The 2021 SEMA Show Space Allocation process wrapped up earlier this week, and more than 1,700 companies are confirmed to exhibit, and many more are expected to sign on before the event takes place in November.
The SEMA Show floorplan is live, and buyers are currently examining the event's layout to see who will be there for 2021.
Companies that would like to exhibit at this year's SEMA Show to reconnect with customers and generate new business, can get started at www.SEMAShow.com.
Exhibiting at the SEMA Show puts your latest products in front of thousands of qualified buyers from every segment of the specialty-equipment industry, including buyers looking for your products. This year's Show offers even more opportunities for exhibitors reach new buyers. SEMA Show management recently announced that buyer registration for the Show has started at the fastest pace they have seen in the event's 54-year history.
SEMA Show exhibitor Cometic Gaskets is ready to reunite with customers in person, and reach out to more buyers outside of the company's local region.
“We are most looking forward to face-to-face conversations and reconnecting with our customers old and new. Cometic is located in the midwest, and exhibiting at SEMA allows us to connect with our West Coast customers and industry segments, such as desert racing.”
Registration for the 2021 SEMA Show is offered in three categories—attendee, exhibitor, and media—and everyone must qualify to receive a badge and attend.
Every person has his/her own unique set of characteristics, and although supervising multiple individuals in the workplace can present its challenges, understanding different personalities can help managers build effective teams.
Leaders in the automotive aftermarket are invited to learn how to identify personality traits and the value of managing different personalities during a webinar on August 24, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT). Presented by the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), the skills and knowledge presented will help supervisors learn about their employees, enhance teamwork and collaboration, and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Participants will be invited to share their previous experiences managing different personalities, discuss situations that could have been handled differently, and share tips from what they have learned during an interactive breakout following the webinar presentation.
Congressional support for the bipartisan Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2021 (RPM Act), H.R. 3281, has continued to build in the days leading up to members of the U.S. House of Representatives leaving Washington, D.C., until mid-September. Letters in support of the RPM Act from racers and members of the motorsports’ parts industry to lawmakers in Congress asking them to cosponsor the bill continue to be a key factor in expanding support for the legislation.
Dusty Johnson
The RPM Act now has 96 bipartisan co-sponsors, as five members of the House recently agreed to publicly support the bill, including U.S. Representatives Jim Banks (R-IN), Larry Bucshon (R-IN), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN).
Carlos Gimenez
While the House of Representatives is out of session until September 20, members of Congress will hold town hall meetings and meet with their constituents. Local meetings provide a great opportunity for you to influence your members of Congress. To identify your U.S. House member, visit Action Center. You can sign up on their website to receive weekly email updates, including information about events in your lawmaker’s congressional district.
Larry Bucshon
The RPM Act must be enacted into law to guarantee your right to modify street cars, trucks and motorcycles into dedicated race vehicles, and ensure that industry can offer parts that enable racers to compete. It is imperative that lawmakers continue to be reminded of the importance of passing the RPM Act.
Victoria Spartz
Click here to see the current list of RPM Act co-sponsors, and don’t forget to send a letter to your U.S. Representative asking them to support the bill and fight for it to become law.
For details, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.
Feature vehicles provide exhibitors the ability to highlight
products and upgrades on cars and trucks positioned in
designated areas away from their company’s SEMA Show
booth.
Although the deadline to apply for a feature vehicle at the 2021 SEMA Show has passed, applications are still being accepted for exhibitors planning to utilize a feature vehicle for the Show.
All feature vehicles must be approved and paid for by qualified exhibiting companies. Criteria for placement is based on how the exhibiting company’s products are showcased on the vehicle, whether the car has been featured in the SEMA Show previously, how complete the vehicle build is, and to what degree the vehicle captures all elements of the specialty-equipment market.
Feature vehicles provide exhibitors the ability to highlight products and upgrades on cars and trucks positioned in designated areas away from their company’s SEMA Show booth. With unique style and unmatched innovations, feature vehicles are a visual marketing tool to help generate an organic appeal for an exhibitor’s products.
