As it would happen, my first time attending SEMA would be not only as a model, but as a driver. Thanks to my awesome sponsor, Konig Wheels USA, I was extended the opportunity to bring my race car out to the most prestigious trade show in the industry as a booth car.
With a hectic jam packed race schedule leading up to SEMA (not to mention traveling to Formula One US Grand Prix as a model for Monster the weekend before) prepping the car for the event was an intense ordeal. The team over at Enjuku Racing and myself got to work on Monday replacing a few banged up body panels, gutting the car and prepping for paint, replacing the windshield, and fabricating the remainder of the aero package. Still needing to diagnose the electrical gremlins, and only having 10 days to get the car ready, we had no time to spare.
We dropped the car off for paint on Tuesday, and picked her up completed on Friday night. Saturday and Sunday we spent putting the car back together as well as diagnosing the electrical issues, which appeared to be a damaged starter wire and subsequently a damaged starter. With the car consistently firing up issue free, we focused on the getting her put back together.
We had the car back together and cleaned up for SEMA by Wednesday, and loaded on the trailer by Wednesday night. We began the 36 hour drive to Las Vegas on Thursday morning. We arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday evening, with load in to the Convention Center on Sunday afternoon.
Tuesday through Friday went by in blur, The amount of foot traffic at the Konig Wheels USA booth was relentless, which unfortunately prevented me from leaving the booth to see much of the show. Fans from all over the world gathered to get pictures, selfies, signed posters, ask questions, and just generally chat about the car. I had the opportunity to meet so many awesome people in the industry, I'm still processing it all!
Perhaps the most memorable part of SEMA, was not the show itself, but rather throwing the Z's plates back on (yes, she's still registered/insured) and driving her 15 miles through down town Las Vegas to where my trailer was parked on Friday night.
With my first SEMA in books, we had to turn our attention back to racing and head to California for the final race of the 2017 season, Super Lap Battle.