By Ashley Reyes

Ty Cobb, photography studio manager at Holley Performance, is the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) newest spotlight member.

Cobb is a photojournalist that specializes in automotive and motorsports coverage. Get to know what keeps him in the industry and how he prepares for important meetings in his interview with SEMA below.

SEMA: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Ty Cobb: Be prepared. I learned this advice while in scouting, and it is fundamentally the best advice, as I use it every day. Whatever you may face, be prepared—whether it's being prepared in your skills and knowledge or being prepared with a backup plan when your skills and knowledge aren’t enough.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

TC: At my core is a love for all things automotive. From my earliest memories to today, cars have always been my biggest interest aside from photography.

SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?

TC: On a typical Saturday, I’m either covering an event or spending time in the garden with my partner.

SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?

TC: I always consider my audience first to determine what information to present. After that, my preparation looks something like handwritten notes in different colors to keep me organized and on one topic at a time; as well as detailed reporting about current status and open issues. If I bring up issues, I do my best to include possible solutions as well.

SEMA: If you could go to lunch with one industry leader, living or dead, who it would be?

TC: Such a hard question! I think it would be interesting to have lunch with Chip Foose because I’ve followed his work and consequently, SEMA builds, since I was a little kid. It’s because of Chip that I am in involved in the automotive industry. I originally wanted to go into automotive design, but quickly realized I couldn’t draw or sculpt very well. A mentor suggested I take on photography as “the next best thing” and that pursuit has gotten me to where I am today. On top of that, I would love to learn more about Chip’s business history and entrepreneurship that has framed his success within the industry.

If you are a current YEN member, fill out a YEN member spotlight form. Selected candidates may be featured on YEN’s social media, SEMA eNews and YEN-member updates.

By Kyle Cheng

Interested in seeing what the next hottest trend is? Want to see where consumers are buying their parts? Whatever your business objectives, SEMA Market Research’s reports can help connect you with the information you need to make informed business decisions. These reports, and much more, are available for free at www.sema.org/research.

Here are some of the newest reports available:

SEMA State of the Industry – Fall 2021: This report explores the current state of the specialty-equipment industry—how businesses have fared during the pandemic, how supply-chain disruptions are affecting the industry, current trends and sales performance and outlook for 2022 and beyond.

SEMA 2021 Retail Trends Report: This report looks at the current state of retail in the United States, both overall and for the specialty-automotive aftermarket. It includes a look at how our industry fits into the broader retail landscape, trends affecting consumers and businesses and what industry retailers may want to keep an eye on in the future.

SEMA Emerging Trends: Electrification, Alternative Power and Advanced Technology: This report examines the current landscape of electrification in the United States, providing a realistic outlook for electric vehicles in the future as well as implications of advancing technology for our industry.

Monthly Industry Indicators: The monthly “SEMA Industry Indicators” report provides a high-level snapshot of the overall U.S. economy and specialty-equipment market to help keep you up to date on key trends that can affect your business.

The SEMA Market Research team is here to help. If you have any questions or information needs, feel free to reach out to us at research@sema.org.

By Ashley Reyes

As viewers of Hemmings’ nine-part YouTube series “Road to Improvement” watched journalists and auto experts Mike Musto and Elana Scherr take an ’81 Chevrolet Suburban on a 3,600-mile road trip, they also got to see how easy it can be to upgrade a vehicle and turn an older truck into a comfortable machine that includes modern-day comforts and conveniences. That same truck, dubbed “Big Green,” was auctioned off by Hemmings earlier this month, raising a total of $22,575 that will go toward the SEMA Cares foundation and its partnering children’s charities.  

“Big Green,” was auctioned off by Hemmings earlier this month, raising a total of $22,575 that will go toward the SEMA Cares foundation and its partnering children’s charities.  

The vehicle project, which was inspired by Hemmings readers and viewers who wanted to see road-trip content, was driven across the country and documented while it was being improved into a vehicle capable of being driven daily.  

“We are very grateful to have partnered with Hemmings on the Suburban project we know will have a positive impact on our industry,” said Kathyrn Reinhardt, SEMA Cares chair. “The vehicle’s proceeds will play a huge role in helping children in need and continue to encourage the youth about the automotive hobbyist lifestyle.”

The “Road to Improvement” series can be viewed here.  

SEMA Cares offers a way for SEMA membership to give back in a meaningful way to help children. Funds are donated to the three official SEMA Cares charities: Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer, Childhelp and Victory Junction. To learn more about SEMA Cares and how to support the industry’s fundraising efforts, visit www.sema.org/sema-cares.

Steve Matusek, founder of Aeromotive Inc., has been appointed treasurer of the SEMA Board of Directors.