The SEMA Data Excellence designation recognizes the companies that have worked with SEMA Data to recreate and relaunch industry-leading product data sets. Here are products from current SEMA Data members that have achieved data excellence.
Fuelab’s 565 Regulators—The New “PRO Series” Line
Fuelab has given the tried and true 565 series regulator new digs and a new purpose. The 565 Series of regulators are capable of taming huge electric pumps (like their 40501 PRO Series spur gear pump) and the meanest belt driven mechanical pumps, all with a flat regulation slope.
These regulators feature -10AN ports and a massive ½-in. return orifice for applications well over 2500hp. They’re available in 4-12psi, 10-25psi, 25-65psi, and 40-80psi configurations, and utilize fluorosilicone diaphragms and o-rings, so they’re cross-fuel compatible, just like the rest of the Fuelab line.
JMS PedalMAX Extreme is designed specifically for the Polaris Slingshot market. Throttle response and acceleration are improved leading to more initial power and torque. Taking only minutes to install, the unit plugs in-line between your vehicle's pedal position sensor and vehicle harness, utilizing OEM connectors with a remote mounted control knob making performance adjustable on-the-fly. PedalMAX Extreme units are fully waterproof, backed by a lifetime warranty and made in the USA.
Tuffy Security Products Flow-Through Center Security Console Safe for Late-Model Ford Pickups
Tuffy Security Products fits ’15–’21 Ford F-150, ’17–’21 Ford F-250 Super Duty and ’17–’21 Ford F-350 Super Duty pickup models and offers owners a flow-through center security console safe that maintains a completely stock look, while providing full use of the factory accessory tray, arm rest and lid. It also retains access to the truck’s optional OEM USB and power outlets situated inside the console. The product installs in a few minutes using hand tools with no drilling required.
A lid support allows the console’s lid to remain open while accessing contents. It is manufactured with welded steel components and features a durable black texture powdercoat finish. The company’s patented Pry-Guard locking system and a 10 tumbler double-bitted lock with built-in weather seals secure the console’s contents.
The new Round 5 of the USTCC championship will be at the
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, September 17–19.
The United States Touring Car Championship to Race With IndyCar at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
The United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) has added the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey to its 2021 calendar. The new Round 5 of the championship will be at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, September 17–19, with the IndyCar series. The weekend starts with practice, qualifying and round 5 of the championship, Friday, September 17, followed by round 6 on Saturday, September 18. Tickets for the event are available at www.weathertechraceway.com.
Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series Sets 2021–22 Schedule
The Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series has announced its third season winter tour schedule, which features four weekends of Late Model racing from November through February. Eight races are set across South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, as the series adds Lancaster Motor Speedway and I-75 Raceway to the schedule for the first time. The season champion is set to earn $15,000 from a $42,000 point fund that rewards the top 10 overall who compete in the entire schedule. Drydene Performance Products also continues as the title sponsor of the tour. All events will be broadcast on DIRTVision. For more information, visit xtremedirtcar.com.
Fifty Five Promotions will take over ownership of Skagit Speedway,
the dirt track based in Burlington, Washington. Photo courtesy: Skagit
Speedway
Fifty Five Promotions Acquires Skagit Speedway
Fifty Five Promotions will take over ownership of Skagit Speedway, the dirt track based in Burlington, Washington. Fifty Five Promotions is the new promotional group comprised of Washington car owners Kevin Rudeen and Mike Anderson and the California-based promoter Peter Murphy. The group takes over ownership from longtime track owner Steve Beitler, who was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2018. Also the owner of Funtime Promotions, Beitler manages the Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington, and the Summer Thunder Sprint Car Series and the Washington Modified Tour. The acquisition and transition will be completed at the end of the track’s season following the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals featuring the World of Outlaws 410 sprint cars and NW Focus midgets, September 3–5, followed by the season championship presented by Scrap-It-Stow-It on September 18.
