Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix 2010 - Pre-Event Update

This December, the stars will align for the rebirth of one of California’s most historic motorcycle races – the Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix. The famed race, which was held between 1951 and 1958, brought thousands of spectators and hundreds of riders to Catalina Island, helping establish it as the bustling tourist destination it is today. Caption & Image Credit: Red Bull USA

Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix 2010 - Pre-Event Update

The Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix 2010 is a closed-course motorcycle racing event sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Association.

Due to lax technical inspection, the 1950s era races were considered a “proving ground” for various types of suspensions, engine and frame modifications and special tunings. The Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix 2010 will follow its 1950s open class tradition by providing races for a wide variety of engine displacement and skill levels.

The field is expected to include almost 800 riders who registered prior to the October 7 deadline. There will be 12 races over the two days with an average of 80 riders per race. The Red Bull Catalina Grand Prix will be AMA sanctioned and all AMA rules will be followed.

The event is free to the public, and no tickets are required. All participants, spectators, and Press are expected to drop by the Hotel Metropole for check in, race registration, general event information/updates, food, and drinks.

Image Credit: Catalina Grand Prix 2010

The event is held over a three day period starting on Friday December 3, 2010 with a moderately priced charity golf tournament to benefit the AMA Legal Defense Fund and Riders Helping Riders. Green Fees are only $30.00 per player with Club Rentals at $11.00 a set and Golf Carts at $10.00 per player. To participate, please call 310-510-0530 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 310-510-0530 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 310-510-0530 end_of_the_skype_highlighting for a tee time (if available) - all participants must mention that they are"with the Catalina Grand Prix".

Friday night is the official Red Bull Party to kick things off before competition begins. - details can be found at the Hotel Metropole! Updated information found at Dirt Bike Magazine>>

The racing event will be held over two days on December 4-5, 2010, and be held on an approximate 7 mile course. The course will include natural, graded, and paved terrain that includes a Motocross section (80% dirt, 20% paved). Grandstands are available for spectators and they will be located at the Start/Finish line and the Motocross section.

“I’m stoked to be part of this historic race,” said four-time Baja 1000 winner and 2010 AMA National Hare & Hound champion, Kendall Norman. “I’ve heard so much about it - the pioneers of the sport racing their old-school bikes in one of the most unique locations imaginable. It’s great that we’ll finish off the season with what’s sure to be one of the most fun races of the year.”

Both motocross superstars and emerging talents will vie for top honors as they blast into the hills surrounding the main port town of Avalon. Riders will look to join Bud Ekins (the stuntman who performed the famous fence jump in “The Great Escape” for Steve McQueen) and Bob Sangren (the race’s only two-time winner) as champion of the island spectacle. Sangren will also be returning to the island to serve as Grand Marshal for the 2010 race.

Riders are considered finishers provided they make 50% of their class leader's laps and receive the checkered flag. Due to circumstances on the island, there will be no practice and all motorcycles will be impounded, except for the actual race. All roads on the island are private and permission has been granted for their use for the actual race only. During the race, all participants must stay on the marked course. Any motorcycle used otherwise, will be impounded and the rider will be disqualified and prosecuted with no refund of race fees. All tuning and testing must have been done before your motorcycle is shipped, as such activity will not be allowed on the island.

Image Credit: Catalina Grand Prix 2010

Let the races begin - SCHEDULE:

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010

7:30 Opening Ceremony

Race 1 8:15 $250

Classic Skill A & B
Vintage Skill A & B
Evolution Skill A & B
Premier LWT Skill A & B
Premier 500 Skill A & B
Premier Open Twins Skill A & B

Race 2 9:30 $250

Magnum 50+ LWT Skill B
Magnum 50+ HWT Skill B

Race 3 10:45 $250

Magnum 50+ LWT Skill A
Magnum 50+ HWT Skill A

Race 4 12:00 $250

Senior 40+ LWT Skill B
Senior 40+ HWT Skill B

Race 5 1:15 $250

Senior 40+ LWT Skill A
Senior 40+ HWT Skill A

Race 6 2:30 $250

Veteran 30+ LWT Skill A & B
Veteran 30+ HWT Skill A & B

Saturday night at the Casino, a special Casino movie will be shown at 8:00 PM with special guest appearance from Nitro Circus! Updated information found at Dirt Bike Magazine>>