A first-generation American, Matusek’s father escaped Hungary in 1956 and his mother escaped Germany in 1948. Matusek earned his B.A. in aeronautical engineering at Park’s College of St. Louis University and his MBA from Webster University.

A second-generation racer and perennial top 10 driver in the NHRA Pro Modified class, Matusek has competed and is licensed in NHRA Pro Stock, Competition Eliminator and virtually every other sportsman class. An automotive enthusiast, Matusek collects and refurbishes musclecars and late-model performance vehicles. His three daughters have all raced junior dragsters, with his youngest earning the Western Conference finals championship in 2006.

Matusek has secured dozens of patents and earned SEMA awards for product development, and in 2018, Aeromotive was named SEMA Manufacturer of the Year.

Thom Bernheisel Selected BOLT Lock Sales Representative of the Year

BOLT Lock named Thom Bernheisel of Considine Sales & Marketing its Sales Representative of the Year at the 2021 SEMA Show. BOLT Lock presents this annual award to recognize outstanding sales achievements and excellent customer service among its network of manufacturer’s representatives. Bernheisel has worked at Considine Sales & Marketing for 15 years and covers a territory that includes automotive and truck aftermarket wholesalers in the Midwest and Great Plains.

LSI Chemical Signs APOLCO to Distribute LSI Chemical and Hot Shot’s Secret Products in Europe, the Middle East and Africa

LSI Chemical has announced a new distributor agreement with APOLCO, which has sales offices in the Netherlands, Ukraine, North Africa and the United Arab Emirates, where the company benefits with having staff proficient in the local language(s), local business practices and currency exchange. The agreement provides APOLCO with the right to sell both the LSI Chemical line of products for formulation of lubricants (downstream oil) and petrol refinery and jobber blends, as well as Hot Shot’s Secret performance additives and oils in more than 20 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This agreement doubles the size of countries where the products can be sold internationally, including E.U. (excluding the United Kingdom and Ireland), Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Umm Al Quwain, Oman, Qatar, and north Africa from Egypt to Mauritania, Cameroon, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, CIS and Russia.

K&N Announces Mo Ayad as VP of New Product Development Marketing

K&N is pleased to announce that Mo Ayad has joined the company as the vice president of new product development marketing. Ayad possesses an expansive knowledge of automotive performance products, and his expertise will help facilitate K&N’s continued growth in the performance filtration segment. Ayad was a driving force behind the sales relationship between Turn 14 and K&N, and many of its resulting successes. He previously worked in performance automotive at AutoAnything.

K&N has focused on expanding its leadership and management teams in 2021 in order to facilitate continued category growth and expansion. Several new product lines have launched in the past two years with advancements in additional categories slated for 2022.

BorgWarner Appoints Sara Greenstein to Board of Directors

BorgWarner has appointed Sara Greenstein to its board of directors. Greenstein was the president, CEO and board member of Lydall, a global manufacturer of value-added engineered materials and specialty filtration solutions. Prior, Greenstein served as senior vice president of United States Steel Corp., where she managed the company’s $4 billion consumer solutions business unit.

Nexen Tire America Relocates U.S. Headquarters to Richfield, Ohio

Nexen Tire America has announced the relocation of its U.S.-based headquarters to Richfield, Ohio. The new headquarters joins its North American technical center located at 4014 Wheatley Rd. The $5.2 million 35,540-sq.-ft. facility opened in 2019 and is one of three technical centers Nexen Tire operates worldwide. Nexen Tire will continue to utilize its three U.S. distribution facilities located in California, Georgia and Ohio as well, providing tires to its customers and its network of dealers faster.

ETS Racing Fuels Announces Kyle Moose as Race Fuel Manager

ETS Racing Fuels has announced Kyle Moose as its North American race fuel manager. Moose has 15 years of experience in the motorsports industry with seven years dedicated to racing fuels. He has held stints with off-road racing’s Varner Motorsports followed by off-road motorcycle manufacturer Hinson Clutch Components. After, he joined VP Racing Fuels as the West Coast race fuel manager before joining Amber Resources’ petroleum distribution company. 

VP Racing Fuels Expands Operations in Tennessee

VP Racing Fuels Inc. has announced a major expansion of its operations in Tennessee, including a second new facility in Carroll County. VP is increasing its total Tennessee investment to $14.2 million to expand its Huntingdon operations and acquire a new facility in McKenzie near the Carroll County Airport. The project in total will create 150 new jobs and comes less than three years after the company invested more than $4 million to establish its Huntingdon operations. The expansion at VP’s current Huntingdon facility will include the company’s investment in a $7 million tank farm for blending, storage and filling of packaged products. The new McKenzie location will include blow mold machinery to manufacture VP’s Motorsport Containers and the VP apparel line, introduced last year.

Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) Hires James Palasota to Serve as Chief Operating Officer  

Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) has announced the addition of James Palasota as the company’s COO. Palasota has a record of developing startups into global brands, conceptualizing strategic direction and developing the internal processes to ensure integration at all levels of operations, nationally and internationally. As vice president of sales and marketing for Sottera Inc., he was responsible for introducing NJOY electronic cigarettes and vaping products—one of the first on the market in the United States. At Sottera, he secured strategic partnerships in retail channels with multiple Fortune 500 companies growing sales to $4 million and was responsible for rolling out a global sales strategy. As vice president of Illumination International, DBA The Amazing Flameless Candle, Palasota successfully executed and led strategies to make this product a household name. Most recently, he served as COO for AFC Industries and Herbal Brands and as senior vice president of operations for UtekTik Inc. in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

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

We spied this curious ’23 Ford Super Duty prototype that is believed to be the range-topping Platinum trim level.

The tester has all the makings of a Platinum trim, including chrome mirror caps and a chromed bottom end of the window surrounds. What makes this particular prototype curious are the black wheels. Currently, the only way to get black wheels on the F-Series Super Duty is to opt for the Tremor Off-Road Package.

Other than that, the front end is masked by heavy camouflage while the rest of the truck is covered in body-hugging checkered camo. That’s all very much on purpose, as Ford looks to hide the final design of the redesigned Super Duty from our lenses.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

Dear SEMA Member:

A strong SEMA Board means wise leadership and an association that serves its members well. As a member of the Association, we are currently seeking your recommendation for industry leaders to serve on the SEMA Board of Directors.

The following seats are open for this year’s election:

• Manufacturers (3 open seats)
• Manufacturers Rep (1 open seat)

Please take a moment and tell us whom you would recommend as a potential nominee for a board member position by completing and submitting a nomination form. To help the vetting process, please include brief information about the nominee’s qualifications, such as background, experience and achievements that would make that nominee an outstanding board candidate.

Nominations for the SEMA Board of Directors are due on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Please complete and submit the nomination form.

We urge you to take part in the nominations process—our industry has many individuals who would be an asset to the Board, but we need you to help bring them to the attention of the Nominating Committee.

Thank you for your attention to this important request.

Sincerely,

Chris Kersting, CAE
SEMA President & CEO

Industry Mourns Loss of Driving Legend Bob Bondurant

Legendary American race car driver Bob Bondurant has passed away at 88 years old. Bondurant was introduced to racing by his father, John Roper Bondurant, at the age of 8. He began his racing career piloting flat track vehicles as a teenager. At 23, he began racing in Morgan Plus Fours before moving on to Corvettes and later the legendary Shelby Daytona Coupe, in which he won the World SportsCar Championship’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with Dan Gurney in 1964. Bondurant also raced in Formula 1 for Ferrari before moving to Can-Am with Peter Revson in the Lola T70 Mark II. Following a crash at Watkins Glen in New York, Bondurant opened the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in 1968. Since then, the school has taught the copyrighted “Bondurant Method” with its lineup of instructors. More than 500,000 students have graduated from the school, overseen by the company president and CEO and Bondurant’s wife Pat.

S. Torrence, Capps, Anderson and M. Smith Claim World Championships at Auto Club NHRA Finals

Steve Torrence, Greg Anderson and Matt Smith all wrapped up their championship seasons, racing to a world title and the event victory last Sunday at the season finale, the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. All four points leaders entering the race also claimed world titles, as Torrence clinched his fourth straight world title in Top Fuel, Anderson and Smith each won their fifth championship in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, respectively, and Ron Capps picked up his second career world title in Funny Car.

Steve Torrence secured the world title for a fourth consecutive year with a win in the first round in his 11,000-hp Capco Contractors dragster.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) also picked up a win at the final race of the Countdown to the Championship and the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Torrence secured the world title for a fourth consecutive year with a win in the first round in his 11,000-hp Capco Contractors dragster. He powered to the victory, going 3.759 seconds at 317.12 in the final round against Antron Brown.

Capps won his second world title when defending world champ Matt Hagan lost in the semifinals. The Funny Car veteran won his first title in 2016 and was helped by a first round win against Terry Haddock on Sunday in his 11,000-hp NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.

Tasca led the points for eight straight races in the early portion of the season and while he wasn’t in the title mix at the end of the year, he finished on a strong note, going 3.955 at 321.65 in his 11,000-hp Mustang to defeat Alexis DeJoria’s 3.974.

A dream season for Anderson ended with a fifth world championship in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro when he slipped past defending world champ Erica Enders in the semifinals. The all-time wins leader in Pro Stock history then rolled to his 99th career win, going 6.574 at 208.23 in the final round, defeating KB Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky on a holeshot.

