Compiled by SEMA Editors

Maxxsonics USA Welcomes Mark Lieber

Effective now, Mark Lieber has joined the team at Maxxsonics USA as project and quality manager. His responsibilities will involve leading Maxxsonics USA concurrent product development teams in the design and engineering of products. Lieber will also work directly with Maxxsonics global partners to ensure its designs are manufactured to the highest standards, bringing quality products to market on time. Starting at Rockford Fosgate (RF) in 1987, Lieber grew into the industry with various positions throughout his career, the first 10 years in manufacturing and completing his time at RF as senior project and quality assurance manager in 2011. In October 2011, he started at YSI Inc. in supply chain and managed a supply base of 40 key suppliers. In March 2013, he joined the team at Scosche Industries as a program manager, overseeing eight key suppliers while implementing cost-saving measures. One year later, he rejoined YSI/Xylem as supply-chain specialist and managed the supply base of five key suppliers with total imports of $7 million. In 2017, Lieber decided to start Lieber Quality Management Inc. so he could bring his project management skills to others, with Vertical World Wide being his first customer.

Milwaukee Tool Expands Corporate Operations

Milwaukee Tool announced the expansion of its corporate operations into downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company’s current global headquarters in Brookfield, Wisconsin, will remain the central location for the company’s corporate operations. The company says that the new expansion will provide increased space to accommodate the company’s rapid growth. Anticipated to open in October, this building will house 1,200 employees within the next three years.

Milwaukee reports that it will invest more than $30 million to purchase and renovate a vacant 333,000-sq.-ft. building in downtown Milwaukee. This building will act as an extension of the company’s global headquarters in Brookfield. By the end of 2021, the company will have more than 3,100 employees located in Wisconsin.

Holley Appoints New CFO

Holley has announced that Dominic Bardos has been appointed CFO. A financial executive with extensive public company experience, Bardos will serve as a member of the executive leadership team and report directly to President and CEO Tom Tomlinson. Bardos recently served as vice president of finance for Tractor Supply Co. Previously, he served as CFO for Cambridge Franchise Holdings. Additionally, he held several leadership positions at ServiceMaster, including three years as the divisional CFO for Terminix, its largest division. His experience also includes leadership positions in financial planning and analysis, strategic sourcing, supply chain, and customer service operations in large organizations such as Caesars Entertainment, Hilton Hotels and Harrah’s Entertainment.

Mickey Thompson Names Director of Motorsports

Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels has named Jason Moulton as director of motorsports. With 23 years of experience in race tire development for the company, Moulton has developed several new drag-race tires, wheels and related products, such as Mickey Thompson’s big drag tire program, including the first “Bubba” ET Drag tire for Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Comp and more classes. Moulton will oversee a team of motorsports experts and will attend more than 100 race events each year, providing trackside service to racers at national, divisional and local events across the country.

NPW Miami Consolidates Anaheim DC of EPWI

NPW, the new parent company of engine and performance distributor EPWI, has announced the consolidation of the EPWI Anaheim inventory, ordering and shipping to its NPW DC in Gardena, California. The company states that the ordering, shipping and sales will remain the same. Suppliers and customers should only experience positive changes from this move. As is the practice of NPW, the same EPWI staff is being retained for no interruptions in services. The NPW Gardena facility offers a wider selection of brands over what EPWI carried and increased depth on the stock levels of common lines. The NPW Gardena DC is located at 14605 South Main St., Gardena CA 90248.

Meyer Distributing Noe Offers Mounted and Balanced Wheels and Tire Packages

Meyer Distributing announced that it has factory trained techs to mount wheel and tire packages, using the state-of-the-art Hunter’s Revolution Tire Changer and Road Force Elite Wheel Balancer. Meyer offers this service on wheels 17- to 22-in. wheels and up to a 40-in. tire.