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2010

Race 7 8:00 $250

HWT Skill B

Race 8 9:15 $250

HWT Skill A

Race 9 10:30 $250

125cc Skill A & B
250cc Skill A & B

Race 10 11:45 $250

Mini Skill A & B
Women Skill A & B
60+ Skill A & B
70+ Skill A & B

Race 11 1:00 $150

Super Mini Skill A & B
Youth Mini Skill A & B
Junior Mini Skill A & B
Micro Mini Skill A & B

Race 12 1:45 $300 GPR Pro Race $5,000 purse

Pro 18+
Pro 30+
Pro 40+

For racers and fans staying over on Sunday, December 5th, join the locals for the annual Shop At Home Night. The holiday festivities kick off with a tree lighting ceremony on the Wrigley Stage on the waterfront in Avalon. Santa Claus arrives by fire truck and strolling carolers will be serenading the shoppers. Participating store will be staying open late, many offering refreshments and holiday treats in addition to bargain prices.

Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Wayne Griffin also invites guests to enjoy the Tour Of Lights to drop off a new unwrapped toy for the Toys 4 Tots program for the local children. Get your treasure card stamped and enter to win reservations for two to the 2010 New Year's Eve Gala on the Island.

Again, the event is free to the public, and no tickets are required. All event information, updates, and check in happen at the Hotel Metropole.

... notes from The EDJE

LA Auto Show 2010 - Lotus Enters Into A New Era Agreement With The IRL

The competition language just increased with the signing of an agreement to have Group Lotus/Lotus Motorsport supply engines and body aerodynamic parts to teams competing in the IndyCar Series starting in 2012. Pictured from left to right: Famed Indianapolis driver, Parnelli Jones, Randy Bernard, CEO of the Indy Racing League, Dany Bahar, CEO of Lotus Motorsport and Group Lotus. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

LA Auto Show 2010 - Lotus Enters Into A New Era Agreement With The IRL

On Thursday, November 18, 2010, the second day of the LA Auto Show Press Days held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Group Lotus announced an agreement with Randy Bernard, CEO of the Indy Racing League, to supply engines and aero body kits for the IZOD IndyCar Series beginning with the 2012 season.

The deal that was put together by Dany Bahar, CEO of Lotus Motorsport, is for a duration of five years and has Lotus also creating a motorsport facility in Indianapolis that will give the company a base in the thick of the action for this unified, exciting, and adrenalin filled race series and make them easy to find by potential IndyCar engine and aero body kit customers.

This announcement closes out a great week for Randy Bernard, Brian Barnhart - President, Operations & Competition, and the future fortunes of the Indy Racing League for the level of competition on many levels starting in 2012. Lotus joins Chevrolet (USA), which also announced an agreement this week, and Honda (Japan) the current and exclusive engine supplier, making available a choice of three manufacturers engines to run in this new and unified era. The IndyCar Series is no longer a "Spec-Series" anymore!

Randy Bernard said: “Lotus is a renowned name in racing, with a long association with some of the greatest names of motorsports. We’re honored Lotus has chosen to serve as an engine manufacturer for the first time.” Randy shared that the number one concern of the fans after unification was that American open wheel racing did not take the easy route and become a pure specification series where every car was basically the same and all had parts and engines supplied from the same factory.

The speculation is that since Kevin Kalkhoven is the team owner of the car driven by Takuma Sato, and sponsored by Lotus, also owns Cosworth - this Lotus engine just might be produced by the Cosworth organization and have a Lotus name be placed on it which will give Lotus the instant "gravitas" and history of Cosworth ... and why not?!

The Lotus IndyCar engine will follow the agreed rules, namely 2.4 litre, up to 6 cylinders and turbo charged and producing between 550 and 700 horsepower to suit the diverse set of tracks on which the IZOD IndyCar Series competes. All engines will run on E85 with additional details on the fuel platform to be announced at a later date.

