Westgate Resorts has acquired the LVH–Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, making the property the newest addition to the Westgate’s portfolio of 28 resorts. The hotel has been renamed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The new Westgate is located one block off the Las Vegas Strip, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and is one of seven stations on the Las Vegas Monorail.
Facilitators of the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge have introduced a new dual championship format so that qualifying teams will face off at one of the two top industry trade shows—SEMA or PRI. The top two teams from the SEMA Show in November will take on the top two teams from PRI in December in the finale to crown the 2014 Engine Challenge Champion.
Hot Rodders of Tomorrow is a nonprofit organization that hosts nationwide Engine Challenges, where high-school teams compete against each other in complete engine rebuilds. All of the teams work hard to complete the regular season to reach the Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Championship.
In order to land on our “35 Under 35” list, individuals must first be nominated by one or more industry peers. Pouring through the nominations, SEMA News looks for candidates already displaying leadership qualities within their organization or business. Entrepreneurship, commitment, insight, innovation, integrity, responsibility, and demonstrated skill, involvement and success within the industry weigh heavily in our decision-making. The selection process is never easy—in one way or another, every nominee is a winner—but, ultimately, we reduce the nominations down to 35 finalists to make our special section. When all was said and done for this 2014 edition, we again found ourselves with an impressive roster of highly accomplished individuals making their marks at a young age in a diverse array of industry segments.
The SEMA Show Online Media Center is now available for exhibiting companies to submit show-related press releases to be included on the SEMA Show website, used in association publications and promoted to media attendees. The Online Media Center was designed specifically for journalists to find Show-related news and announcements. With more than 3,000 media in attendance, exhibiting companies will benefit by spotlighting their newest and most innovative products to direct media attention to their booths.
September 1, 2014
New product launches for Adenna, Brake Performance, Sean Hyland Motorsport, Custom Autosound Mfg., and TruXedo.
You might be able to start a nail with a screwdriver, but it’s a whole lot easier with a hammer. The proper tool makes any task flow more smoothly—and automotive machining and modification are certainly the beneficiaries of tool and equipment innovations. A wealth of working gear was introduced in the New Products Showcase at the 2013 SEMA Show. We’ve gathered them together on the next few pages for your review and enjoyment. There may be a gem here that can make your next undertaking more of a joy and less of a job.
Breaking news from SEMA members, including Truck Accessories Group, Covercraft Industries, Advanstar Automotive Group, Quantum Automotive, ReadyLift Suspension, Motovicity Distribution, Silver Sport Transmissions and more.
Honoring Four Visionaries
A pioneer is an innovator. An innovator is a dreamer. A dreamer is an enthusiast. And an enthusiast is what we all are. Each year, the SEMA Hall of Fame recognizes members of SEMA and the automotive aftermarket community who have made a difference as they dreamed ideas and built change—enthusiasts with drive who inspired others and transformed a hobby into a thriving industry, leading a trade association to reach more than 50 years of age and 6,500 members deep.
Given the serious looks on their faces, you’d think these men, clad in leather jackets, helmets, and boots, were vying for the national flat-track motorcycle championship. But, no, they were racing in the second-annual Mini-Bike Jamboree, which took place in the spring of 1961 at the Go Kart Raceway in Azusa, California. The minibike craze was big enough in the early ’60s that Car Craft magazine set aside four pages of its August 1961 issue to cover the Jamboree and its flat-track race, road race and scramble, “which took in much of the unimproved terrain surrounding the Azusa track.”
Azusa was home to Go Kart Manufacturing, one of the pioneering go-kart fabricators in the mid-’50s, and the race track was located at its facility. Minibikes were a natural offshoot of...