Wheel and tire companies are invited to join SEMA’s Wheel and Tire Council (WTC) for the inaugural WTC Conference and Product Showcase on February 9, at the SEMA headquarters in Diamond Bar, California. The event boasts three educational and training panels covering topics such as profit building...

The SEMA Tech Transfer program has expanded again with the addition of CAD data files for the 2012 Ford Focus. The files currently available for the Focus sedan include the chassis, exhaust and suspension and brakes. For all models, CAD files include the 2.0L engine with an air cleaner and exhaust...

Editors and reporters can still sign up to participate in the 2011 MPMC Media Trade Conference, where they will be able to sit down in private, one-on-one meetings with leading auto-parts manufacturers. Click here to register, or contact Della Domingo at dellad@sema.org for details.

SPEED TV’s annual SEMA Show special premieres this Sunday, December 19, at 8:00 p.m. (EST). Tune in as hosts Matt Steele, Bruno Massel, Kevin Byrd and Bryan Fuller take viewers on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the 2010 SEMA Show.

SEMA eNews highlights the websites of SEMA-member companies through the Hot Links to Cool Sites section each week. SEMA members: To be included in Hot Links to Cool Sites, e-mail your company name and website to enews@sema.org. Note: Make sure to include “Hot Links” in the subject line of the e-mail...

The U.S. International Trade Commission issued the first of two reports analyzing intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement in China. The first report outlines the principle types of infringement, which include illegal distribution of copyrighted works, counterfeit trademarks and patent...

Nominations for the 2011 SEMA Chairman-Elect and Board of Directors are due Thursday, January 6, 2011. To submit your nomination, please complete and submit the nomination form.

NEWS NUGGETS CLAPP, COHEN NAMED TO NHRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS: NHRA Chairman of the Board Dallas Gardner announced that two new members have been elected to the NHRA Board of Directors—longtime NASCAR executive Ken Clapp and high-profile Los Angeles attorney Michael C. Cohen. Clapp and Cohen will join...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set the standard business-mileage deduction at $.51 per mile for 2011. The rate is $.01 more than allowed during 2010, reflecting slightly higher transportation costs during the past year.

The United States Senate approved the tax compromise “framework” for a two-year extension of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for all income levels, set to expire on December 31. The House of Representatives now must approve the legislation before it can be sent to President Obama to become law.