If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the SEMA Show never disappoints. The 2025 version was no exception. For most attendees, it means a vacation to see some really cool vehicles for a few hours a day, followed by a trip to the Strip in the afternoon. Of course, it is still miles of walking inside and outside the Las Vegas Convention Center, but it isn’t “work.”
For manufacturers, it represents the culmination of months upon months of research, prototyping, development, testing, manufacturing, and marketing. For those who work the show, it can be hours of standing in the booth, talking to potential customers. Or, for people like us at EG Nation, SEMA means hours of running around, taking photos, making videos, uploading those materials to HQ for our social media team to post, and possibly attending an afterparty, if we’re lucky. It is truly a whirlwind that seems to go by in the blink of an eye.
SEMA — Where Innovation Meets Tradition
Day 1 of the 2025 SEMA Show had a more exciting feel for our Edelbrock Group family. Not only were we introducing 35 new products, but we were also introducing a new, improved look for the first time in many years. We made a concerted effort to shift the focus of the EG booth in Central Hall to showcase the lifestyles that accompany our products, rather than just the products themselves.
Walking into the new booth for the first time was like stepping into a celebration of everything that makes car culture great. We still had plenty of products on display, featuring our powerhouse lineup from Edelbrock, COMP Cams, TCI, FAST, and Russell Performance. Customer and vendor comments were extremely favorable about the new look, with most noting the lighting and action videos.
“Our mission has always been about driving innovation while honoring our roots,” said Kevin German, Chief Commercial Officer of Edelbrock Group. “SEMA is where we get to share that passion with the people who make this industry what it is — the builders, the dreamers, and the fans — and I think our new booth display mirrors that enthusiasm.”
The booth was not the only new display, however. For the first time ever, the EG semi-trailer was outside in the Silver Lot right next to the Nitro Circus. The trailer was a resounding success, and it didn’t hurt to have some eye candy under the awning either. “The Muskrat,” the Drag & Drive Tesla turned twin-turbo, big-block beast was parked under the awning, puzzling the few who didn’t know what it was. Also, Justin Boyd’s Ford Raptor flanked the other side to showcase Edelbrock’s offerings on the Ford F-150 platform. On Tuesday night, after the show closed, the trailer was the scene of a fun, happy-hour event for those lucky enough to get a VIP pass.
Show-Stopping SEMA Rides That Turned Heads
It’s no secret that one of the main reasons people attend SEMA is to see the vehicles on display. So much so that it can sometimes be questionable as to how much “business” is actually performed at the Trade-only show. But hey, we make parts so people can build cars, so we love them just as much as anyone else.
In fact, at some of the bigger shows we’ve attended this year with the big rig or pop-up tent, we’ve been sending an Edelbrock “Staff Pick Award” along for the ride. We invite our employees working the event to go out and pick their favorite vehicle (regardless of whether it has our parts). At the 2025 SEMA Show, we awarded three owners with three awards to join the exclusive club of Staff Pick winners.
With 1.2 million square feet of indoor space and probably just as much outdoor space, even with a crew as big as EG had at SEMA, we had our work cut out to pick just three. A group of us took everyone’s picks, discussed them (sometimes debating), and visited the ones we hadn’t seen to narrow the list down to three. Amazingly, two of the picks came out of the Young Guns group of the Battle of the Builders competition. But, even though they were Young Guns, they weren’t chosen just for that reason alone.
1961 Chevrolet Impala – Scott Anderson, Twisted Iron Performance
Twenty-one-year-old Scott Anderson of Twisted Iron Performance in Peyton, Colorado, brought a “big gun” to the Young Guns competition that stopped us in our tracks. Although he didn’t advance in the competition, he certainly turned a lot of heads with his hydrogen-powered, Edelbrock-supercharged 1961 Chevy Impala. The first thing that caught our eye was the laser-straight body panels; hard to achieve on an ancient Impala, and even harder to achieve when slathered in jet-black paint with red and white accents. The drivetrain, and the fact that it was hydrogen-powered like Clay Millican and Jeff Lutz’s CRC “Build for the Future” ’57 Hemi Chevy, took this build up another notch.
However, the icing on the cake was talking with Scott about the build (look for our interview with him after we get through the PRI show). For someone who is just 21, Scott possesses knowledge and maturity that many twice his age could only dream of having. Scott did all of the work on the car himself with only some initial tuning help from Mike Copeland of Arrington Performance (who also worked on the CRC build). If Scott keeps on his trajectory, we have no doubt that he will do great things in the automotive industry.
1938 Chevrolet Canopy Express – Roberto Munoz, Munoz & Sons Auto Body
Where Scott’s build was all about new tech, Roberto Munoz’s was the exact opposite, yet he still built a vehicle worthy of competing in the Young Guns competition and winning the hearts of the Edelbrock staff. Roberto built this stunning, rarely seen ’38 Chevy Canopy Express. A what, you say? A Canopy Express was a commercial vehicle; most of them were used for selling flowers or vegetables on the side of the road — think of it as the original Food Truck! Roberto is just 20 years old, but he grew up in his family’s shop, Munoz and Sons Auto Body, in Aromas, California, and the future looks bright if he keeps building cars.