Ellen Stallcup
Texas Motor Speedway Promotes New Vice President of Marketing
Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) has promoted Ellen Stallcup to the newly created position of vice president of marketing. Stallcup began working for the multi-purpose facility—which celebrates its 25th Season of Speed this year—in 2003 as an intern with the corporate sales department for the fall IndyCar race weekend. She is now responsible for the development of marketing, advertising, promotional and budgetary planning, and the NASCAR event at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. She also manages Big Hoss, the 22,704.64-sq.-ft. HD LED display that owns the Guinness World Record as the world’s largest HD LED video board. The Windthorst, Texas native began her full-time career at No Limits, Texas, in 2004 as a ticket sales representative. In 2006, she was named advertising and events manager and promoted to director of the department in 2017. She was promoted in 2020 to the position of director of marketing.
Toyota will team up with Bubba Wallace’s foundation to assist the
students who dream of working within the world of motorsports.
Photo courtesy: NASCAR
Toyota Racing Forms “The Dream” Experiential Endowment
Toyota Racing has announced the establishment of the Dream Experiential Endowment in partnership with Bubba Wallace’s Live to be Different Foundation. The initiative will see Toyota team up with Wallace’s foundation to assist the students who dream of working within the world of motorsports. It is a continuation of the Toyota Racing “Dream” commercial that took to the airwaves around the 2021 Daytona 500. By working with various organizations around the country, Toyota Racing will identify a minimum of four participants per year and arrange for them to spend a finite amount of time with a Toyota race team or TRD-related organization to experience the dream they have to pursue a career in the world of motorsports. The initial group of recipients will be chosen in the coming weeks and begin their experience during the late summer of the 2021 racing season. Applicants looking to be considered can submit a resume along with a 500-word maximum essay explaining their dream to work in motorsports to ToyotaRacing@golin.com.
Calistoga Speedway Announces HOF Class of 2021
Calistoga Speedway, the 1/2-mile dirt oval in Calistoga, California, has announced its 2021 Hall of Fame class. The Hunt Family, Dewey Gatson, Paul Worden, and Dick Golden join the already announced inductees, which include Gene Figone, Ray Smith, Shane Scott, Roger Henderson, and Rick Hirst. The inductees will be honored during the Louie Vermeil Classic taking place at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, on Labor Day weekend. The 10th annual Calistoga Speedway HOF dinner takes place Friday, September 3, prior to the winged sprint car event running on Saturday and Sunday, September 4–5. For more information, visit the event page.
Kyle Petty Charity Ride Announces Mini Ride for Fall
This fall, Kyle Petty will host the “Charity Ride Revival (CRR),” a one-time only, miniature version of his annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. The CRR was created in response to postponing the larger Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America until Spring 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Differing from the annual Ride, the CRR will be half the time, half the size and based at one single hotel–The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia. It will also only include previous participants of the Ride. These are precautions put in place by the Ride to protect the safety of participating riders and team members. From September 21–23, the CRR will travel a different route each day to a unique point of interest for riders to explore and enjoy before returning to the hotel.
Kyle Petty’s 2021 Charity Ride Revival Schedule:
Day 1, Tuesday, September 21 – National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia
Day 2, Wednesday, September 22 – Seneca Rocks in Seneca Rocks, West Virginia
Day 3, Thursday, September 23 – New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia
The CRR will continue the Ride’s mission of raising funds and awareness for Victory Junction–a camp dedicated to providing life-changing camping experiences for children with chronic and serious medical illnesses. For more information, visit kylepettycharityride.com.
Register now for the following upcoming live webinars and stay tuned to SEMA eNews as additional sessions are announced throughout the year. For a comprehensive library of upcoming live and on-demand sessions that members can access anytime, visit www.sema.org/virtual-education.
Wednesday, August 11 – Pricing Policies 101: The Truth About Pricing Policies Series: Pricing Policies Webinar Series
During this live webinar, manufacturers and sole-exclusive distributors will learn the basics of pricing policies and why it’s important to consider one to avoid price erosion in the marketplace. Rich Barsamian of Advanced Clutch Technology will share what he has learned from more than 10 years of experience, writing, implementing and executing pricing policies in the automotive aftermarket and participate in a live Q&A with session attendees.
