Compiled by SEMA Editors
 Champion Oil will have a limited-edition 50th Anniversary Shelby 289 FIA Cobra on display at the 2014 SEMA Show in Booth #25021. | |
Champion to Display 50th Anniversary Shelby FIA 289 Cobra at 2014 SEMA Show
Champion Oil will display a limited-edition 50th Anniversary Shelby 289 FIA Cobra this year at the SEMA Show in Booth #25021. In 1964, Shelby American—today a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International Inc.—introduced the FIA version of the small-block Cobra, which competed in the ’64 World Manufacturers Championship series against marquees including Aston Martin, Jaguar and Corvette. To celebrate the birth of the 289 Ford-powered roadsters, Shelby American will offer 50 limited-edition continuation (CSX7000) Shelby 289 FIA Cobras. Each will be painted “Viking Blue” with FIA stripes and roundels, feature a black FIA interior, special billet anniversary badges, original style wheels and a variety of additional options. The 50th Anniversary FIA Shelby Cobra is making its SEMA Show debut, November 4–7, 2014.
 Anne Johnson | |
Anne Johnson Joins the Truck Accessories Group West Sales Team
Anne Johnson has joined Truck Accessories Group LLC (TAG) West as district sales manager for the Northwestern United States and British Columbia, Canada, territories. Johnson has been in the automotive aftermarket industry for more than 26 years. She is former co-owner of California Truck Works Inc.—a light-truck accessory retail store operation with locations in Northern California. Most recently, she was an account manager with an automotive aftermarket warehouse distributor. She served on the SEMA Board of Directors and was on the Truck and Off-Road Alliance (LTTA) Select Committee.
Motovicity Distribution Doubles Warehouse and Distribution Capacity
Motovicity Distribution is expanding its warehouse operations. The new 30,000-sq.-ft. auxiliary warehouse facility will double Motovicity’s current warehouse footprint and ultimately triple its cubic storage capacity. Designed with a five-tier racking system and wire-guided narrow aisle order-picking automation, the additional space will provide room for inventory expansion and allow Motovicity to consolidate bulky, ship-alone products from its main warehouse and smaller annex facility under one roof.
In February 2014, Motovicity implemented a new Best-in-Class warehouse management system (WMS) to increase inventory accuracy and reduce order fulfillment time. The new order-picking automation allows Motovicity to take full advantage of its WMS technology maximizing space utilization and improving order-picking speed and efficiency. These tactical investments allow Motovicity to continue strategic brand development and deploy additional customer satisfaction initiatives.
 Dennis Gage, host of “My Classic Car,” will make an appearance at DEI’s booth #20013 at the 2014 SEMA Show, Thursday, November 6, from 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. | |
Dennis Gage to Make Appearance at DEI’s SEMA Show Booth
Dennis Gage, host of “My Classic Car,” will make an appearance at Design Engineering Inc.’s (DEI) booth #20013, Thursday, November 6, from 3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. “My Classic Car” is a weekly television program that capture’s America’s love affair with the automobile that is now in its 18th season on Velocity and MAVTV.
Goodguys Expands Series to 21 Events
New events, a key date change and the return of vintage drag-racing highlights the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association’s 2015 event schedule. Twenty-one events, spaced evenly throughout a nine-month span, offers performance automotive enthusiasts of all genres a chance to show and race their cars at America’s premier event venues.
The new season kicks off March 13–15 at Westworld in Scottsdale, Arizona, then traverses the country through spring, summer and fall before wrapping up right back at Westworld the weekend of November 20–22. Thirteen events feature rods, customs, classics, trick trucks and musclecars through ’72 vintage. Eight of the 21 events welcome all years, makes and models of American-made or powered show cars and trucks.
New to the schedule this year is the Goodguys 1st North Carolina Nationals, April 17–19, at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The Goodguys 4th Nostalgia Nationals, September 18–20 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returns to the schedule after a four-year hiatus. The Goodguys 18th Colorado Nationals at the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland has been moved from June to September 11–13, marking a return to its original fall origins.
The signature event of the entire schedule, the Goodguys 18th PPG Nationals brings more than 6,000 ’72 and earlier show cars and trucks back to the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus. The 29th West Coast Nationals, August 21–23 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, California, is the lone 2015 event at which only ’72 and older cars can participate. The season culminates with the Goodguys AutoCross Finals Shootout, Saturday, November 21, at the 18th Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale.
