Thu, 07/12/2012 - 16:34
   vaughn
Linda Vaughn
   
Linda Vaughn Roast Panelists Announced
The Quarter Mile Foundation has announced the “Roaster Panel” to headline the upcoming Linda Vaughn Celebrity Roast, to be held August 29, at the “Sports Barn” at the Lucas Family estate in Carmel, Indiana. The roast will precede the NHRA’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at the Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.

The “First Lady of Motorsports” will be roasted by some of the most respected names in the North American motorsports and performance aftermarket community, including: Joe Amato, Paul Candies, Corky Coker, Jeg Coughlin Sr., John Force, Chip Ganassi, Don Garlits, Bob Glidden, Lynn St. James and Jack “Doc” Watson.

Bob Frey, NHRA event announcer, will preside as the Master of Ceremonies. The evening’s schedule will include cocktails at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m., followed by the evening’s festivities beginning at 8:00 p.m. An auction of donated items from friends in the aftermarket, drag racing, IndyCar and NASCAR will also be held as a part of the evening. The auction will be split into two formats: a silent auction during the cocktail hour and live bidding on select items between the presentations of the roasters.

There will be seating for 350 individuals. Tickets are available online at the Quarter Mile Foundation website until August 19, 2012. Tickets will not be available for sale at the event. The VIP/sponsor tables seat eight people and will be available for $2,000 per table. Non-VIP tables can be sponsored for $1,500 per table. Individual seats can be purchased for $100 each.

The event will be filmed, and the DVD will be made available for purchase to the public. Proceeds will benefit Linda Vaughn, plus the Quarter Mile Foundation in its quest to capture the first-person stories of drag racing’s pioneers beginning in the late ’40s through the ’80s; plus the motorsports aftermarket, which was spawned from their efforts.

   bigfoot
BIGFOOT No. 18, piloted by Dan Runte, makes a test jump.
   

Monster Truck BIGFOOT Attempts to Reclaim World Record Long Jump
The BIGFOOT monster truck is set to launch the all-new BIGFOOT No. 18 piloted by Dan Runte, Sunday, September 16—the final day of the 31st Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals. The event is held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, September 14–16.

BIGFOOT and Runte first set the record in 1999 with a jump of 202 ft. in Nashville, Tennessee, during the Tennessee Aviation Day over a 727 jetliner. According to Guinness World Records, the current record is 208 ft. achieved by Joe Sylvester's Bad Habit Monster Truck in 2010 in Columbia, Pennsylvania.   

The exact departure time for the September 16 long jump and additional details will be made available online at www.4WheelJamboree.com or by calling 317-236-6515. In addition to the BIGFOOT World record jump, the 4-Wheel Jamboree weekend events will include 4x4 Trucks, Monster Truck Racing and Freestyle, NMRO Championship Mud Drags, Tough Truck Racing, Manufacturer's Midway and Show-N-Shine awards.

falken
Left rear tire trouble cost Team Falken Tire the opportunity to move up through the GT field.
 
   

Team Falken Tire Rolls the Dice on New Chassis
 and Tire Combination at Lime Rock Park
Round 4 of the American Le Mans Series presented by Patron was a bittersweet event for Team Falken Tire. Accelerated shoulder wear on the left rear tire due to heavy load forced the team to pit and change tires more often than expected, costing the team the opportunity to move up through the GT field. The team stayed ahead of four other cars to finish seventh in the GT class.  
 


During the six-week "Le Mans" break, the team held two tests at Road Atlanta and Mid-Ohio, focusing on tire development and overall car balance, and the team felt optimistic about the advances made.

The trouble started 40 minutes into the race when starting Falken driver Bryan Sellers noticed a vibration in the rear of the ’12 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The team did not pit, but stayed focused on tire pressures. Shortly after in lap 35, the team called Sellers in as the pressure in the No. 17 Porsche left rear tire rapidly dropped, forcing Sellers to limp into pit lane.

For the remainder of the race, the team cautiously watched as the left rear continued to show accelerated wear. On lap 92, Porsche Factory driver Wolf Henzler got behind the wheel with the best set of tires the team had all race. Overall, the team pitted four times during the endurance race, using different compounds and constructions from start to finish.  

Round five of the American Le Mans Series takes place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport July 21–22.

   competitive
Drivers Greg Parker and John Cooley, along with navigators Greg Atherton and Brian Saunders, piloted the No. 1022 Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Alumi Craft buggy to victory.
   

Team Competitive Conquers Fireworks 500
Team Competitive and Competitive Metals entered Reno, Nevada, with five sponsored race cars entered in the High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) Fireworks 500 held Saturday, July 7, at the Tahoe-Reno Motorplex. The event kicked off downtown Reno on Friday with race cars on display in conjunction with the All American BBQ Festival.

Drivers Greg Parker and John Cooley, along with navigators Greg Atherton and Brian Saunders, piloted the No. 1022 Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Alumi Craft buggy to victory. Cooley and co-driver Saunders took the race start at 9:00 a.m., and by mile 30 had taken the lead position. They would lose that position, though, after hitting a major log jam of more than 20 stuck race cars at mile 36. The mess lasted more than 30 minutes until Cooley was finally able to break free. The setback dropped the team back in the field. But with several hundred miles and many hours left of racing, Team Competitive pressed on, sticking to their strategic plan.  