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus said: “Lotus is unique in the automotive world, no other car company has been more successful in such a wide variety of motorsports discipline, whether it is Le Mans, World Rally, Sportscars, F1 - of course, and IndyCar. This year we teamed up with KV Racing for IndyCar and we will significantly increase our participation next year. However in 2012 IndyCar competitors will have the exciting opportunity to choose an IndyCar with a Lotus engine and aero body kit, immediately become part of a legacy that is Lotus: one of the most innovative and successful sports and racing car brands in the world.” Dany also let loose during the announcement that Lotus would like to make its own chassis and offer this up to other teams as well - ummmmm, interesting.

Lotus announces an agreement to supply engines and aero body parts to the IndyCar Series beginning 2012. Pictured from left to right: Famed Indianapolis driver, Parnelli Jones, Randy Bernard, CEO of the Indy Racing League, Dany Bahar, CEO of Lotus Motorsport and Group Lotus, Claudio Berro, Director of Lotus Motorsport, and Brian Barnhart, President, Operations & Competition of the Indy Racing League. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

The announcement in the booth and on the show floor of this 2010 LA Auto Show helped to lend an excitement to their proceedings. Rand Bernard, Brian Barnhart, and Dany Bahar were joined at the podium set up next to Takuma Sato's IndyCar by none other than the person who first drove and won in a Lotus at Indianapolis ... Parnelli Jones. New traditions do not get any better than when one reaches back and brings some of the original traditions forward to form the traditions of this new era.

Claudio Berro, Director of Lotus Motorsport said: “The history and DNA of Lotus is all about extracting the most performance out of a car in return for maximum efficiency and we are delighted to offer our engine and aero body kit to the 2012 IndyCar series.

Long live the IndyCar Series and its agreement with Group Lotus and Lotus Motorsport - may it spur others to step up and compete in this series at every level.

... notes from The EDJE

TRG Announces Second Entry for 2011 Rolex 24

This will be TRG's record 63rd entry for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Image Credit Grand-Am

TRG Announces Second Entry for 2011 Rolex 24

Three-time Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona winners TRG announced it’s their second entry for the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season opener. The TRG/Black Swan/GMG Porsche 997 will take the green flag on January 29th for the 49th Rolex 24 at Daytona with a strong line-up of American and European drivers.

The brand new 2011 Porsche will be driven by American Le Mans Series GTC class champions Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen. Fellow ALMS GTC competitors James Sofronas and Bret Curtis join the team as well as a yet to be announced Porsche Factory Driver.

Pappas and Bleekemolen combined to win four races in the ALMS GTC class and went on win the 2010 series title in the Black Swan Racing (BSR) Porsche. Sofronas and Curtis competed in the ALMS as well as select SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge races in 2010 with Sofronas' GMG racing team. The foursome, and the addition of a Porsche hot shoe, will be one of the GT teams to be reckoned with come the end of January.

Pappas is making a strategic season decision by combining forces with TRG and GMG for the Rolex 24.

"Black Swan is focused on defending its championship title in the American Le Mans Series and thus a partnership with my friends at GMG and TRG made a lot of sense to me," Pappas said. "We can take a run at the 24 without losing our momentum elsewhere. We have a great driver line-up and my expectations are very high; of course we want to win, but I haven't been a part of Grand-Am in many years so it's difficult to gauge the competition. I have always wanted to compete in this prestigious endurance race, but at the same time I wanted to wait until a winning opportunity came along; this program is the right fit. With the combined experience of TRG, BSR and GMG, I think we can fight for a win. Daytona is a special place; I have been on the podium there in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and I would certainly like to add a Rolex class victory to my resume." "In fact, the first time I ever drove at Daytona, or in any pro-racing environment was in a test with TRG back in 2000 at Daytona," Pappas added. "Paul Newman was there at the same time testing with another team - that's a pretty cool intro to the legendary driver and race track. I want to add my name to the list of GT winners!"

Sofronas is melding his GMG team with TRG and Black Swan Racing for the grueling Daytona 24 Hour.

