SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, has announced that due to COVID-19 and concerns that event facilities and services will be unavailable, the SEMA Show will not be taking place in 2020.

While both event organizers and industry members have been working tirelessly to deliver an outstanding SEMA Show in November, mounting uncertainty has rendered continuing with the event inadvisable. SEMA expects the decision will bring much-needed clarity to an uncertain picture and will help exhibitors, attendees, and partners plan accordingly.

Recent SEMA Show survey results indicated interest in a possible virtual trade show with related live elements. SEMA will be working with industry members to determine interest levels on specific alternatives.

“The SEMA Show is committed to furthering businesses in the automotive specialty equipment market, and to providing manufacturers and buyers with the best opportunity to connect, promote new products and discover new trends,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. “We appreciate the spirit, hard work and innovation our industry puts into the SEMA Show each year. While we are disappointed circumstances prevent us from hosting the Show in November, we look forward to getting everyone together in 2021 for another outstanding event.”

Full refunds for SEMA Show exhibitor booth deposits and attendee registration fees will be issued.

Updates will be posted to semashow.com.

Clean Harbors, the parent company of Safety-Kleen, will host the "Racing Against COVID-19 Business Webinar," covering the best cleaning practices for racing businesses. 

The live webinar, set for Thursday, August 6, from 2-3 p.m. EDT, will be led by Chuck Geer, Clean Harbors' senior vice president of Field Services and head of COVID-19 response, and John Kelsey, senior vice president of Technical Services.

The webinar will cover firsthand tips on sanitation and deep cleaning methods, including how to safely reopen and remain open, how to keep employees and customers safe, and the difference between decontamination and disinfection—and when each is needed. 

For more information or to register for the August 6 webinar, visit here. 

SCORE International has announced an agreement with the City of Ensenada (Baja California, Mexico) to host the BFGoodrich Tires 53rd SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts, this November.

The season finale of the 2020 SCORE World Desert Championship is scheduled to be held November 17-22, as a single-loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada.

Officials note the event will take place under strict health guidelines and also have restricted fan access. 

“We will live stream on social media and the SCORE website all of the pre-race activities, race-day action, and finish-line interviews, and will actively encourage our fans to take advantage of the streaming platforms available...”

Spearheading the drive to execute the agreement were Baja California Governor Jaime Bonilla and Senator Gerardo Novelo along with Mayor Armando Ayala, the Ensenada City Council, as well as officials of Ensenada’s Hotel Association, the Tourism Marketing Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Restaurants, and the Economic Development Council.

“The SCORE Baja 1000 has a rich history in Ensenada and this year especially will benefit the economy of our city, which has suffered so much because of COVID-19. This will be the first major event held here since the start of the pandemic...,” Mayor Ayala said.

Over 250 vehicles are expected at the start line with racers from over 30 US states and as many as 20 countries anticipated.

For more information, visit score-international.com.

2020 SCORE Schedule

BFGoodrich Tires 52nd SCORE Baja 500, presented by 4 Wheel Parts —
September 23-27, San Felipe, Mexico

BFGoodrich Tires 53rd SCORE Baja 1000, presented by 4 Wheel Parts —
November 17-22, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico   

Bob Leavine announced that he sold his family-owned racing team, indicating that Leavine Family Racing (LFR) will cease operations at the end of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The buyers have not been identified. 

Leavine has fielded cars in NASCAR’s top division since 2011, when it embarked on a four-race stint with veteran David Starr. The team currently campaigns the No. 95 Toyota for Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Christopher Bell, who ranks 23rd in Cup Series points.

Leavine indicated that the COVID-19 epidemic’s impact on the economy was a deciding factor. The coronavirus pandemic shut the sport down from mid-March to mid-May and also delayed the projected 2021 debut of the Cup Series’ Next Gen car. 

“This decision has not been made lightly,” Leavine said in a statement. “Family has always been a part of the team’s name and this is how we view every member of our race team—as our family. There is no good time to make this announcement, but doing it earlier allows our people to explore employment opportunities, for next season, to provide for their families. There will be opportunities with the new owners, which was important to our decision.”

LFR ran all three manufacturers during its time in the sport, transitioning from Ford (2011-2015) to Chevrolet (2016-2018) to Toyota (2019-2020). Its final shift to Toyota Racing Development included a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, which will regain some assets from LFR after the sale.

For more information, visit nascar.com.