Parker and navigator Atherton took over the car for laps two and three. Parker drove solidly giving the car back to Cooley for lap four. Cooley brought the car safely to Parker just before 9:00 p.m. After 12 hours of racing, victory was now just 83 miles away. Parker drove a perfect final lap, keeping his Grand Sierra Resort and Casino race car together to win the first-ever Fireworks 500 event. In addition, Team Competitive's Brandon Arthur placed second in class and Chris Isenhouer finished in third in class. 

   eklund
In the latest rounds in L.A., the privateer Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3s piloted by Samuel Hubinette won his heat to earn automatic entry into the final.
   

Scott-Eklund Racing Chasing Podium in New Hampshire
Scott-Eklund Racing will continue its challenge for Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) honors this weekend (Saturday, July 14) in the fourth round of the series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 In the latest rounds in L.A., the privateer Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3s piloted by Samuel Hubinette won his heat to earn automatic entry into the final. Although he was taken out in the six-lap final, the American was running third and matching the pace of second-placed Ken Block, and just shy of the lap times of eventual winner, eight-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb.



Scott-Eklund Racing Team Principal Andy Scott will head into battle in New Hampshire. He qualified strongly in seventh place, but did not make it through to the final for the first time this season. The British Rallycross vice champion will be looking to redress that after a strong start to his GRC campaign in Charlotte allowed him to blast to LCQ victory, and clinch fourth in the final, after a turbocharger issue had wrecked his qualifying.

Hubinette—the 2010 X Games bronze medalist—is the only driver to have won each of his heats in the opening three events, and qualified for each final.



Victor Davis Scores July 4 PAS Senior Sprint Win 
Simi Valley, California's Victor Davis swept the show by winning the heat race and the main event in front of the biggest crowd to ever see a PAS Senior Sprint Car Series race at Perris Auto Speedway July 4. 

Davis began the scheduled 20-lapper on the outside of the third row. Yorba Linda's Wiley Miller, a graduate of the now defunct USAC 3/4 Midget Series, beat "Hubcap" Mike Collins of Lake Forest to the first turn once Kevin Winters waved the green flag to start the main event. Defending series champion Bill Badger of Santa Clarita was up to second by the end of the opening circuit.

On lap three, Brian Williams of Newport Beach, who was running third, got sideways in turn four and was drilled by series point leader Bruce Douglass of Ventura. Those two had each won two of the first four races of 2012, and both were done for the night. On the ensuing yellow, Vista's Jim Styer also pulled out.  

Once the race restarted, Miller built a comfortable lead, but as he was doing so, Davis headed toward the front. The 49-year-old Davis caught Badger and slid him for second in turn one on lap seven. Badger, who was a regular in West Coast Midget competition in the ’70s, came right back at Davis and reclaimed the runner-up spot. They wrestled hard for the position until the end of lap eight when Davis took it for keeps.  

Five laps later, he gained control of second, Davis chased down Miller and relieved him of the top spot. Once he got to the point, Davis ran away for a full straightaway win. Badger, driving a car crew chiefed by his brother Jim, also chased down Miller and took the second position away on the next to last lap. Pacific Beach's Jesse DeNome, making his initial PAS appearance of 2012, and Collins rounded out the top five.

Like he did in the main, Davis came from the sixth starting spot to win the eight-lap heat race.

The PAS Senior Sprint Car Series will be back for more action July 28 when it joins the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Series and the California Lightning Sprints in the annual "California Racers Hall of Fame Night." The Seniors will also race at The PAS in August and September before closing the season at the 17th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals on November 3–4. 

   bentley
Bentley Continental GTC V8 (back) and 4.5L Blower on the way to 2012 Le Mans Classic.
   

Derek Bell and Bentley Inspired by Mission Motorsport Team at Le Mans Classic
Bentley’s brand ambassador and five-time Le Mans winner, Derek Bell, returned to the French race circuit last weekend to spearhead a unique motorsport challenge.

Racing a 4.5L Bentley Blower at the Le Mans Classic (in partnership with owner Martin Overington) Bell was supported by a three-man pit crew from Mission Motorsport—a UK charity that rehabilitates seriously injured military personnel by actively involving them in a wide range of competitive motor racing challenges.

Bell’s support team was led by former Royal Marine Commando Tony Compson, working alongside Gary Dunning and James Gillborn. All three men have suffered serious, life-changing injuries on active service, but that did not stop the Mission Motorsport team from delivering some of the fastest possible pit stops for Bell and Overington or working right through the night to ensure the Bentley Blower was able to race on Saturday.

While there was disappointment that the Bentley Blower was unable to compete on Sunday, Bell and Overington secured 15th out of 69 entries in the Saturday race with the Mission Motorsport team achieving a 92-second pit stop.

 scca
Michael Carpenter took the STX win in the shadow of Mount Rainier. Photo: SCCA
   

Mount Rainier Forms Backdrop For Tire Rack SCCA Packwood Solo
The Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour schedule took competitors to Packwood, Washington’s Hampton Mills for the Packwood National Tour and the Western States Championship to begin the month of July and the home stretch for the season.

At the finish, eight classes were decided by less than two-tenths of a second, with four of those less than one-tenth apart. The closest class of the weekend, Street Touring Compact, was separated by less than a blink of an eye. Jim Harnish’s Honda Civic Si and Shane Jensen’s Les Schwab Tires Honda Civic Si nearly matched each other’s composite times, with Harnish sneaking out a 0.007-second win.