Wednesday, August 18 – Wheel Knowledge 401: Resources for WTC Members Series: Wheel and Tire Industry Insights, Powered by WTC Track: Industry Segments, Powered by SEMA Councils and Networks
During this live webinar, wheel and tire manufacturers and companies will learn about the resources, high-tech tools and equipment available to them through the SEMA Garage. Participants will get the latest information on measuring sessions, 3-D printing capabilities, the Tech Transfer program and ADAS resources. An update on services available through the new SEMA Garage in Detroit will also be discussed.
Wednesday, August 18 – Pricing Policies 201: Implementing a Pricing Policy That Works Series: Pricing Policies Webinar Series
Learn the step-by-step approach to understanding the key components of a successful pricing policy. During this live webinar, attendees will learn what the most effective pricing policy is, what to do when your biggest customer breaks the policy and how a pricing policy increases sales. Cost: $25.
Tuesday, August 24 – The Value of Managing Different Personalities Series: Sharpen Your Soft Skills, Powered by SBN Track: Industry Segments, Powered by SEMA Councils and Networks
During this live webinar geared toward automotive aftermarket managers, attendees will learn about the value of managing different personalities and how to identify different personality traits in the workplace. Methods discussed will help managers learn more about their employees so they can adjust their management style accordingly, enhance teamwork and collaboration, and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Wednesday, August 25 – Pricing Policies 301: Why Isn’t My Pricing Policy Working? Series: Pricing Policies Webinar Series
If you’ve launched a pricing policy and have not yet seen the benefits—stick with it and you will. This live webinar will help members understand the most common reasons why a pricing policy isn’t moving the needle. You will learn how long it typically takes to see results, why only some resellers follow a pricing policy, and what the top KPIs that measure a successful pricing policy are. Cost: $25.
Newly Added: Tuesday, August 31 – Preventing Ransomware in the Automotive Aftermarket – What SEMA Retailers, Manufacturers and WDs Can Do to Mitigate Threats
Cybersecurity threats continue to be one of the most important concerns for businesses and organizations. During this live webinar, aftermarket executives and decision makers will learn everything they need to know about how to make educated cybersecurity decisions. The information conveyed will help businesses identify key vulnerabilities within their organization and provide strategies and techniques for mitigating security threats.
Available when you need them, where you need them—SEMA’s On-Demand Virtual Education library includes dozens of recorded sessions that SEMA members can access anytime, anywhere.
Below are newly added and popular recordings that are available. For a complete list of sessions and registration information for upcoming webinars, visit www.sema.org/virtual-education.
ADAS Webinar Series
ADAS Technologies: Real-World Systems and Trends (Part One)
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are now becoming standard on new vehicles. Aftermarket parts manufacturers and installers must adapt to the change and learn how to work with the new technology. In this webinar, industry experts provide a high-level look at current ADAS systems’ function, technology and trends. Watch on-demand.
ADAS Technologies: Making Sense of Simulation, Testing and Calibration (Part Two)
Learn how to test and verify that products perform as designed, without affecting OEM functionality or ADAS systems. In this webinar, experts and leading providers of ADAS simulation, testing and calibration explain the testing process, what it means, how it works and what to expect. Watch on-demand.
ADAS Technologies: How to Navigate Product Development (Part Three)
In the final session of the ADAS Webinar Series, leading aftermarket manufacturers who have successfully developed and launched products for ADAS-equipped vehicles share the steps they took to understand the systems, design compatible parts, and validate the functionality of all OEM features. Watch on-demand.
ARMO Builder Series
Episode One: Bob Smith “The Ferrari King”
Get to know the legendary builder and founder of Coachworks Bob Smith, who is sometimes dubbed “The Ferrari King.” Hosted by Sabra Johnson of City Classic Cars, the video features intimate and candid conversations showcasing Smith’s passion and creativity. The two talk shop and all things restoration, including lessons learned from working in the industry, advice for other restoration builders and more. Watch on-demand.
