SEMA LAUNCH PAD

Finalists Announced

The 2021 SEMA Launch Pad competition is down to five finalists – from left, Tom

Sawarynski, Dustin Woolf, Kevin Robinson, Brendan McGrath, and Jonathan Hurley – who will go on to compete for the grand prize during the 2021 SEMA Show. • Five finalists will compete for the grand prize valued at $100,000 during the 2021 SEMA

Show in Las Vegas • Judges who serve as mentors are Chip Foose, Jared Hare, Myles Kovacs, and Alex Parker

Industry icons and veterans narrowed the list of contenders for the SEMA Launch Pad competition down to five finalists, who will go on to compete for the grand prize during the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., in November. The SEMA Launch Pad is the automotive aftermarket’s premiere product-pitching competition designed to encourage automotive entrepreneurship and help inventors launch new products into the marketplace.

Now in its ninth year, the 2021 SEMA Launch Pad expanded to include more prize packages and the largest grand prize to date, valued at

45cc dome ready for nitrous & N/A build configurations .325” deep & .100” oversized intake valve pocket to accommodate 2.400” valves

Valve pockets designed to accommodate 2.450” intake valve

18cc dome for nitrous & 23cc dome for N/A

CUSTOM-FEATURED BBC PISTONS READY TO RACE OFF THE SHELF

The latest additions to their Big Block Chevy lineup, JE Pistons has purpose-built the new 20° and 24° BBC pistons for the drag strip, packing their most advanced, custom-level features into an off-the-shelf, competitively priced package. These slugs are designed to work with the majority of 20° and 24° BBC cylinder heads on the market, utilize a robust .043” steel top, .043” ductile iron Napier second, and 3mm oil ring pack, and are available in a range of bore sizes from 4.600” to 4.625”.

Industry-leading features include: • Engineered, forged, and machined in-house in the USA using 2618-T6 aluminum • Contact reduction grooves reduce operating friction and minimize pressure, promoting more power • Power-adder accumulator groove traps excess gases to help prevent ring flutter • Ultra-Groove top ring groove with vertical gas ports provides consistent top compression ring seal • 3D undercrown milling for weight optimization • Optimized dome design with fire slot for improved flame travel and combustion efficiency • Double-featured pin oiling for improved wear resistance and increased longevity

up to $100,000. The competition also included a record-high number of applications, reaching nearly 200.

The 2021 SEMA Launch Pad was chronicled for the first time through a five-episode streaming series that debuted on the SEMA YouTube Channel. Through the series, viewers witnessed 15 semifinalists, who’s products will all be on display at the 2021 SEMA Show, present their products to a panel of judges made up of industry veterans Chip Foose (Foose Design), Jared Hare (Addictive Desert Designs), Myles Kovacs (DUB), and Alex Parker (Redline Detection). The five selected to advance to the next round taking place at the 2021 SEMA Show are:

Brendan McGrath, CEO, Dyme Performance Systems Inc.

Product: Rattlesnake Toolkit – Toolkit that can measure the exact length and angle of a hose assembly down to the millimeter, significantly reducing time and cost.

PRODUCT LINK: (Click Here)

Jonathan Hurley, Owner, ToolBox Widget

Product: ToolBox Widget – Modular tool organizers that allow a mechanic to connect as many tool organizers together as needed, making them customizable to the mechanic.

PRODUCT LINK: (Click Here) YOUTUBE: (Click Here)

Kevin Robinson, President, TRAC LLC

Product: TRAC Tire Rotation Assistance Cart –Tool designed to simply lift and remove a wheel from a vehicle during service. The tool is designed to reduce workplace injuries while increasing productivity.

PRODUCT LINK:(Click Here) YOUTUBE: (Click Here)

Tom Sawarynski, Owner, Off-Road Research

Product: Smart Cap Module (SCM) – Allows any aftermarket shock absorber with a bridge or remote mounted reservoir to broadcast damper position to an external module or modules.

PRODUCT LINK: (Click Here) YOUTUBE: (Click Here)

Dustin Woolf, Owner, Woolfpack Racing

Product: Natural Nitrous – Stand-alone refrigerated system for the air induction of the motor. It lowers the air charge and dehumidifies the moisture, which increases horsepower because there are dense oxygen atoms in the cylinder. It also lowers emissions because of the complete burn of the fuel.

“Not only did we receive more applications than ever before, but the quality of the applications is impressive,” said Ted Wentz, SEMA Board Member and Chair of the SEMA Launch Pad Task Force. “The products represent such a variety and spectrum of items that support vehicle customization.”

As one of the judges, Parker – whose company, Redline Detection, won the Manufacturer of the Year award in 2020 – said, “These entrepreneurs are absolute rock stars. It’s been an honor to learn about their businesses and heartbreaking to have to send so many of them home. The top five finalists reflect the best innovators in our industry: They are smart, hardworking, and passionate about their products.”

PRODUCT LINK: (Click Here) YOUTUBE: (Click Here)

To watch the video in which the judges selected the five finalists, or to learn more about SEMA Launch Pad , visit www.sema. org/launchpad

About SEMA

SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association founded in 1963, represents the $47.89 billion specialty automotive industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. Association resources include market research, legislative advocacy, training and product development support, as well as leading trade shows such as the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV, and the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis, IN.

For more information, visit www.sema.org, www.semashow.com, or www.performanceracing.com