 Yokahama Tire Corp. has relocated its corportate headquarters to a 57,000-sq.-ft. facility in Santa Ana, California. | |
Yokohama Tire Corp. Relocating U.S. Headquarters to a Larger Facility
Yokohama Tire Corp. (YTC) has announced it is relocating its corporate headquarters from Fullerton, California, to nearby Santa Ana to accommodate business growth. The move is expected to take place in November. YTC signed a 10-year lease for its new 57,000-sq.-ft. headquarters at 1 MacArthur Place. The tiremaker will occupy two-and-a-half floors at the high-tech, nine-floor office complex building near John Wayne Airport. Yokohama was situated in Fullerton for 28 years. The announcement comes two months after YTC said it was moving its Western region distribution center from a 380,000-sq.-ft. warehouse facility in Fullerton to a newly constructed 658,000-sq.-ft. facility in Chino, about 22 miles away.
WELD Racing Promotes Mike Mulcahy to Vice President of Sales
WELD Racing has announced the promotion of Mike Mulcahy to vice president of sales. Mulcahy now has total responsibility for company sales, including street performance, truck and motorsports. Mulcahy joined WELD in March 2014 as vice president of the company’s street and truck business lines after a successful career as an executive with Federal Mogul and running his own client-focused motorsports business.
The company has also announced the addition of Greg Bennett to WELD’s sales and marketing team. Bennett assumes responsibility for trackside service and sales for WELD’s drag racing and oval track racing product lines. Bennett will oversee WELD’s close collaboration with professional and sportsman racers. He joins WELD after more than a decade of involvement in NHRA professional drag racing with numerous race teams, including Bob Vandergriff Racing and Steve Johnson Racing.
 Tim Andrews | |
Tuff Stuff Hires Tim Andrews as National Sales Manager
Tuff Stuff Performance Accessories has announced that Tim Andrews has accepted the position of national sales manager. Andrews is an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience in the performance aftermarket. His previous industry experience includes that of vice president of sales at Fidanza, sales director of Global Performance Parts and his most recent position as North American territory manager for Superpro Suspension and Mantic Clutch.
RealTruck.com Announces 2014 SEMA Vendor Awards Finalists
RealTruck.com has announced that finalists have been selected for its 2014 SEMA Vendor Awards. Five finalists were selected for each of the five categories. Winners will be revealed October 22.
- Most Valuable Partner: ACCESS Roll-Up Cover, Lund International, TonnoPro, WeatherTech, Westin Automotive
- Rookie of the Year: MaxTrac Suspension, Smittybilt, SPEC-D Tuning, Spyder Auto, and Willmore Mfg. Inc.
- Customer Service Master: ACCESS Roll-Up Cover, Extang Corp., HUSKY LINERS, Lund International and TRUXEDO
- Data Geek of the Year: DeeZee Mfg., HUSKY LINERS, Keystone, Lund International and Putco
- Vendor of the Year: ACCESS Roll-Up Cover, HUSKY LINERS, Lund International, TonnoPro and WeatherTech
 “XP1K2” will go live to the world at the 2014 SEMA Show in the Polaris booth #11001 (North Lobby) on November 4. | |
RJ Anderson’s “XP1K2” Side-by-Side Off-Road Viral Film Now in Production
In 2013, UTVUnderground launched the first-ever branded viral film campaign for the Side-by-Side (SxS) industry. The campaign was dubbed “XP1K,” and brought together Polaris RZR, producers Mad Media, directors the Martelli Brothers and starred off-road racing champion RJ Anderson. XP1K racked up 1.5 million YouTube views and more than half a billion impressions worldwide. UTVUnderground is currently producing the second installment of the campaign, “XP1K2.” Anderson will return to pilot the all-new, custom-built Holz Racing XP1K2 SxS, which will feature a ProStar1000 engine modified by Muzzys Performance, newly-designed Holz Racing suspension and custom Walker Evans racing shocks.
This year, the team plans to unveil XP1K2 in front of a public audience at the Polaris Camp RZR Glamis event, Halloween weekend, in Glamis Dunes, California. The clip will go live to the world at the 2014 SEMA Show in the Polaris booth #11001 (North Lobby) on November 4. Subsequent clips including a Director’s Cut (music), GoPro clip and “Making Of” film are also in the works.