SEMA Industry Insights Series
2021 SEMA Market Report Webinar
As aftermarket businesses and the economy begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses must stay informed about trends that have changed and where the most opportunities can be found for various aftermarket segments. Watch as the SEMA Market Research team presents highlights from the recently released “2021 SEMA Market Report,” including key trends and insights on sales, consumer behavior, industry trends and more. Watch on-demand.
Industry Talks Track
ETTN Live Chat featuring Matt Beenen
2018 SEMA Launch Pad winner Matt Beenen has led BuiltRight Industries to developing and launching more than 80 unique aftermarket products in less than five years. In this Facebook live chat recording, Beenen discusses how the recent affordability of rapid prototyping and 3-D tools have leveled the playing field for small businesses, and how using 3-D scanning, 3-D printing and AR/VR can shorten iterative design cycles and encourage innovation. Watch on-demand.
ETTN Live Chat featuring David Goch
The automotive aftermarket is impacted by countless political and environmental policies. In this Facebook live chat recording, SEMA General Counsel David Goch shares information that will help manufacturers understand current emissions testing and policies, where the future is headed, and how aftermarket companies can adapt their products to be compliant. Watch on-demand.
SBN Live Chat featuring Shannon Welch
Stop worrying if you are good enough or smart enough, and focus instead on being valuable. During this Facebook live chat recording, Shannon Welch, former communications director at ULTRA4 Racing and founder of “Hey Shannon Quick Question,” shares lessons learned from her entrepreneurial journey that will help others gain the confidence they need to create value that will ultimately attract success. Watch on-demand.
YEN Live Chat featuring Jim Liaw
When co-founder of Formula DRIFT Jim Liaw introduced drifting to the United States in 2003, the sport was mostly unknown. In this Facebook live chat recording, Liaw shares how the premier United States drifting series came to be, what other motorsports events he’s helped organize and why he supports the RPM Act. Watch on-demand.
Join SEMA Monday, November 1, for a series of roundtables focused
on key international markets.
Exhibiting at the SEMA Show? Registration is now open for the International Happy Hour, where you can network with international buyers and global enthusiast media.
Want to meet with international buyers even before the Show opens? Join us on Monday, November 1, for four International Roundtables.
For a copy of the Roundtable schedule and other international programs and resources at the 2021 SEMA Show, including how to order a complimentary “We Export” sign, visit SEMA News.
For more information, contact Linda Spencer at lindas@sema.org.
SEMA advocates for the industry before regulatory agencies
since government officials have authority to regulate a broad
range of issues that may impact SEMA members and their
customers. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Most people involved in the automotive industry have heard of the RPM Act, SEMA’s federal legislation to ensure that street vehicles can be modified into dedicated race cars. However, many people aren’t aware that SEMA works to influence regulatory agencies as well as the legislative process.
While not as flashy as introducing a bill in Congress, much of SEMA’s advocacy efforts are on the regulatory front—protecting members and enthusiasts from bureaucratic overreach. Regulatory agencies frequently issue proposed rulemakings, and they have authority over a broad range of issues that could impact SEMA members. SEMA staff monitor the Federal Register (where federal rulemakings are published daily) to make sure that the automotive aftermarket’s concerns are taken into consideration before the rulemakings are finalized.
In the last few months alone, SEMA has submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Patent and Trade Office (PTO), and the California Energy Commission (CEC) on topics of importance to the specialty auto parts market, ranging from cybersecurity and ethanol-blended gasoline labels to tire standards.
Cybersecurity is an issue of growing concern for many industries, including the automotive aftermarket. SEMA submitted comments to NHTSA on its updated document, “Cybersecurity Best Practices for the Safety of Modern Vehicles.” SEMA is supportive of cybersecurity best practices for vehicles that maintain the legal right of vehicle owners to access data, hardware, and software in order to repair or modify their vehicles.