As you can imagine, this truck was a basket case, and almost the entire bottom quarter of it had to be rebuilt from new sheet metal. What is really cool about this lowrider is the use of all old-school parts. The hydraulic system is from the ’30s and ’40s, like the OG’s used from airplanes. The engine is a 215 c.i. inline-six that was used in an Indy car back in the day. Even the transmission is a super rare piece — so rare that they showcased it by leaving the floor cut out in the cab! As Dave Kindig would say, it’s “bitchin’! And it was the first lowrider or truck to compete for the Al Slonaker Award at the Grand National Roadster Show. This is another vehicle you will see featured on our YouTube channel after PRI — keep your eyes peeled!
1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS – Rick Maharaj
Sometimes you feel like you’ve seen everything that can be done to a first-gen Camaro, and then someone finds a way to reinvent the wheel, putting their own spin on it. Enter Rick Maharaj of Maharaj Customs in Brentwood, California, who brought a stunner of a ’69 Camaro to Central Hall in the Granatelli booth. Outside of the custom sheet metal work on the body and the gorgeous Kompression-forged wheels, this baby packs a punch in both the powertrain, with an Edelbrock-supercharged LS, and the leather interior with a booming sound system. Navin Reddy, Rock David, and Rick made a perfect Camaro, but still checked the box for doing something different. Unfortunately, we couldn’t catch up with the guys before we had to jump on the plane, so we didn’t get video of this one.
Millican/Lutz “Build For The Future” Pro Street C-10
Anyone following Clay Millican or Lutz Race Cars on YouTube, will know about the CRC “Build for the Future” scholarship program. Clay and Jeff unveiled the truck in the CRC booth. It features an Edelbrock-Musi 555 Big-Block Chevy with a Blower Shop supercharger and two VRS-4150 carburetors. The truck is plain nasty, just like a Pro Street vehicle should be. It will be auctioned off in a year after it makes all the promotional rounds. It is the third vehicle they built for the program, and plans are already in the works for the next one — what will it be?
1968 Chevrolet Camaro, “Norma Jean” Tribute – Pat Musi
Any fan of the Street Outlaws television show knows Pat Musi, his daughter, Lizzy, and the car that carried her to stardom on the show, “Norma Jean. Tragically, Lizzy passed away from cancer last year, and Pat has built a tribute street version of “Norma Jean,” complete with an Edelbrock-Musi 555 and the Rose Gold wheels that Lizzy had on the original. It is a gorgeous tribute and the new owner was there for the reveal. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
The Heart of the Show: The People
Beyond the gleaming metal and shiny paint jobs, what really made the 2025 SEMA experience special was the people. The booth was packed all week with enthusiasts, racers, and gearheads swapping stories, sharing builds, and talking shop.
Our ambassadors and partners were on hand to sign autographs for fans throughout the week. Clay Millican, Jeff Lutz, and Mike Cotten got things kicked off at the autograph table on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. When you get those three together, there will always be a lot of laughter. In the afternoons, the Sorensen family – Branden, Amanda, and Camren greeted all the Formula Drift fans. On Wednesday, NHRA Funny Car champ Ron Capps and his crew chief, Dean “Guido” Antonelli, signed hats for their supporters in the morning, then Pat and Liz Musi greeted all their Street Outlaws followers in the afternoon.
The Edelbrock team was right there in the mix — answering questions, showing off new products, and connecting with fans who’ve trusted the brand for decades. Whether it was talking about camshaft innovations, new cylinder heads, the new EZ-Street EFI, or the mammoth Victor LSXR supercharger, one thing was clear: performance isn’t just a product, it’s a community. The booth was a flurry of activity all week.
Looking Ahead After SEMA
SEMA has always been about what’s next — and this year, Edelbrock Group made it clear the future of performance looks bright. The company continues to blend its legendary heritage with modern engineering, ensuring that every new part carries the same spirit that’s fueled hot rodders and racers for generations. Kevin German, CCO of Edelbrock Group, even spent some time on the NHRA/FOX stage with announcer Brian Lohnes, discussing the fresh look and revitalized Edelbrock Group.
As the lights dimmed on another unforgettable SEMA Show, the Edelbrock Group team left Las Vegas feeling inspired and energized — ready to “Unleash the Next Generation of Performance.” Because when passion meets innovation, there’s no finish line. Now, it’s on to the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show to continue telling the story of our storied brands and work to take innovation to the next level for many generations to come.
Check out this great video our videographer, Nicole, put together of everything that made up our experience at the SEMA Show!!