With Michael Lillejord and Kevin Dietz co-driving the Jims Detail Shops/Evolution Schools Honda S2000, Lillejord just outpaced Dietz, grabbing a 0.017-second victory.

Michael Carpenter drove the Murphy’s Law Subaru WRX to a 0.075-second win in Street Touring Xtreme, running a final time just faster than Jason Morrow in a Subaru WRX to claim the class win. Jim Daniels followed suit with a narrow victory behind the wheel of his D Prepared Mazda Miata, topping Ron Bauer’s Bauerspeed Racing Mazda MX-5 by just 0.089-second in Packwood.

Even the Ladies Classes were a part of the close finishes. Tasha Mikko’s MAPerformance/CIRO Design Mitsubishi Evo pulled out a 0.179-second combined time victory over Michelle Miller’s TC Motorsports/English Racing Mitsubishi Evo in the Street Touring Ultra Ladies class with times that would have put the pair in contention for a trophy in the open class. Carol Wong and Avril Morrison co-drove to a close battle of their own in the Petrel Data Systems/VCMC Swift DB-1 in C Modified Ladies, with Wong taking a 0.145-second win in the class.

X Prepared’s Britain Smith (Where2Race.com Porsche 914) and C Prepared’s Frank Stagnaro (Maier Racing Ford Mustang) also each snagged victories by less than two-tenths of a second.

The Tire Rack Solo National Tour travels from Mount Rainier to the Rocky Mountains, July 14–15, for the Colorado National Tour at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 16:34
   vaughn
Linda Vaughn
   
Linda Vaughn Roast Panelists Announced
The Quarter Mile Foundation has announced the “Roaster Panel” to headline the upcoming Linda Vaughn Celebrity Roast, to be held August 29, at the “Sports Barn” at the Lucas Family estate in Carmel, Indiana. The roast will precede the NHRA’s Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at the Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.

The “First Lady of Motorsports” will be roasted by some of the most respected names in the North American motorsports and performance aftermarket community, including: Joe Amato, Paul Candies, Corky Coker, Jeg Coughlin Sr., John Force, Chip Ganassi, Don Garlits, Bob Glidden, Lynn St. James and Jack “Doc” Watson.

Bob Frey, NHRA event announcer, will preside as the Master of Ceremonies. The evening’s schedule will include cocktails at 6:00 p.m. and dinner at 7:00 p.m., followed by the evening’s festivities beginning at 8:00 p.m. An auction of donated items from friends in the aftermarket, drag racing, IndyCar and NASCAR will also be held as a part of the evening. The auction will be split into two formats: a silent auction during the cocktail hour and live bidding on select items between the presentations of the roasters.

There will be seating for 350 individuals. Tickets are available online at the Quarter Mile Foundation website until August 19, 2012. Tickets will not be available for sale at the event. The VIP/sponsor tables seat eight people and will be available for $2,000 per table. Non-VIP tables can be sponsored for $1,500 per table. Individual seats can be purchased for $100 each.

The event will be filmed, and the DVD will be made available for purchase to the public. Proceeds will benefit Linda Vaughn, plus the Quarter Mile Foundation in its quest to capture the first-person stories of drag racing’s pioneers beginning in the late ’40s through the ’80s; plus the motorsports aftermarket, which was spawned from their efforts.

   bigfoot
BIGFOOT No. 18, piloted by Dan Runte, makes a test jump.
   

Monster Truck BIGFOOT Attempts to Reclaim World Record Long Jump
The BIGFOOT monster truck is set to launch the all-new BIGFOOT No. 18 piloted by Dan Runte, Sunday, September 16—the final day of the 31st Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals. The event is held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, September 14–16.

BIGFOOT and Runte first set the record in 1999 with a jump of 202 ft. in Nashville, Tennessee, during the Tennessee Aviation Day over a 727 jetliner. According to Guinness World Records, the current record is 208 ft. achieved by Joe Sylvester's Bad Habit Monster Truck in 2010 in Columbia, Pennsylvania.   

The exact departure time for the September 16 long jump and additional details will be made available online at www.4WheelJamboree.com or by calling 317-236-6515. In addition to the BIGFOOT World record jump, the 4-Wheel Jamboree weekend events will include 4x4 Trucks, Monster Truck Racing and Freestyle, NMRO Championship Mud Drags, Tough Truck Racing, Manufacturer's Midway and Show-N-Shine awards.

falken
Left rear tire trouble cost Team Falken Tire the opportunity to move up through the GT field.
 
   

Team Falken Tire Rolls the Dice on New Chassis
 and Tire Combination at Lime Rock Park
Round 4 of the American Le Mans Series presented by Patron was a bittersweet event for Team Falken Tire. Accelerated shoulder wear on the left rear tire due to heavy load forced the team to pit and change tires more often than expected, costing the team the opportunity to move up through the GT field. The team stayed ahead of four other cars to finish seventh in the GT class.  
 


During the six-week "Le Mans" break, the team held two tests at Road Atlanta and Mid-Ohio, focusing on tire development and overall car balance, and the team felt optimistic about the advances made.

The trouble started 40 minutes into the race when starting Falken driver Bryan Sellers noticed a vibration in the rear of the ’12 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The team did not pit, but stayed focused on tire pressures. Shortly after in lap 35, the team called Sellers in as the pressure in the No. 17 Porsche left rear tire rapidly dropped, forcing Sellers to limp into pit lane.