"My expectations, like most teams running this race, are to win, or at least put us in contention to win," Sofronas said. "We will have a new car with PMNA (Porsche Motorsport North America) right there supporting us and some excellent drivers behind the wheel, not to mention a strong infrastructure with TRG. My goal is to do what I was hired to do - drive the car with the strategy and experience that we will have and be there at the end. I would like to expand my experience in the 24 as I have only done it once before in 2009. That year, despite many setbacks, we never gave up and ended up finishing seventh. I remember my third stint early Sunday morning that started in pitch black darkness around 5:30 a.m. with the sun coming up an hour later and it was so peaceful as the sunshine started to blanket the track. I think I ran five laps with no one around me. I can't wait to do it again! There is a ton of experience between GMG, BSR and TRG, so I thought it would be great to use the talents of all three teams to put forth this effort. GMG will run this race in the future, but we thought it best to go this route as TRG has a lot of experience in this race and BSR also puts together a great team. I have to thank Bret Curtis, a great client of GMG's as well as a great friend, as he is the reason I am driving in this race for 2011."

Curtis has one goal in mind at Daytona, winning.

"Knowing that we are running with a driver line-up that includes a two time Super Cup champion and current ALMS GTC champion in Jeroen Bleekemolen, a World Challenge winning driver in James Sofronas, a Porsche factory driver, as well as the other ALMS GTC champion Tim Pappas makes me feel pretty confident about our chances," Curtis said. "From the stand point of driver capabilities and experience, we have it. This driver line-up, coupled with the very capable and strong team support set up we have, will be very exciting. Running at the Daytona 24 is a lifelong dream of mine. Some of my favorite drivers like Ickx, Gurney, Andretti, Elford, Merzario, etc., have all run the 24 and the history is amazing. Having this chance to run, and with our driver line-up and team is an incredible opportunity for me. I plan to take advantage of it!"

This is the second TRG entry to date for the 2011 Daytona classic, the first being the Racing for Research Porsche with Kenny Wallace, Ron Yarab, Daniel Graeff and Pierre Bourque. This is a record 63rd entry in the Rolex 24 for TRG. The team that has traditionally prepared as many as eight cars for the race has several more announcements pending.

Team owner Kevin Buckler started preparing for the 2011 race as soon as the checkered flag dropped on the 2010 event. As a two time winning driver in 2002 and 2003, winning the race overall in '03, as well as finishing one-two in '09, Buckler knows the secret to success at Daytona is proper preparation in every area.

"We are already well into the preparations for the 2011 Rolex 24," Buckler said. "The line-up of Pappas, Bleekemolen, Sofronas, Curtis and strong fifth is one that can definitely contend for the win. We are honored that these guys decided to combine their efforts with ours for the Rolex 24. Tim, James and Bret could have put their own cars on the track, but decided to bring their driving talent and experience to our team and really make a strong run at winning the GT class. It only makes sense as we are very powerful when properly aligned. We offer a unique approach of being able to offer many benefits of aligning with TRG as well as allowing an existing team to maintain their identity and learn for the future throughout experience at Daytona. I am really looking forward to running this race as these guys are my racing friends and we are all on the same page with a common goal - winning. This is just the first of many cool announcements to come from TRG regarding the Rolex 24."

(Reposted from a Grand Am PR release, PETALUMA, Calif. - by Dicken Wear)

NALSR - Street Racing Made Legal, Bracketed, And With Punch

The National Association for Legalized Street Racing (NALSR). Click Here to become a member of the fastest growing racing series in the nation. Image Credit: NALSR

NALSR - Street Racing Made Legal, Bracketed, And With Punch

The concept of Street Racing has been around ever since the first vehicles were produced and a flat and open space was found where two or more people could gather with their machines and do what humans do naturally - Compete.

We all compete in one way or another. In school it is who can be the most popular, the most athletic, or the smartest. At work we admire competence, productivity, or the greatest producer in sales volume. At play? ... Isn't it said that the one with the most toys, wins?

Recently, the SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) 2010, the premier automotive specialty products and automotive culture market trade event in the world, took over all three halls and the front (Westside) parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The entire focus of this show has to do with what people can do to improve the look, performance, and functionality of the vehicle they purchase to the purpose they wish to have it serve.