In its comments, SEMA cited the recent Massachusetts right-to-repair ballot initiative that passed in 2020, emphasizing consumers’ desire to legally modify and repair their vehicles how they see fit. SEMA recommended that the best practices document’s reference to “vehicle modification” be expanded to confirm the consumer’s right to modify their vehicles in addition to having them serviced. SEMA also recommended that NHTSA clarify that the document applies to all types of aftermarket parts, not just the referenced mobile phones or other digital devices.
SEMA noted that it is working with lawmakers, regulators and
industry partners to make sure customers always have a
chance to modify and customize their vehicles. Photo
courtesy: Shutterstock.com
Other issues of increasing interest for the automotive aftermarket are advance driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving systems (ADS). While NHTSA was focused on developing a framework for ADS safety, SEMA noted that automated driving relies on ADAS technology (cameras, radar, LIDAR, etc.) for features such as advanced braking and lane departure, so the two issues are commingled.
Within that context, SEMA’s comments focused on information availability to the automotive aftermarket in the coming years to ensure that vehicles can be independently serviced, repaired and modified as new ADS/ADAS-related technologies emerge. As the agency works with industry stakeholders to create a regulatory overlay for both topics, SEMA took the opportunity to proactively focus attention on the issue.
In comments to the EPA on its proposed rulemaking on E15 gas pump labels, SEMA pushed back on the EPA’s proposal to limit or remove the labeling requirement. Ethanol—especially in higher concentrations such as E15—can cause metal corrosion and dissolve certain plastics and rubbers in older automobiles that were not constructed with ethanol-resistant materials, or in certain specialty high-performance equipment.
SEMA expressed dismay that the EPA would suggest making the current label smaller in size and soften the warning language—or rescind the warning label altogether—since there are still millions of older vehicles and non-road vehicles for which ethanol poses a threat. SEMA argued that the label needs to be larger and have a stronger warning to prevent misfuelling.
Protecting SEMA members’ intellectual property rights and combatting counterfeit product sales is a top priority. SEMA submitted comments to the PTO in support of its proposal to develop a national consumer awareness campaign on combatting trafficking in counterfeit and pirated products. For example, current major sources of counterfeit products are internet consumer purchases that arrive in the United States via postal and overnight carriers rather than container ships.
SEMA noted that it is working with lawmakers, regulators, and industry partners to combat the problem. SEMA is a part of the National Association of Manufacturers’ anti-counterfeiting task force, which is seeking to enact legislation that would require e-commerce platforms to provide basic information about their identity and location and to compel the platforms to exert oversight over their sellers.
While this article focuses on federal issues, SEMA also monitors and advocates on behalf of the industry before state-level regulatory bodies. Most recently, SEMA provided comments on the replacement tire efficiency program being pursued by the CEC. SEMA worked with California lawmakers in 2003 to limit the scope of the Replacement Tire Efficiency Program (AB 844), which largely applies to mass-produced passenger and light-duty truck tires.
Other issues of increasing interest for the automotive
aftermarket are\ advance driver-assistance systems (ADAS)
and automated driving systems (ADS). Photo courtesy:
Shutterstock.com
Lawmakers provided an exemption from the program to five categories of tires, including tires with the same SKU, plant and year in volumes of 15,000 or less annually, along with several other categories. The exemptions apply to most specialty tires marketed by SEMA members.
In its comments, SEMA reinforced the idea that the program is a consumer awareness initiative and not a mechanism for removing consumer choice. SEMA also reminded regulators that consumers may desire to emphasize tire characteristics other than fuel efficiency for their driving needs when selecting a replacement tire, such as wet traction, handling or mileage.
While federal and state regulations aren’t a subject many people find riveting, bureaucrats sitting in office buildings in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals around the country can have enormous impact on issues relevant to the automotive aftermarket. Those positions usually aren’t elected but appointed, so they lack the level of accountability that can keep elected officials in check. However, SEMA members can rest easy knowing that their industry is being looked out for from incoming threats from regulatory agencies.