For the remainder of the race, the team cautiously watched as the left rear continued to show accelerated wear. On lap 92, Porsche Factory driver Wolf Henzler got behind the wheel with the best set of tires the team had all race. Overall, the team pitted four times during the endurance race, using different compounds and constructions from start to finish.  

Round five of the American Le Mans Series takes place at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport July 21–22.

   competitive
Drivers Greg Parker and John Cooley, along with navigators Greg Atherton and Brian Saunders, piloted the No. 1022 Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Alumi Craft buggy to victory.
   

Team Competitive Conquers Fireworks 500
Team Competitive and Competitive Metals entered Reno, Nevada, with five sponsored race cars entered in the High Desert Racing Association (HDRA) Fireworks 500 held Saturday, July 7, at the Tahoe-Reno Motorplex. The event kicked off downtown Reno on Friday with race cars on display in conjunction with the All American BBQ Festival.

Drivers Greg Parker and John Cooley, along with navigators Greg Atherton and Brian Saunders, piloted the No. 1022 Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, Alumi Craft buggy to victory. Cooley and co-driver Saunders took the race start at 9:00 a.m., and by mile 30 had taken the lead position. They would lose that position, though, after hitting a major log jam of more than 20 stuck race cars at mile 36. The mess lasted more than 30 minutes until Cooley was finally able to break free. The setback dropped the team back in the field. But with several hundred miles and many hours left of racing, Team Competitive pressed on, sticking to their strategic plan.  

Parker and navigator Atherton took over the car for laps two and three. Parker drove solidly giving the car back to Cooley for lap four. Cooley brought the car safely to Parker just before 9:00 p.m. After 12 hours of racing, victory was now just 83 miles away. Parker drove a perfect final lap, keeping his Grand Sierra Resort and Casino race car together to win the first-ever Fireworks 500 event. In addition, Team Competitive's Brandon Arthur placed second in class and Chris Isenhouer finished in third in class. 

   eklund
In the latest rounds in L.A., the privateer Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3s piloted by Samuel Hubinette won his heat to earn automatic entry into the final.
   

Scott-Eklund Racing Chasing Podium in New Hampshire
Scott-Eklund Racing will continue its challenge for Global Rallycross Championship (GRC) honors this weekend (Saturday, July 14) in the fourth round of the series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 In the latest rounds in L.A., the privateer Scott-Eklund Racing Saab 9-3s piloted by Samuel Hubinette won his heat to earn automatic entry into the final. Although he was taken out in the six-lap final, the American was running third and matching the pace of second-placed Ken Block, and just shy of the lap times of eventual winner, eight-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb.



Scott-Eklund Racing Team Principal Andy Scott will head into battle in New Hampshire. He qualified strongly in seventh place, but did not make it through to the final for the first time this season. The British Rallycross vice champion will be looking to redress that after a strong start to his GRC campaign in Charlotte allowed him to blast to LCQ victory, and clinch fourth in the final, after a turbocharger issue had wrecked his qualifying.

Hubinette—the 2010 X Games bronze medalist—is the only driver to have won each of his heats in the opening three events, and qualified for each final.



Victor Davis Scores July 4 PAS Senior Sprint Win 
Simi Valley, California's Victor Davis swept the show by winning the heat race and the main event in front of the biggest crowd to ever see a PAS Senior Sprint Car Series race at Perris Auto Speedway July 4. 

Davis began the scheduled 20-lapper on the outside of the third row. Yorba Linda's Wiley Miller, a graduate of the now defunct USAC 3/4 Midget Series, beat "Hubcap" Mike Collins of Lake Forest to the first turn once Kevin Winters waved the green flag to start the main event. Defending series champion Bill Badger of Santa Clarita was up to second by the end of the opening circuit.

On lap three, Brian Williams of Newport Beach, who was running third, got sideways in turn four and was drilled by series point leader Bruce Douglass of Ventura. Those two had each won two of the first four races of 2012, and both were done for the night. On the ensuing yellow, Vista's Jim Styer also pulled out.  

Once the race restarted, Miller built a comfortable lead, but as he was doing so, Davis headed toward the front. The 49-year-old Davis caught Badger and slid him for second in turn one on lap seven. Badger, who was a regular in West Coast Midget competition in the ’70s, came right back at Davis and reclaimed the runner-up spot. They wrestled hard for the position until the end of lap eight when Davis took it for keeps.  

Five laps later, he gained control of second, Davis chased down Miller and relieved him of the top spot. Once he got to the point, Davis ran away for a full straightaway win. Badger, driving a car crew chiefed by his brother Jim, also chased down Miller and took the second position away on the next to last lap. Pacific Beach's Jesse DeNome, making his initial PAS appearance of 2012, and Collins rounded out the top five.

Like he did in the main, Davis came from the sixth starting spot to win the eight-lap heat race.

The PAS Senior Sprint Car Series will be back for more action July 28 when it joins the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Series and the California Lightning Sprints in the annual "California Racers Hall of Fame Night." The Seniors will also race at The PAS in August and September before closing the season at the 17th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals on November 3–4. 

   bentley
Bentley Continental GTC V8 (back) and 4.5L Blower on the way to 2012 Le Mans Classic.
   