_{Photo courtesy of LFR}

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. has announced two additions to its executive leadership team.

Bart Fesperman has joined the company in the newly created role of senior vice president-chief commercial officer (CCO), while Sonia Mason has been named senior vice president-chief human resources officer. Both report to Jerome Grant, UTI’s CEO.   

“These exceptional additions to our team reflect our focus on building a body of strong, dynamic leaders who can take this organization to the future and help us deliver on UTI’s significant potential,” Grant said. “In the past year, we have bolstered our executive team with new leaders heading up corporate strategy, IT, finance and legal. Bart and Sonia complement and help round out this powerful group.”

In his new role, Fesperman is accountable for UTI’s marketing and student recruitment functions, and leads the company’s integrated approach to student engagement, with a focus on optimizing interactions with students from lead generation through graduation.

As senior vice president-chief human recourses officer, Mason will lead UTI’s human resource function supporting all aspects of the business. She will be responsible for talent acquisition and management, succession planning, performance management, training and development, and compensation and benefits.

For more information, visit uti.edu.

NASCAR has announced a revised 2020 NASCAR Pinty’s Series schedule comprised of three twin-125 race weekends. The six-race season will feature two races apiece at Sunset Speedway (August 15), Flamboro Speedway (August 29), and Jukasa Motor Speedway (September 12).

Following local, provincial, and federal guidelines, no spectators will be in attendance for the 2020 season. 

"While we are disappointed that we are unable to run our intended schedule in front of fans, we’re looking forward to the return of racing in Canada," said Chad Seigler, NASCAR vice president of international business development and partnerships. "I want to thank our friends at Pinty’s for helping us get back on the race track. We are working closely with local and provincial officials and our teams and drivers to put on safe events that are respectful of new regulations from the ongoing pandemic."

Because of the nature of the reduced schedule, no Pinty’s Series champion or Rookie of the Year will be crowned in 2020. There will, however, be special recognition for the overall winner of the shortened season.

All races will air delayed on MAVTV in the US and TSN and RDS in Canada. 

For more information, visit nascar.ca.

The first concept plans for a proposed motorsports facility in the town of Bouldercombe, Queensland, Australia, has been unveiled by the Rockhampton Regional Council. 

The facility design, which industry experts created in conjunction with local motorsports clubs, incorporates tracks for a range of applications, including drag racing, rallycross, drifting, karting, and more. Grandstands, clubhouses, pits and pit buildings, and storage options were also included in the proposal. 

“These plans combine years of experience by professional experts with detailed local knowledge and insights from our local motorsport and racing groups,” Mayor Margaret Strelow said in a published release.

Officials are asking for public consultation for the proposed race facility. 

“It’s really important that we get the community feedback now so that we can take that through to the next stage and do a more detailed design which will feed into a master plan to be revealed in September and October,” Deputy Mayor Neil Fisher said.

“The consultation period is open from today until August 24, so I’d encourage everyone to hop on to Council’s engagement website Engage Rockhampton Region, view the plans, and give us your feedback.”

To view the proposal and provide feedback, visit here. 

Wiscasset Speedway, the 3/8-mile, high-banked asphalt track in Wiscasset, Maine, has inducted six new members to its Hall of Fame Class of 2020. 
 
Five former drivers (Dave Darveau, Kenny Lund, Stan Meserve, Kenny Wright, and the late Mike Moody) were honored alongside a former staff member (Bill Cost) during a luncheon in July. 

The six join 13 members previously inducted in 2019, the Hall's inaugural year and the track's 50th anniversary season. 

“We are honoring people who had a significant and lasting impact on the success of the track,” Wiscasset Speedway Promoter and Announcer Ken Minott said to The Lincoln County News.

The track is set for a Saturday, August 8, race day featuring Norms Used Cars Pro Stock, Schooner Bay Taxi Thunder, Brackett's Market 4-Cylinder Pro, Maxwell's Market Super Street, and Ideal Enduro #1. Due to state restrictions, only 200 fans will be permitted in the main grandstands.

For more information, visit wiscassetspeedway.com.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has announced that the 104th Running of the Indianapolis will take place on August 23 without fans in attendance. All on-track activity during the month of August, including practice and qualifications, will also be closed to the general public.

Track officials issued the following statement:

“This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership.

“As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened. Since our June 26 announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment.

“We encourage Hoosiers to continue making smart decisions and following the advice of our public health officials so we can help get Indiana back on track.

