By Chad Simon
 The SEMA Installation Gala honors the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers, 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees and the association’s incoming and outgoing SEMA Board members. |
 Held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation and Gala, the SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races will take place Friday, July 28, 2017, at the Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California. |
Join friends and colleagues for the SEMA Installation and Gala, Friday, July 28, from 6:00 p.m.–10:30 p.m., at the Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center in Pomona, California. This special evening honors the specialty-equipment industry’s pioneers and dedicated volunteers, 2017 SEMA Hall of Fame inductees—GiGi Carleton, Doug Evans and Barry Meguiar—and the association’s incoming and outgoing SEMA Board members.
The 2017 SEMA Installation Gala will feature up-and-coming industry leaders and esteemed icons from the automotive accessories world. The celebration will include a cocktail reception, where the SEMA Pinewood Drag Races will take place, and dinner will follow. Purchasing a pinewood vehicle supports various SEMA Cares charities.
All SEMA-member companies are invited to join the festivities, but seats are limited, so register now at www.SEMA.org/gala.
Once again held in conjunction with the SEMA Installation and Gala, the SEMA Cares 2017 Pinewood Drag Races will take place during the cocktail reception, shortly before the gala begins. Each year, hundreds of SEMA-member companies step up to generously sponsor pinewood cars, with 100% of the proceeds going to qualified SEMA Cares charities. To learn more and register, visit www.sema.org/pinewood.
SEMA members can race either a car or a truck in three classes: Build It For Me (BIFM), Stock and Unlimited. Members can either sponsor child-built cars and trucks in the BIFM or Stock Class, or they can build and enter their own SEMA-supplied stock car or truck. Stock-Class racing usually garners the most entries with a typical speed of 3.2 seconds on a 50-ft. track. For hardcore speed enthusiasts, the Unlimited Class has only one rule—that one item from the stock kit be used. Cars in this class run sub-3 seconds, and many of the past top builders include some of the most recognized names in the industry.
SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races special features include the annual HRIA Builders Challenge and the Council Cup. Watch as some of the biggest names in hot rodding build state-of-the-art custom pinewoods that will be raced and then auctioned off, with all of the proceeds going to SEMA Cares. Council members are invited to come out and challenge their peers for the opportunity to win the coveted Council Cup. The more cars or trucks fielded by each council member, the greater their chances of winning.
Proceeds from the races will benefit SEMA Cares charities, including Childhelp and Victory Junction. Childhelp assists abused and neglected children by providing counseling and programs in a safe and secure living environment. Victory Junction provides a camp experience for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses who otherwise would not be able to go. Sponsoring a SEMA Cares Pinewood Drag Races car or truck is easy and rewarding. Help a child in need today!
Register for the Installation Gala at www.SEMA.org/gala.