Derek Bell and Bentley Inspired by Mission Motorsport Team at Le Mans Classic
Bentley’s brand ambassador and five-time Le Mans winner, Derek Bell, returned to the French race circuit last weekend to spearhead a unique motorsport challenge.

Racing a 4.5L Bentley Blower at the Le Mans Classic (in partnership with owner Martin Overington) Bell was supported by a three-man pit crew from Mission Motorsport—a UK charity that rehabilitates seriously injured military personnel by actively involving them in a wide range of competitive motor racing challenges.

Bell’s support team was led by former Royal Marine Commando Tony Compson, working alongside Gary Dunning and James Gillborn. All three men have suffered serious, life-changing injuries on active service, but that did not stop the Mission Motorsport team from delivering some of the fastest possible pit stops for Bell and Overington or working right through the night to ensure the Bentley Blower was able to race on Saturday.

While there was disappointment that the Bentley Blower was unable to compete on Sunday, Bell and Overington secured 15th out of 69 entries in the Saturday race with the Mission Motorsport team achieving a 92-second pit stop.

 scca
Michael Carpenter took the STX win in the shadow of Mount Rainier. Photo: SCCA
   

Mount Rainier Forms Backdrop For Tire Rack SCCA Packwood Solo
The Tire Rack SCCA Solo National Tour schedule took competitors to Packwood, Washington’s Hampton Mills for the Packwood National Tour and the Western States Championship to begin the month of July and the home stretch for the season.

At the finish, eight classes were decided by less than two-tenths of a second, with four of those less than one-tenth apart. The closest class of the weekend, Street Touring Compact, was separated by less than a blink of an eye. Jim Harnish’s Honda Civic Si and Shane Jensen’s Les Schwab Tires Honda Civic Si nearly matched each other’s composite times, with Harnish sneaking out a 0.007-second win.

With Michael Lillejord and Kevin Dietz co-driving the Jims Detail Shops/Evolution Schools Honda S2000, Lillejord just outpaced Dietz, grabbing a 0.017-second victory.

Michael Carpenter drove the Murphy’s Law Subaru WRX to a 0.075-second win in Street Touring Xtreme, running a final time just faster than Jason Morrow in a Subaru WRX to claim the class win. Jim Daniels followed suit with a narrow victory behind the wheel of his D Prepared Mazda Miata, topping Ron Bauer’s Bauerspeed Racing Mazda MX-5 by just 0.089-second in Packwood.

Even the Ladies Classes were a part of the close finishes. Tasha Mikko’s MAPerformance/CIRO Design Mitsubishi Evo pulled out a 0.179-second combined time victory over Michelle Miller’s TC Motorsports/English Racing Mitsubishi Evo in the Street Touring Ultra Ladies class with times that would have put the pair in contention for a trophy in the open class. Carol Wong and Avril Morrison co-drove to a close battle of their own in the Petrel Data Systems/VCMC Swift DB-1 in C Modified Ladies, with Wong taking a 0.145-second win in the class.

X Prepared’s Britain Smith (Where2Race.com Porsche 914) and C Prepared’s Frank Stagnaro (Maier Racing Ford Mustang) also each snagged victories by less than two-tenths of a second.

The Tire Rack Solo National Tour travels from Mount Rainier to the Rocky Mountains, July 14–15, for the Colorado National Tour at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 16:29
The photo gallery located at www.semaphotos.com features thousands of pictures of products featured in the Show's New Products Showcase, vehicles on display and exhibiting companies from the 2011 SEMA Show. Each week in SEMA eNews, a new collection of vehicle photos is highlighted. In the spotlight this week are classic hot rods.

In addition to the vehicle photos, the product photos also include key details, such as product name, a brief description and exhibitor contact information.
Thu, 07/12/2012 - 16:29
The photo gallery located at www.semaphotos.com features thousands of pictures of products featured in the Show's New Products Showcase, vehicles on display and exhibiting companies from the 2011 SEMA Show. Each week in SEMA eNews, a new collection of vehicle photos is highlighted. In the spotlight this week are classic hot rods.

In addition to the vehicle photos, the product photos also include key details, such as product name, a brief description and exhibitor contact information.
Thu, 07/12/2012 - 16:10
cts

This camo-clad Cadillac is believed to be the ’14 CTS, according to Brenda Priddy & Co. Riding on a new RWD stretched Alpha platform, the all-new CTS appears to be a bit larger than the current version.

Sources are telling us that power will come from a base 2.0L four-cylinder turbo with 270 hp, with options including a 3.6L V6 and a turbocharged six-cylinder.

cts

Photo: Brenda Priddy & Co.

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 16:10
cts

This camo-clad Cadillac is believed to be the ’14 CTS, according to Brenda Priddy & Co. Riding on a new RWD stretched Alpha platform, the all-new CTS appears to be a bit larger than the current version.

Sources are telling us that power will come from a base 2.0L four-cylinder turbo with 270 hp, with options including a 3.6L V6 and a turbocharged six-cylinder.

cts

Photo: Brenda Priddy & Co.

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 16:10
cts

This camo-clad Cadillac is believed to be the ’14 CTS, according to Brenda Priddy & Co. Riding on a new RWD stretched Alpha platform, the all-new CTS appears to be a bit larger than the current version.