“Our goal is to help our customer’s capture more sales, said Scott Hohler, Meyer Wheel and Tire category manager, many shops are turning away this business away because they don’t have the equipment to sell wheel and tire packages. We always look for ways to add more value for our customers and we look forward to bringing wheel and tire packages to our customers on their next Meyer delivery truck.”

Pylon Appoints New President

Pylon Manufacturing announced the appointment of Michael Fretwell to company president. Fretwell brings more than two decades of experience in sales, marketing and product development. He previously served as chief marketing officer at Pylon, where he drove the expansion of retailers and led the company's launch of several new innovative products and initiatives. As president, Fretwell will lead the strategy and execution of Pylon's business development and growth, while building on the company's tradition of more than 50 years of consistent quality.

Port City Racecars Celebrates 40 Years in Business

Port City Racecars is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a leading manufacturer of racecar chassis and specialty parts catering to the short-track asphalt community. The privately held company was founded by Harley Boeve in 1981 in a modest shop located on his family’s farm in Michigan. The company reports that during 40 years in business, it has grown into two separate buildings accounting for close to 20,000 sq. ft. and is located in Race City USA, Mooresville, North Carolina.

PCR will celebrate its 40 years with its customers by offering specials through the month of May.

• All customers that shop on www.portcityracecars.com will receive a $40 credit towards all orders more than $150 using check-out code PCR40 (Limit one transaction per customer. Offer expires May 31).
• For the balance of ’21, all new car orders will be photographically documented throughout the build process. Upon completion, the owner will be presented a framed oversized print of their car that will carry the signatures of all Port City Racecars employees. The print will feature the special PCR 40th Anniversary logo signifying the chassis construction during the celebratory year.
• Limited edition apparel carrying the PCR 40th Anniversary logo will be available for purchase directly from www.portcityracecars.com.

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.

By Ashley Reyes

Brock White is the SEMA Young Executives Network’s (YEN) newest spotlight member. White is a manufacturer’s representative at Bob Cook Sales—a sales, marketing and consulting company for automotive aftermarket manufacturers and resellers.

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

Brock White: Don’t be afraid to make a dollar off of your friends; You’ll rarely make a cent off of your enemies.

SEMA: What keeps you in the industry?

BW: Variety. As (arguably) the last member of Generation X, I enjoy working with the variety of people in our industry from the young up-and-coming trend setters to the old-school business owners.

SEMA: Where can you be found on a Saturday?

BW: You can find me tackling a project on one of my vehicles, spending time with my dodgeball group or washing my truck to get ready for a night out on the town.

SEMA: How do you prepare for an important meeting?

BW: I prepare by being ready to be surprised. You never know what insider information or interesting stories you may learn that can turn into keys that will open doors in the future!

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

BW: I would go to lunch with Bob Chandler. Pioneering the Monster Truck is a pretty incredible feat in retrospect. It’s really interesting to see how the Monster Truck has both influenced and benefited from so many aspects of our industry—from hardcore motorsport to the way enthusiasts style their pickups.

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.

Compiled by SEMA Editors

Dayco Amps Up North American Motorsports Program by Sponsoring Five Extreme Drift Teams

Dayco is diversifying its motorsports program by sponsoring five of the hottest drift race teams on the circuit today. They include Steele Brothers Racing, Scherzer Racing, WingIt Motorsports, Chad Andersen Motorsports and Messineo Motorsports. In addition to providing the race teams with financial support and high-performance belts, water pumps, tensioners, pulleys and racing balancers during the 2021 season, Dayco’s product and R&D teams are on call for any technical support the crew or drivers may require throughout the season.

Brown, Tasca, Anderson and Pollacheck Earn Historic Lucas Oil NHRA Southern Nationals Wins in Final Race at Atlanta Dragway

Antron Brown became the winningest Top Fuel driver at the historic facility with his fifth victory at the 40th and final Lucas Oil NHRA Southern Nationals. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Scotty Pollacheck (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won in their respective categories at the third race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season as the NHRA held the last race at the historic track.

