If you think texting while driving is a distraction, imagine changing 45-rpm records while barreling down the highway.

“Wherever you go, listen to your favorite sounds by being your own disc jockey,” wrote Bud Lang in this Car Craft magazine how-to from 1963. “At the drags, beach, mountains or while just cruising around with the guys or your favorite chick, you can now play your own 45-rpm platters on an automatic reject record [ARC] changer that is designed for genuine driving pleasure.”

Once a year, SEMA provides members with a way to select the Board of Directors—the volunteers who help SEMA make decisions that will help your business and the industry to succeed. I want to thank the many members who participated in the nomination process; we have some very strong candidates again this year. And thanks in advance to all of you who will be first-time voters, as well as all our regular voters.

Interested in placing an ad in the SEMA News Product and Catalog Showcase?

2015 Ford Focus ST and Ford F-350 Super Duty Smokestacks.

Breaking news from SEMA members, including the Coker Group, Champion Oil, Marx Group Advisors, ESAB-a member of the Colfax group of companies, Fox Factory Holding Corp., and more.

The SEMA Launch Pad competition, in which automotive innovators under the age of 40 showcase their business plans for marketing a product or service, has returned for 2014. Last year’s inaugural winner was Jonathan Mill for the E-Stopp, a pushbutton emergency brake and anti-theft device for custom vehicles.

For the 2014 competition, the top 10 competitors will gather votes through the SEMA Facebook/YouTube voting platform. The top five individuals will then receive invitations to pitch their business ideas during a special event in front of an industry-fueled crowd at the 2014 SEMA Show.

According to a SEMA study on the utility task vehicle (UTV) market, nearly 82% of UTV owners have purchased or plan to purchase equipment upgrades for their vehicles. This means that 410,000 households in the United States buy UTV accessories, with the average enthusiast spending $1,700 on parts.

This means that 410,000 households in the United States buy UTV accessories, with the average enthusiast spending $1,700 on parts.

The Vehicle Technology Center (VTC) is more than an exhibit at the SEMA Show; it is a lab. It’s a social networking marketplace and a step into the future.

“The VTC sessions bring together successful entrepreneurs and a wide spectrum of movers and shakers from both inside and outside the automotive specialty-equipment industry to offer valuable insights and ideas for members to create their own preferred futures,” said John Waraniak, SEMA vice president of vehicle technology. “Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, calls these people ‘wicked smart.’ I call these folks ‘SEMAx leaders.’ They are the multipliers and catalysts, the connectors and amplifiers. They challenge the status quo. They come together to collaborate, to share fresh ideas and to find inspiration. They are optimistic about our future. They believe SEMA’s best days lie ahead.”