Sources are telling us that power will come from a base 2.0L four-cylinder turbo with 270 hp, with options including a 3.6L V6 and a turbocharged six-cylinder.

cts

Photo: Brenda Priddy & Co.

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 14:43
   show floor
SEMA Show exhibitor registration is now open.
   

With one of the most successful space assignments in recent history, the 2012 SEMA Show is now ready to officially open exhibitor employee registration. Register your staff today!

Complimentary badges are available to exhibitors, with the amount of badges provided based on the size of the booth. Additional badges required over the allocated amount are $25 per badge. Unique individual e-mail addresses are required to complete registration for booth personnel. In order to receive a badge, each registrant is required to confirm their e-mail address when they receive their confirmation. New this year—if the e-mail is not confirmed prior to the badge mailing, badges will be held for pick up at the Show.

For exhibiting media registration, badges are not mailed in advance of the Show. Instead, they are held for pick up in the Media Center at the Show.

Exhibitor registration passwords are being sent via e-mail to the main exhibitor contact. If you have any questions, please contact customer service at RegMgr@convExx.com or call 702-450-7662, ext. 120. Remember, the password is nine numbers (the first two are zeros) followed by the letter "O" (hint: if you have your password from last year, it will work in 2012).

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 14:43
   show floor
SEMA Show exhibitor registration is now open.
   

With one of the most successful space assignments in recent history, the 2012 SEMA Show is now ready to officially open exhibitor employee registration. Register your staff today!

Complimentary badges are available to exhibitors, with the amount of badges provided based on the size of the booth. Additional badges required over the allocated amount are $25 per badge. Unique individual e-mail addresses are required to complete registration for booth personnel. In order to receive a badge, each registrant is required to confirm their e-mail address when they receive their confirmation. New this year—if the e-mail is not confirmed prior to the badge mailing, badges will be held for pick up at the Show.

For exhibiting media registration, badges are not mailed in advance of the Show. Instead, they are held for pick up in the Media Center at the Show.

Exhibitor registration passwords are being sent via e-mail to the main exhibitor contact. If you have any questions, please contact customer service at RegMgr@convExx.com or call 702-450-7662, ext. 120. Remember, the password is nine numbers (the first two are zeros) followed by the letter "O" (hint: if you have your password from last year, it will work in 2012).

Thu, 07/12/2012 - 13:41

SEMA News—July 2012

BUSINESS
By Mike Imlay

Exhibitor Essentials

Key Services and Suppliers for a Successful Trade-Show Booth

  Smart exhibitors know that now is the time to arrange the basic fixtures and services that will make their booths stand out in the crowd.
The 2012 SEMA Show hits the Las Vegas Convention Center from October 30 through November 2. Smart exhibitors know that now is the time to arrange the basic fixtures and services that will make their booths stand out in the crowd.
   
With the 2012 SEMA Show mere months away, smart exhibitors are already contemplating their booth spaces. They know that a booth’s branding, contents and arrangement all contribute massively to their ability to attract buyers, acquire new leads and have a successful Show. However, first-time exhibitors (and maybe a few returnees, as well) may be scratching their heads over booth essentials—the fixtures and services that can make or break their return on investment.

The following are examples of the basics an exhibitor would be wise to consider for any trade event. For the annual SEMA Show, the task of contracting them is made easier and more cost-effective by the use of exclusive or preferred vendors, all of whom offer a wide range of special packages to Show participants.

Fixtures and Furnishings

First and foremost to a successful trade show is an appealing booth that attracts buyers.

“The most common mistakes that are made by first-time exhibitors involve misusing your space,” said Eric Hoffend, vice president of business development for Freeman, the exhibit-services company that many SEMA Show exhibitors turn to for turnkey booth rental packages. “It’s hard to get attendees to actually step into your booth.”

   
 

Exhibitor Contacts

CompuSystems
(Lead Management)
866-600-5323
www.compusystems.com

Expo Ease
(Floral/Photography)
702-368-2868
www.expoease.com

Freeman Exhibit Services
(Fixtures/Furnishings)
888-508-5054
www.freemanco.com

Production Resource Group
(Computer/Audio-Visual)
888-844-4225
www.prg.com

SmartCity Networks
(Phone/Internet)
888-446-6911
www.smartcity.com

   

The type and precise arrangement of fixtures, graphics and lighting play a role in pulling traffic, Hoffend said, and Freeman has put together what it calls Exhibitor Value Packages (EVPs) specifically for the SEMA Show to help exhibitors with all of these basics. Starting at just under $2,000, these rental packages offer three to four different exhibit options for booths ranging from 10x10 to 20x30 ft. They include carpeting, electrical, lighting, material handling, exhibit display structures and furniture, signage, daily cleaning and vacuuming, labor, handling and storage—“everything that you need to get your booth up and running,” said Hoffend.

The EVPs are anything but cookie cutter, however. In fact, they offer a high degree of flexibility in tailoring a booth that’s distinct from others and reflective of a company’s unique brand.

“We have all different types of rental products,” explained Hoffend. “We have three or four different kinds and grades of carpet. We have chairs that are out-of-the-box standard economical, or we can go new-wave modern with cosmopolitan-style chairs and furnishings. We have the ability to print basically anything from a postage stamp to a billboard. The industry is constantly evolving, and we keep track of it.”