Brown defeated three-time reigning world champ Steve Torrence in the final round, going 3.752 seconds at 323.81 mph in his 11,000-hp Matco Tools dragster to beat Torrence’s 3.794 at 323.81. Brown left Atlanta Dragway with seven overall victories, including two that came in Pro Stock Motorcycle, while Sunday’s triumph also gave him 68 carer wins.

Tasca III picked up his second straight victory in Funny Car, with Sunday’s triumph against John Force. He went 4.004 at 326.48 in his 11,000hp Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang in the final round, beating Force’s 4.015 at 321.81, claiming his eighth career victory. Tasca maintained his points lead in the class, cemented himself as a certain championship contender and won for the first time in Atlanta.

Anderson took out Vincent Nobile in the final round in his DENSO Chevrolet Camaro, going 6.568 at 209.04 against Nobile’s 6.598 at 208.78. In an all-Matt Smith Racing final round, Pollacheck claimed the victory over his teammate, as Smith went red by a mere .001, handing the victory to Pollacheck on his DENSO/Strutmaster/Matt Smith Racing EBR.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action May 14–16, with the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

Don Prudhomme Wins Turbo Class at Mexican 1000

Drag-racing legend and Hall of Famer Don “Snake” Prudhomme has added another accolade to his storied career: 2021 Yokohama NORRA Mexican 1000 class winner. On his third attempt at the 1,000-mile race across the desert, Prudhomme and his co-pilot Rich Minga took the checkered flag in the Evolution Stock Turbo class driving the MAVTV CanAm Maverick Turbo. Their winning time of 19:49:18 gave them a margin of victory of more than three hours on their closest competitor. The MAVTV team finished 31st overall out of 90 total competitors, 26 of whom did not finish the extreme race.

Carl Casper Named Grand Marshal of 2021 National Hot Rod Reunion

The NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California, has named Carl Casper, producer of his Custom Auto Show in Louisville for more than five decades, the Grand Marshal of the upcoming 18th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance, to be held Thursday–Saturday, June 17–19, at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Other honorees include the late Funny Car racer Carol “Bunny” Burkett, Indiana racer and car builder Hal Canode, Hall of Fame Pro Stock racer and racing school owner Roy Hill, Modified Eliminator standout with his six-cylinder Pocket Rocket Chevy II Cotton Perry, and Pennsylvania race car and hot-rod builder Ed Quay. A free Honorees Reception takes place at the National Corvette Museum on Friday night. The Reunion was conceived as a celebration of the “good old days” with participants in all forms of the all-American activity known as hot rodding on hand. For tickets, visit the NHRA Museum website.

USTCC Kicks Off Round One at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) kicked off round one at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a one-day event on April 10. First place in the Super Touring class went to Viktor Czapla in the Wob-cars Audi R8. Mike Sekhon, driving the GT Autol Lunge BMW M3, finished third to Pete Bovenburg in his ARG/Summit Tech BMW M3.

In the Grand Touring class, it was Edgar Lau’s Rose Construction BMW M3 that won the race. Rob Harper, in the AP Racing/BC Forged Chevy Corvette, had the best lap time of the day, but found himself in second place. Driving the Lanza & Smith PLC Lotus Exige, Anthony Lanza took third place.

Gary Sheehan, behind the wheel of the GoGoGear.com/Konig Wheels Hyundai Genesis, took the first-place position in the Touring class. The team of Mark McManus and Ken Kurtz grabbed second with the Netapp.com Lexus IS300. Taking the last podium position with the GoGoGear.com/Konig Wheels Hyundai Genesis was Gordon Pun.

The team of Sean Milburn and Daniel Milburn took the top podium position of the Sportsman class driving the Bay Area Drafting Acura RSX. Brad Austin’s TNI Racing Mazda MX5 crossed the line in second place. Reza Arsham snatched the third place position in the GoGoGear.com/Konig Wheels Honda Civic.

