◄ Back to Driving Force, Winter 2014
Enough “Gift Horses” to Fill a Stable
by Colby Martin
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A beautiful backdrop for the first-ever SEMA Ignited event was provided by the High Roller observation wheel. Shown here are a few of the vehicles that showed up to park in the SAN corral. [Photo courtesy Scott Martin, DrivingLine.com] |
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It’s commonly said that “Time flies when you’re having fun.” While the statement is undeniably true, I’ve found the same condition to exist while making progress in general. Seemingly in a flash, another memorable year has drawn to a close. Heated mid-term elections have come and gone. Car show season has made way for car storage season. Plus, my own ’31 Ford Model A coupe is nearly ready to fire up for the very first time since I began collecting its pieces. I think it’s time we take a breather and count our blessings.
This year bestowed not just a “gift horse,” but rather a team of them. The lengthy list of legislative victories appearing in the lead story of these pages is an encouraging reminder about the vital role our forces play in guiding the law. After all, hundreds of auto-related bills are tracked by SAN staff each session. For those proposals that need engagement, Action Alerts are sent as the bill moves through the legislature. Your personal, timely response to these critical messages enable these successes to be achieved. These victories belong to you! As the new session begins, don’t let your guard down. Encourage others to follow suit.
Here at the SEMA offices, a fresh new opportunity was crafted specifically for SAN members. As you probably know, the SAN membership was granted special access to the 2014 SEMA Show and to our inaugural “after-party,” dubbed SEMA Ignited. These opportunities offered SAN members a chance to witness many of the fresh car and truck builds, newly debuted automotive products and meet many of the builders from the week’s trade-only convention. On behalf of the SAN, fans at both the Show and SEMA Ignited were treated to appearances by TV personality Courtney Hansen. Other exciting features included wild vehicle displays and the conclusion of the first-ever SEMA Battle of the Builders™ competition. Producers were on-hand filming the finale for a one-hour nationwide television special scheduled to air in March. If the word on the street is any indication, we may be looking at a permanent addition to SEMA week going forward.
From myself and everyone at the SAN, we hope you enjoy a fun-filled holiday season.
- IGNITED WE STAND!