Whether through EVPs or a la carte options, Freeman can also outfit an exhibitor with all of the audio-visual items a booth might need, from a laptop and a projector to plasma televisions and touch-screen interactive displays. Hoffend pointed out that renting such items can frequently be more cost-effective than purchasing them, shipping them and trying to set them up oneself.

“When you’re at a show like the SEMA Show or any other trade event, your time spent networking begins when you step off the airplane,” Hoffend observed, noting that Freeman’s EVPs let exhibitors immediately pay attention to their business. “That turnkey package allows exhibitors to come in, have a beautiful graphic header, electrical that’s paid for, everything that they may require. It’s walk in, drop your brochures or park your vehicle in your exhibit space and go. People who have used them have said what a breeze it is not to ship anything, not to worry about anything.”

Moreover, Freeman has made every effort to keep its costs competitive.

“Everyone is cost-conscious these days,” Hoffend said. “The best thing an exhibitor can do is to call one of the experts at Freeman. We are very available, very accessible. We have lots of ideas to help them be economical.”

Greenery and Photography

  Smart exhibitors know that now is the time to arrange the basic fixtures and services that will make their booths stand out in the crowd.
A little greenery can go a long way toward making an exhibit space more inviting to passersby. Expo Ease offers plant and floral arrangements that are enticing to the eye and easy on the budget, for booths of every size.
   
When drawing buyers to your booth, atmosphere is everything. Yet exhibitors frequently overlook the subtle touches that can make them stand out in a crowd. One example is greenery.

“There are over 2,000 exhibitors at the SEMA Show,” said Peter Frigeri, president of Expo Ease, a Las Vegas-based specialty service provider for trade shows and special events focusing on plant, floral, photography and staffing. “With smaller exhibits like a 10x10 or a 10x20, people can walk right by them. Hour after hour, they start to blur together. If you can add something pretty reasonable, like plant or floral, something colorful or a little eye-catching, it can make all the difference to someone walking by your booth.”

A plant or floral addition can set a mood and say something about the exhibitor.

“It can add a touch of class in a booth; it can also enhance a message or work with a theme,” Frigeri explained. “With trucks, for instance, you can do a desert theme. We can provide that kind of décor. Or, if it’s woodsy, we can work with that. We’ve decorated around trucks to make them look like they’re in off-road races. It just enhances the ambiance and makes a booth more inviting and professional looking.”

Expo Ease strives to make such plant and floral arrangements easy on an exhibitor’s budget, as well. Basic assortment packages start at as little as $140. In addition, the company also supplies another often-overlooked service: photography.

“Exhibitors spend a lot of money on their exhibits and then don’t take advantage of the moment, with their products set up nicely and lit,” said Frigeri. He added that Expo Ease will take professional photos of product, customers and salespeople in the booth for later use on a company’s website, Facebook pages or in other promotional materials for prices starting at $165.

“We want exhibitors to think in terms of new media—extending their trade-show floor to customers who may not have been at the show or customers who may be at the show but are very busy,” he said. “Getting these images from us very quickly, tweeting them out, putting them on Facebook or on a website can generate excitement off the Show floor to bring people into their booths or let their customers who aren’t there see the exciting things they’re doing, especially for product launches. It’s really priceless. It’s an implied endorsement when a customer’s holding the product.”

Computer and Audio-Visual

  Smart exhibitors know that now is the time to arrange the basic fixtures and services that will make their booths stand out in the crowd.
In today’s high-tech environment, it’s impossible to imagine a SEMA Show booth without some sort of computer presence. Several preferred SEMA Show vendors can help with equipment and technical support.
   
  Smart exhibitors know that now is the time to arrange the basic fixtures and services that will make their booths stand out in the crowd.
Whether simply displaying a company’s logo or attracting buyers with pertinent video, audio-visual displays offer a powerful improvement to a booth’s ambiance and marketing.
   
In today’s high-tech world it’s hard to imagine a booth without quality computer support and a good audio-visual display.

“The more stimulating and exciting you can make your booth, the better chances you have of attracting people into it,” said Al Dyess, chief sales officer for Production Resource Group (PRG), a vendor whose core offerings include audio, video, lighting and computer equipment. “Clearly, exhibitors spend a good deal of time, money and other resources to exhibit at the SEMA Show, so they need to get the most they can out of those investments. We believe audio-visual—including lighting—is one of the ways you really enhance your presence on the Show floor and attract potential buyers into
your booth.”

A global company focused on entertainment technology for trade shows, events and major broadcast endeavors, PRG has a division based in Detroit that does nothing but auto shows, both in the U.S. and throughout Europe. Consequently, smaller exhibitors looking at the PRG website could easily become intimidated by the company’s size and scope, Dyess conceded. However, PRG truly does offer cost-effective equipment rentals and services aimed at exhibitors of every size.

“We can serve exhibitors in two ways,” Dyess said. “We have a standard offering that comes out in the exhibitor kit and is also available online. Through that, we’ve put together some packages, such as a 42-in. plasma screen, a DVD player and stand. You order those services, we deliver them to your booth, we set them up, make sure they’re running like you want them to, and then we’re there throughout the show, open to close, every day, with onsite technical support, whatever the problem may be. We also have single one-off items. Maybe you have a computer, and you just want to rent a monitor and want us to hang it in your booth. We do that, too.”

PRG offers special packages and rates for the SEMA Show. Computer packages start at just under $200, while display packages begin at $1,092. Equipment rentals also encompass laptops and accessories, projectors and screens, microphones and sound systems, and video displays and accessories, including high-definition systems.