F1 Replaces Canada With Turkish Grand Prix

Formula 1 has confirmed a change to round seven of the 2021 calendar, with the Turkish Grand Prix replacing the Canadian Grand Prix for the weekend of June 11–13. Due to the ongoing international travel restrictions in Canada, it became impossible for Formula 1 to enter the country without a mandatory 14-day quarantine, leading to the change. Turkey returns to the calendar after the first event in Istanbul in nine years last November, in which Lewis Hamilton was crowned world champion for a record-equalling seventh time.

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

This is a ’21 Ford F-150 with an intricate AV (NextDroid.com) setup on the roof of its cab. The configuration appears to feature a substantial amount of cameras, sensors and LIDAR equipment, making us wonder what Ford is up to.

Earlier this month, Ford officially announced BlueCruise—a hands-free highway driving solution that aims to rival Tesla AutoPilot and GM SuperCruise. Could the prototype seen here foreshadow a more advanced version of BlueCruise?

Expect more details as the program develops.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

This is a ’21 Ford F-150 with an intricate AV (NextDroid.com) setup on the roof of its cab. The configuration appears to feature a substantial amount of cameras, sensors and LIDAR equipment, making us wonder what Ford is up to.

Earlier this month, Ford officially announced BlueCruise—a hands-free highway driving solution that aims to rival Tesla AutoPilot and GM SuperCruise. Could the prototype seen here foreshadow a more advanced version of BlueCruise?

Expect more details as the program develops.

Photo credit: Brian Williams, SpiedBilde

By SEMA Editors

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser, one of the most colorful, outspoken and popular drivers in the history of IndyCar racing, died on Sunday, May 2, at his New Mexico home. He was 87.

Unser won the Indianapolis 500 in 1968, 1975 and 1981. He is one of just 10 drivers to win the “500” at least three times, and is a member of numerous motorsports Halls of Fame, including induction into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Hall of Fame in 1990. Unser and Rick Mears are the only drivers to win the “500” in three different decades.

He was one of six members of the Unser family to race in the Indianapolis 500. Bobby and his brother Al, a four-time winner, are the only brothers to win the race.

Bobby Unser ended his driving career as one of the greatest performers in the history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” He produced 10 top-10 finishes in 19 career “500” starts and led in 10 races for a total of 440 laps, still 10th on the all-time list.

He also was a renowned USAC Sprint Car, Midget and Stock Car competitor and a participant in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. After retiring as a driver, Unser served as a popular IndyCar color analyst on national telecasts in the ’80s and ’90s.

Unser is survived by his wife Lisa; sons Bobby Jr. and Robby; and daughters Cindy and Jeri.

For more career details, visit here.

By Ashley Reyes

Nikolas Wolgamott of PMAS Technologies is the latest SEMA Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN) member to share his insight on how his company has pivoted during the pandemic and utilized technology to keep business moving forward.

PMAS Technologies manufactures high-performance mass airflow sensors, intakes and exhausts for the automotive market.

SEMA: How has your company pivoted during the pandemic?  

Nikolas Wolgamott: Supply-chain issues have caused us to really rethink how we keep inventory. We’ve dramatically increased the amount of components we keep on hand.

SEMA: What technology tools, new or old, have you leaned on recently?   

NW: As always, the SEMA Garage and SEMA Tech Transfer program have been immensely helpful during the design phase of new products. Recently, new technology in additive manufacturing and 3-D scanning has simplified the process and reduced our costs.

SEMA: What new trends have you noticed with sales and marketing?

NW: The grassroots approach has been very effective for us. Directly engaging with customers on social media and with YouTube videos, etc. has driven up sales both directly and to our distributors. It seems that more people are spending time at home and online.

SEMA: What, if any, changes in business do you feel will outlive the pandemic?

NW: I think more companies will move away from just-in-time style production and inventory. Nothing is more frustrating than having a massive surge in orders without the components to produce and ship product.

