,000, it only resulted in one successful enforcement.
In 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into a bill (SB 1079) that requires the state to study the effectiveness of noise-detecting cameras to enforce motor-vehicle exhaust noise laws prior to deploying them. An early version of the bill would have allowed six cities to begin issuing tickets using cameras, but the bill was positively amended after it was determined that the technology was too early in development to be a reliable enforcement mechanism.
For decades, SEMA has successfully worked to ensure that states enact reasonable muffler noise laws that are not burdensome to the industry while not creating a nuisance for local communities. Successfully enacted in states such as California, Maine and Montana, SEMA’s model bill sets one exhaust noise limit (95 decibels) and uses an objective test procedure (SAE J1492) to determine compliance. If enacted, D.C.’s cameras would be triggered at a sound level considerably higher (over 97.9 or 103.9 decibels, depending on vehicle speed) than SEMA’s model.
For more information, please contact Christian Robinson at christianr@sema.org.
Init Esports, Pennzoil Create Sim Racing Digital Tournament
Init Esports—a female-led esports company—and Pennzoil worked together to create Screen to Speed powered by Pennzoil—a sim racing digital tournament designed to give female racers around the world the opportunity to participate in this event. The sim racing show will take viewers, supporters and women in the esports industry on a real-life journey to discover hidden talent in motorsports.
Stefy Bau, founder of Init Esports, and Victoria Thomas, co-owner of KellyMoss Road and Race, teamed up to create this initiative with a mission of raising awareness and opportunities for females in the motorsports industry. Since sim racing is a direct link to the type of competition in the motorsports industry, this digital tournament is designed to educate women and incentivize them to share in their mission and journey to bring more women into motorsports.
Until February 12, women can sign up to race in the tournament, with the chance to participate in real life at the grand finale show in Las Vegas on March 4 during the weekend of the Pennzoil 400. The tournament is split into three separate phases, giving racers an opportunity to take part in some friendly competition.
Phase 1 began on December 15, 2022 with an asynchronous digital competition where sim racers competed in Time Attack via iRacing. Registered participants will be able to spin as many laps as they can within a given timeframe, racing virtually on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway circuit in the Ford Next Gen NASCAR vehicle. Phase 1 will conclude on February 12, and the top 20 finalists will be chosen. The 20 finalists will then meet in Las Vegas for Phase 2, which is an in-person battle taking place on March 4. In this round, drivers will compete in Next Level Racing cockpit simulators while receiving coaching tips from KellyMoss Road and Race racer Sabré Cook. Fans will be able to tune into the event live via stream on March 4 via Twitch, YouTube and ESTV.
The winner will be announced on March 6 during Phase 3. The grand prize for the winning driver is $15,000 cash, a racing simulator and a real-life track event with the KellyMoss Porsche race team. To learn more about Screen to Speed Powered by Pennzoil, visit their website.
2023 Drive For Diversity Driver Development Class Announced
NASCAR and Rev Racing have announced the next generation of drivers participating in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Following a national and international search, eight talented drivers were selected for the newest class after participating in the Advance Auto Parts Drive for Diversity Combine.
Lavar Scott, Andrés Pérez de Lara, Jaiden Reyna and Justin Campbell are returning to Rev Racing for the 2023 season. Paige Rogers, Eloy Sebastián López Falcón, Caleb Johnson and Nathan Lyons will make their debut in 2023.
The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program was created in 2004 to develop and train ethnically diverse and female drivers both on and off the track. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez, and Kyle Larson are alumni of this program, which is operated by Rev Racing in Concord, North Carolina. For more information, visit the NASCAR announcement here or visit nascar.com.
Init Esports, Pennzoil Create Sim Racing Digital Tournament