“In addition to that, if someone has a more elaborate idea or they’d like some help with a more elaborate idea, we can certainly use those standard offerings and configure them differently and maybe add some customized lighting to the booth,” Dyess said.

Phone and Internet

Naturally, phone and Internet access are also staples of any well-equipped booth. SmartCity Networks is the technology provider of phone and Internet services for the Las Vegas Convention Center and therefore a principal supplier to SEMA Show exhibitors.

“We hold the exclusive contract with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to provide all the technology services on behalf of the convention center,” explained Laureen Boykin, a SmartCity spokesperson.

In fact, SmartCity is the exclusive phone and Internet vendor for 36 facilities across the nation, including convention centers in such major cities as Orlando, Florida; Washington, D.C.; Houston and Dallas, Texas; Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; and five centers in Southern California.

“The question is do you need Internet services?” Boykin asked. “Are you running a point-of-sale machine? Do you need connectivity for some reason? Are you running credit cards? Do you need to access your website to show people? We have a whole range of products that fit just about any budget.”

  Smart exhibitors know that now is the time to arrange the basic fixtures and services that will make their booths stand out in the crowd.
No matter your booth size, you’ll want to carefully plan the look and feel of fixtures, furnishings and lighting to project your brand.
   
Even though the company is an exclusive provider by contract, SmartCity regularly reviews its pricing and makes every attempt to maintain rates that are competitive with other convention centers and vendors offering similar services.

“We have very simple, lower-priced, shared-Internet services, and we go all the way up to dedicated services if you need significant bandwidth or you’re doing a video stream or something because you don’t want a shared service for that,” Boykin said. “We also have a $99-per-day wireless service on the trade-show floor for exhibitor Internet. It’s different from the WiFi that you get in the public spaces in that the exhibitor WiFi is more robust—there’s more bandwidth, speed, and we support it onsite, whereas the WiFi in public spaces, you have to dial an 800 number if you have issues or difficulties.”

For wired services, pricing starts at a $590 flat rate for the entire Show period.

“That’s one IP address for one device,” Boykin explained. “If you want more than one device, the next service starts at $795. Then the next one is at $995, and it’s a matted shared service—in other words, you don’t get a static IP address. You get an open IP address, and you’re allowed to add up to 10 devices. Then we have the most popular item, which is the shared Ethernet service, which is priced at $1,095. Again, that allows up to 10 IP addresses but comes with a static IP address.”

In addition, exhibitors who are concerned that their own cell carrier may not reach inside the convention center or may otherwise lack reliability during the SEMA Show can order phones and service from Smart-City at equally competitive rates. In all cases, the company will work closely with exhibitors to help them determine the appropriate service package for their needs and budget.

Lead Management

Ultimately, a successful SEMA Show is all about acquiring business through leads. To that end, CompuSystems—the SEMA Show’s official registration provider—strives to make lead gathering, retrieval and management a snap before, during and after the Show.

Founded in 1976, CompuSystems processes approximately 1.5 million registrations per year for more than 200 events worldwide while renting lead-recording systems to exhibitors. These systems read two-dimensional bar and smart codes embedded in the attendee badges created during the registration process. The code reading is performed either through a specialized desktop or handheld device or, increasingly, through a smart-phone app now offered by CompuSystems that runs on iPhone, iPad and Android platforms. (The app is free, but users pay for an authorization code in order to access the recorded data.) CompuSystems offers exhibitors its BuyerConnect program to access the leads they collect through their retrieval devices.

  Smart exhibitors know that now is the time to arrange the basic fixtures and services that will make their booths stand out in the crowd.
For the exhibitor, lead generation is everything. CompuSystems, the SEMA Show’s official registration provider, also makes lead management easy before, during and after the Show.
   
“BuyerConnect is something that happens for the most part post-event,” explained Paul McCaffray, CompuSystems executive vice president and COO. “It’s a system that, once the event is over with, we send an e-mail to every exhibitor who participated with one of our lead-retrieval systems, and we essentially give back to them a list of the leads that they took so they can take some action at that point.

“They can send out a broadcast e-mail. They can send out individual e-mails. They can download the list. But really what we’re trying to do is remind them of the people who came to their booth, the leads and opportunities to continue the booth experience beyond the last day of the Show. As a complement to that, we send a BuyerConnect to every attendee who had his or her badge scanned by at least one of our systems to say here are the exhibitors that you visited.”

For pre-Show lead generation, the company also offers a program called TrafficMax. First deployed in 2000, TrafficMax allows exhibitors to go into a self-serve system and essentially mine the Show registration database and visitor profiles gathered by CompuSystems during the registration process.

“What is their principle business?” McCaffray asked. “What are their registration categories? Are they a buyer? The exhibitor can go through there and pinpoint the people they want to communicate with [and] can then send a broadcast e-mail or download a contact list. TrafficMax enables an exhibitor to take a little more control of their destiny and reach out to the people who are registered and say come to my booth and see me.”

Of course, getting buyers to come to your booth and see you is the bottom line. Admittedly, exhibiting at the SEMA Show is quite an investment, but it’s well worth the time and money when done right.

From furnishings to technology, photography to lead management, now is the time to get your planning started—and covering the above basics will put you well on the road toward a successful Show.