Fill out this form for a chance to be featured in the next ETTN member insight. By sharing your experiences, you can inspire and motivate other members to learn new tips and ideas. You may also be featured on ETTN’s social media and in SEMA eNews.

By SEMA Editors

The following candidates are vying for a seat on the SEMA Board of Directors:

Chairman-elect (one open seat)

• Kyle Fickler – (Incumbent) Director, Driven Racing Oil
• Les Rudd – (Incumbent) President, Bob Cook Sales

Distributors/Retailers (two open seats):

• Larry Montante – Vice President, Keystone Automotive Operations
• Brian Rowland – GM, Parts & Accessories, Walmart
• Steve Whipple – (Incumbent) Director, Jegs High Performance

Manufacturers (two open seats):

• Ian Lehn – Founder, BOOSTane
• Kim Pendergast – (Incumbent) CEO/Owner, Magnuson Superchargers
• Brian Reese – President/CEO, The Retrofit Source

Service (one open seat):

• Lindsay Hubley – Managing Partner, Lodestone Events
• Jim Liaw – President/Co-Founder, Formula Drift Holdings

Voting will take place online between May 11–25, and is open to current SEMA-member companies. Votes must be cast by each company’s primary contact. Details on the upcoming election will be sent to the member company’s designated primary contact beginning April 30. Winners will be announced by May 28.

Get to know the candidates.

By SEMA Editors

The September 2021 issue of SEMA News will highlight rising stars in the automotive aftermarket industry who are age 35 and younger. If you know a leader in that age range as of September 1, 2021—whether they are in manufacturing and design, marketing, retail, events and media, or distribution—we would like to hear from you.

Many SEMA members are currently working with creative young professionals who are already industry trailblazers. They may have played key roles in leveraging new and emerging technologies with a traditional automotive aftermarket business to expand company reach, improve product development, energize marketing efforts or upgrade customer interaction.

They could be budding talents at an established company, entrepreneurs building their own brands or innovators who have launched companies that might become big names in the future. What they all will have in common are fresh ideas, enthusiasm, charisma and the drive to succeed.

SEMA News looks for candidates drawn from diverse industry segments who are already making a significant impact through their leadership within their organizations or businesses. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the marketplace weigh heavily in the decision-making process. We’ll honor the winners in the September issue of SEMA News and on www.sema.org.

Nominate a candidate now for the 2021 SEMA News 35 Under 35. Nominations are due May 31.

  By SEMA Editors

Submit your company’s application and deposit by May 7 to be eligible to participate in the 2021 SEMA Show Space Selection process. Taking place June 7–23, companies will select the best locations for their SEMA Show display needs based on exhibitor seniority.

The 2021 SEMA Show will mark nearly two years since members of the automotive specialty-equipment market have seen one another, together. Reunite with your customers and colleagues at the Show, and shine the spotlight on your company in front of tens of thousands of qualified buyers looking for the best that the market has to offer.

In addition to buyers, the Show also attracts thousands of traditional media and social-media influencers ready to let the rest of the world know about your products and applications, opening up even more sales opportunities well after the Show concludes.

Access SEMA's worldwide network and create more opportunities to sell. Be there to reconnect at the 2021 SEMA Show, Tuesday-Friday, November 2-5, Las Vegas.

To participate in the Priority Space Selection process, reserve your spot for 2021 at www.SEMAShow.com/buyabooth.

Below are key dates that SEMA Show exhibitors are encouraged to mark on their calendars.

• The Exhibitor Services Manual (ESM) will be live in May. The ESM contains all of the forms and applications required to prepare for the Show: feature vehicles, new products, booth vehicles, celebrity appearances, etc.
• The Exhibit Space Rental Application and deposit are due May 7.
• Dates for the SEMA Show Space Selection: June 7–23

For additional information about exhibiting at the SEMA Show, visit www.SEMAShow.com/exhibitor.