Rich Evans of Rich Evans Designs in front of one of his latest creations - The Red Knight Mustang. Pictured here in the Vertical Doors Booth # 12459 at SEMA Show 2010. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

A major portion of this show is dedicated to the improvement of the power and performance of vehicles ... but to what end? Well, to compete in the most common environment that exists ... the street - it's free and every major intersection has a timing light (traffic signals).

Back in August 2007, the son of famed WWE Wrestler Hulk Hogan crashed his modded yellow Toyota Supra in Clearwater, Florida while allegedly street racing. Caption and Image Credit: Zimbio/Clearwater Police Department

The problem with this simple and direct point of view, however, is that large, powerful cars can deliver a very damaging and lethal unintended consequence. Street Racing can hurt people and damage property and this is what makes this entertaining performance pursuit against the law and illegal. Since the end of World War II there have been many attempts throughout the years to make this "pick-up" pursuit safe, organized and legal but all fell short primarily because processes were complicated, expensive, and performed no greater purpose than to provide a venue to race at a point in time with little in the way of a greater goal than the event of that one race date.

NALSR's Jeremy Ford (center) talks with Toyota Speedway at Irwindale's Communications Director, Doug Stokes (left-center, red shirt) and Mark Vaughn of AutoWeek (Blue Shirt) about the drag strip venue located next to the track for future NALSR events. This chance meeting took place at the Continental Tire Media Center at the SEMA Show 2010. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Enter the National Association for Legalized Street Racing (NALSR). A concept born out of a way to protect and promote original reality television programming about street racing. This concept has even caught the positive attention of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) as a potential partner.

TV program producer (and former street racer) Jeremy Ford felt that if there was an association that set up organized street racing in regions at safe venues and have winners in brackets/classes that could then meet at the end of a racing season for top national honors, and have the added attraction and access to this association be inexpensive ($40.00 online registration) ... this would be a great way to create entertaining TV content for the potential street racing enthusiast in all of us.

Further, if this association were able to offer prize money - say, a minimum $10,000 to champions - and a chance to be featured on a reality television program to the participants and winners ... this would provide the punch.

This excerpted and edited from NALSR (pronounced nal-sar) website -

NALSR GOAL
By Jeremy J. Ford, CEO & President - NALSR - 171 Days, 7 Hours, 6 Minutes, Until the 2011 season

The goal of this organization is to address the growing concerns associated with street racing by providing racers with a safe, entertaining and controlled environment, thus minimizing street racing associated injuries and fatalities.

Originally established in 2008 by CEO & President, Jeremy J. Ford, NALSR (National Association for Legalized Street Racing) was established to give credibility to this outstanding sport and some of the best drivers on the road. No longer will street racing be stigmatized by its reckless past which has been highly publicized and profiled in detail by the media in a negative light. The media will now be invited to profile the street racing community for their talent, fast cars, and racing sport credibility.

Street racing now has a time and a place on the track in a sophisticated and organized manner. NALSR is currently teaming up with tracks across the US, to give street racers the opportunity to race in a safe and entertaining environment, enhancing the fans experience in the process, and free of legal interruption. When racers join NALSR, they will become recognized for the athletes they are. They will also be able to establish an identity and brand themselves, thus growing their fan base and helping establish an organized sport.
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SPONSORSHIP
Does your company want to tap into a new market? Does your company want to get involved in the next hottest trend? Put your company on the scene of some of the hottest and fastest cars and largest upcoming car venues.

We are supported and sponsored by NHRA (announcement pending) and Vitamin Water as having a founding interest in this viable solution to street racing. Join these and other companies that are backing the next hottest thing and reaching out to a potential untapped market for your product or enterprise.
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STREET KINGS ON MAVTV
The hottest Street Racing Reality TV "STREET KINGS" Show has been optioned by MAVTV for 13 episodes (official announcement pending). The show will be shot in Los Angeles and St. Louis. If you are a real racer and want to showcase your skills, then come out to one of our casting calls.
Reference Here>>

So if one is into tuning, tweaking, beefing up, and all-around customizing a car or motorcycle for performance and speed and is seeking a way to test out how good these upgrades are without subjecting the public to an unintended consequence of human and machine performance gone awry ... join and participate at a NALSR venue going live in the Spring of 2011 near you.