“Penske Corporation made a long-term investment to be the steward of this legendary facility. While we were very excited to showcase the investments and enhancements we have made in the guest experience, we know we have reached the right decision. As much as Roger Penske and everyone associated with the ‘500’ wanted to race with fans this year, we ultimately reached this conclusion in partnership with the state of Indiana and city of Indianapolis.

“Our commitment to the Speedway is unwavering, and we will continue to invest in the Racing Capital of the World. We encourage everyone to watch this year’s race on NBC, and we look forward to welcoming our loyal fans back to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ on May 30 of 2021.”

Further Information from IMS:

• Individuals who still have tickets to this year’s Indy 500 will be credited for the 2021 Indianapolis 500 and will retain their seniority and their originally assigned seats.
• The first Indy 500 practice will take place on Wednesday, August 12, with a full schedule available on IMS.com.
• All of the action from IMS can be viewed via NBC Sports Gold, NBCSN or NBC. Visit IMS.com or INDYCAR.com for a comprehensive streaming and broadcast schedule.
• The 104th Running of the Indy 500 will take place Sunday, August 23, with national coverage beginning on NBC at 1 p.m. ET.
• Local Central Indiana coverage of the race will be available on NBC affiliate WTHR.
• Broadcast coverage of qualifications on Saturday, August 15 begins on NBC at 3 p.m. ET.
• Sunday, August 16 broadcast coverage of Pole Day begins on NBC at 1 p.m.

For more information, visit indianapolismotorspeedway.com. 

A statement on the 2020 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show from PRI President Dr. Jamie Meyer:

Thank you for your continued interest and support of the PRI Trade Show. I have been attending the PRI Show for over 20 years, but there has never been a year like this. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit all aspects of American life, including the racing industry. This letter is intended to help inform you of the latest news on the 2020 PRI Trade Show, as well as to help you understand what the PRI team is working on to ensure that the Show can go on. Above all, I want you to know that we will do what is right for the industry.

I know that you have a lot of questions and concerns right now, and I want to help answer those. To be clear, at this moment, the 2020 PRI Trade Show will be held at the Indiana Convention Center on December 10-12 as scheduled. We have over 940 exhibitors who have registered in anticipation of displaying their racing products. We are working closely with the Visit Indy team, the Indiana Convention Center staff, and other Indianapolis officials including the Office of the Mayor of Indianapolis to ensure that we can offer you a safe and productive Trade Show.

There is a lot of momentum in the racing industry, and we intend for the PRI Trade Show to continue that momentum into the 2021 racing season. NASCAR, NHRA, Street Car Takeover, NMCA/NMRA, and SCCA are all running events in the Indianapolis area with planned crowds of several thousand people. While many local and national crowds are being limited in size, these racing events are still going on, safely.

Currently, the city of Indianapolis is at Stage 4.5 (out of 5) through August 27. What this means to PRI is that we could not hold an event larger than 250 people without approval of the Marion County Public Health Department. Fortunately, the Visit Indy team has already had great success gaining this approval for events that are being held at the Indiana Convention Center right now. This includes several weekend high school basketball tournaments with over 7,000 people in attendance. These events have been held with sensible safety measures in place, and with no outbreaks of COVID-19 reported. In addition, the entire city of Indianapolis (hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, and many more) is looking forward to, and preparing for, the PRI Trade Show.

Here is the challenge that the PRI Trade Show is facing: We will have to obtain the approval of our safety plan from the Marion County Public Health Department. The PRI safety plan will include the use of what are now regularly accepted health precautions like wearing a mask, sanitizing your hands, going through a health screening, and social distancing throughout the event. This assumes that Indianapolis stays at Stage 4.5, and, as we all know, these safety guidelines can be changed at any time to adjust to changes in COVID-19 cases.

I liken these safety guidelines to the rules of any racing sanctioning body. You are required to wear safety equipment as part of normal precautions to competing in your race car. You will be asked to follow similar safety guidelines and wear safety equipment to participate in the 2020 PRI Trade Show.

I wish you the very best during these uncertain times, and I ask for your patience and support as we all work through the challenges that I have presented to you. As racers have always done, we will be optimistic, realistic, and win together. As a follow-up, if you have additional questions, please direct them to us at the following email: President@PerformanceRacing.com


Sincerely,

Dr. Jamie Meyer
President
Performance Racing Industry Trade Show & Media Company