SEMA 2018
Las Vegas, NVTuesday, October 30, 2018
The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is about education, new products, growing your business and a host of so many more things related to the automotive industry. Year after year this automotive trade show brings together so many people from industry giants to the smallest businesses just starting out. The purpose is to push the automotive aftermarket further and make it stronger every step of the way.
There are hundreds of new products introduced every year at SEMA and many new products showcased will win new product awards. This year was no exception. The Street Rod/Custom Car Product winner was Flaming River Industries Inc. with their VDOG variable angle gear, in the Collision Repair & Refinish category the winner was ITW Evercoat with their OPTEX color changing body filler and putty and the Performance-Racing Product winner was ProCharger Supercharger Systems with their new ProCharger CrankDrive and Supercharger Gear Drive. This is just a small sample of the many best new product winners this year. There are many other categories with successful winning products.
The SEMA Battle of the Builder’s is one of the most competitive contests ever. This year there were more than 300 vehicles entered but Kyle Tucker took the win with his stunning 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. Another top award at SEMA is the Mothers Shine Award and the 2018 recipient was “Nickelback,” a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS built by Superior Auto Works of Frederica, DE. The truck aftermarket is extremely large. The SEMA Light Truck Accessory Alliance (LTAA) gives LTAA Awards ever year to members who have a positive influence on the market and to the best new products in the truck market. The Influencers of the Year were none other than Matt Steele and Bruno Massel the hosts of Truck U. The Best New Product awards went to DeeZee Inc. and CargoGlide.
SEMA offers many great experiences for attendees like the Continental Tire Extreme which is sponsored by BMW or the Polaris Slingshot experience. Both give you the opportunity to ride with a professional driver in a drift vehicle on a closed course. The show ends with the SEMA Cruise where everyone is welcome to watch the vehicles leave the convention center and drive to SEMA Ignited the after party for the SEMA Show which is open to the general public with a purchase of a ticket. Here the public gets a peek at what went on during the four days of SEMA.
Article and photos by: Allen Smith - Smitty’s Rod & Custom
Additional photos by: Kristy Smith – Smitty’s Rod & Custom