... notes from The EDJE

Bubba Rope Snags 2011 New Product Of The Year Award At SEMA

Bubba Rope strikes a chord with the buyers at the 2010 SEMA Show after it is awarded the 2011 New Product Of The Year (and the 2010 Global Product Of The Year by the international press). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

Bubba Rope Snags 2011 New Product Of The Year Award At SEMA
By Edmund Jenks - Managing Editor

This year's 2010 SEMA New Products breakfast saw 15 new products awarded (one from each category) with the vaunted 2011 Product Of The Year from a field of over 1,500 new product submissions.

One of the lucky product submissions, Bubba Rope, was picked for Best New Packaging Design designation. The Bubba Rope idea came from a brainstorming session where a company that was supplying rope lift solutions to the military and construction operations for helicopters wanted to gain access to the broader consumer market that existed in the recreational/off-road arena.

The staff reasoned that since their helicopter lift solution did such a good job at plucking HumVees off of the ground to be whisked away to another destination, why not let stuck Jeeps and trucks get pulled out of a jam by a driver that was not quite as an unlucky driver as to get stuck in the first place.

What caught the imagination and funny-bone of the judging staff at SEMA was the ingenious way the tow rope product was produced, packaged, and presented with the instructions for safety written to appeal to the unlucky Bubba in all of us.

Bubba Rope in action .... pulled tight with an elastic type of stretch pull only a woven material of this type can provide. Pictured here with the 2011 SEMA Product Of The Year trophy (Bubba Rope also received the Global Product of the year from the international press). Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

How it is made and safety instructions example excerpted and edited from Bubba Rope -

A kinetic energy recovery rope (KERR), Bubba Rope® provides superior performance, strength and durability that goes way beyond typical recovery ropes, snatch straps and chains. Professional Recovery Rope It stretches and actively uses its own kinetic energy to help get your stuck vehicle moving.

Bubba Rope® is actually three ropes in one: An inner nylon core, braided looser to absorb more of the lower loads, an outer nylon jacket braided tighter for higher loads and then the whole rope is dipped in a polymetric base giving it a protective shell.

Instructions and rope come packaged in a handy dirt to clean friendly nylon web zippered bag with pouch. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

If you drive where there is mud, sand or snow then you need a Bubba Rope®.
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Please Read (Don’t worry we have pictures too!) Jump to Care and Maintenance

Make sure yer vehicle is actually stuck in mud, sand, snow or some kind of other gooey stuff and not that ya just forgot to take off the parking brake. Ol’ Uncle Jake was always making that kind of Bubba operator error.

Once y’all have established that yer vehicle is actually stuck, here’s yer chance to gain some big Bubba points. After all, rescuing a fellow Bubba or Bubbette from the depth of an ol’ muddy mud hole is a true act of Bubba git-r-done kindness.

Pull yer Bubba Rope® out of its bag and announce loudly, “No problem y’all! I got me right here a gen-u-wine Bubba Rope® made in the good ol’ USA!” No doubt this phrase will make ya an instant expert and will impress everyone in ear shot.

Reference Here>>

Well one gets the idea pretty quickly that even though this is a serious product to help people get out of a jam .... it just does not have to take itself tooooooo seriously.

Company motto or saying as it is printed on the back of their business cards. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

When the product first went for sale on the internet, the second logged order was registered from France. We can only assume that this was from a "Bubbet" (bah-bay).

As one can easily see, no matter where one rolls around in the mud and dirt on this Earth, we can all become Bubbas and when we get stuck, we will need the best tool for the job of unstucking ourselves ... a Bubba Rope.

After this SEMA Show 2010 week to be known as the SEMA 2011 New Product Of The Year and Global New Product Of The Year award winning Bubba Rope.

SLIDESHOW>>

... notes from The EDJE

**Article first published as Bubba Rope Snags 2011 New Product Of The Year Award At SEMA at Examiner**