Smith wrapped up his second straight world championship and fifth overall by winning in the second round on his Denso Auto Parts/Stockseth/Matt Smith Racing EBR against three-time world champion Angelle Sampey. Smith was first off the starting line in the pivotal matchup to pull off the holeshot victory and replicated that in the final round, going 6.817 at 200.74 to beat Karen Stoffer on a holeshot. That gave Smith six victories during his championship season.

The 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series begins February 17-20 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Bob Jenkins Named 2021 Squier-Hall Award Recipient

Longtime NASCAR broadcaster Bob Jenkins has been named the winner of the 2021 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

He is the 10th recipient of the prestigious award named after Ken Squier and Barney Hall. Jenkins served as the lead lap-by-lap announcer for NASCAR broadcasts on ESPN and ABC from 1981–2000. He passed away in August at age 73 after a battle with brain cancer.

Jenkins will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Friday, January 21, 2022, and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Tickets and more information are available at nascarhall.com.

NHRA Announces Factory X Exhibition Class to Debut in 2022

NHRA has announced a new Factory X (FX) exhibition racing class for the 2022 season. Known as NHRA Factory X presented by Holley, the category will bridge the gap between Factory Stock Showdown and Pro Stock and will be reserved for 2019 and newer manufactured automobiles, including the Chevrolet COPO Camaro, Dodge Challenger Drag Pak and Ford Mustang Cobra Jet.

The FX class will have a minimum weight limit of 2,650 lbs., which is nearly 1,000 lbs. lighter than a Factory Stock Showdown car, and a manual transmission is mandatory. FX will be included in the 2022 season with Competition eliminator across all seven NHRA Divisions and will debut as a 2022 exhibition category beginning mid-year at select NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events, with the potential to showcase big-performance numbers right off the bat in the lightweight, modified class. For more information, including race car specs, visit the announcement here.

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

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. and European Union (E.U.) have agreed to end a three-year dispute over steel and aluminum tariffs. Effective January 1, 2022, the U.S. will no longer impose 25% tariffs on steel (sheets, bars, tubes, etc.) and 10% on aluminum, and will instead use a quota system for EU imports. The agreement will also apply to derivative products made in the EU and subject to the tariffs such as steel bumper stampings (HTSUS 8708.10.30).

The U.S. and Japan are now pursuing a new commercial and Industrial Partnership to bolster economic ties, including strengthening supply chains, export controls and innovations such as digital technologies. As part of the discussions, the two countries have agreed to pursue a quota approach that will allow the metal tariffs to be removed.

The Trump Administration imposed the metal tariffs in 2018 under Section 232 of U.S. trade law, citing a dependence on foreign sources posed a national security threat. Argentina, Australia, Brazil and South Korea were excluded based on quotas and Canada and Mexico were eventually excluded based on the USMCA trade agreement. Although the tariffs have been imposed world-wide, a primary issue to be addressed is global over-production of the metals, especially by China.

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org. 

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

At a gathering of state lawmakers during the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Maryland Delegate Kevin Hornberger was named chairman of the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus. Del. Hornberger was appointed to the post after West Virginia Delegate Gary Howell’s term as Caucus chairman was completed. Del. Howell served in the role for eight years and will remain involved with the Caucus as Chairman Emeritus.

Supported by SEMA, the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus is a bipartisan group of approximately 725 state lawmakers whose common thread is a love for automobiles. The Caucus serves to raise the motor-vehicle hobby’s profile in state legislatures across the country and in the eyes of the public. Many of these lawmakers have sought to preserve and expand the hobby by improving existing motor vehicle statutes and regulations.

Del. Hornberger was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2014 and has continuously demonstrated his commitment to keeping his home state friendly to automotive enthusiasts, including introducing SEMA’s model legislation to ease the process for titling and registering former military vehicles. He is also personally invested in protecting the hobby as an enthusiast himself. He owns an ’86 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 T-Top, a ’67 Chevy RSS Camaro, a ’65 GMC, a ’74 Chevy Blazer K5 and a ’77 GMC Jimmy.

“SEMA has had the pleasure of working with Del. Hornberger on several pieces of pro-hobby legislation in recent years and are excited to welcome him as Caucus chair,” said Christian Robinson, SEMA’s Director of State Government Affairs and SEMA PAC.

Delegate Gary Howell, who was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2021 SEMA Show, served as an exemplary Caucus Chair for the past eight years. Thanks to his determination and hard work, he has contributed to the thriving automotive hobby in West Virginia. From championing bills to recruiting fellow lawmakers to the Caucus, Howell has upheld the rights of vehicle enthusiasts and raised awareness to the issues facing them. He will continue to be a valued member of the Caucus and a steadfast advocate for the industry.

“Del. Howell’s dedication to the specialty automotive aftermarket industry is unparalleled. He has been an ardent ally for enthusiasts nationwide. SEMA thanks him for his leadership of the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus throughout his term,” said Robinson.