4 ENGINEBUILDERmag.com | AUGUST 2020
REVVED UPREVVED UPREVVED UP Greg Jones| Editor
O
ver the last few months, I can’t help but
rewind and place myself back in early
March when the COVID-19 pandemic was just
starting to spread in the United States. It
seems like such a long time ago that we only
had a few cases in the entire country.
At the time, it seemed the general
consensus was we’d hunker down and get past
this aggressive virus in possibly a few weeks,
maybe a month. And why wouldn’t it pass in
that time, we thought? Of course, H1N1 (swine
flu) was more than 10 years ago, and it has
been 50-plus years since any other serious
flu viruses really hung around or impacted us flu viruses really hung around or impacted us
much. It’s been more than 100 years since the much. It’s been more than 100 years since the
Spanish flu of 1918. Oh, the naivete!
Obviously, the Coronavirus is much
different than more recent influenzas. As I sat different than more recent influenzas. As I sat
down to write this month’s column, an email
from SEMA popped up in my inbox. Would it be
another safety update? Would it be promises
of another great show happening in the fall?
No, this time, the release announced even the No, this time, the release announced even the
mighty SEMA Show would be cancelled in 2020
due to COVID.
I think, if we’re all being honest, we
knew it was coming. Given how many daily
cases of COVID-19 we keep seeing – now
nearly six months after the first U.S. positive
tests – there would have been no truly safe
way to hold a tradeshow as large as SEMA.
But I can’t help but feel bummed. Bummed for
SEMA. Bummed for our industry and bummed
we still haven’t gotten ours heads around
Coronavirus.
Did I want to be surrounded by 130,
potential COVID carriers in November? Hell no. potential COVID carriers in November? Hell no.
But that week in Las Vegas is unlike anything
else the industry offers. I’ll miss seeing the
SEMA glitz and glam, and of course, getting
opportunities to catch up with industry folks, opportunities to catch up with industry folks,
both old acquaintances and new.
In fact, it was at the 2019 SEMA Show that
I got a chance to speak with both Leah Pruett
and Ashley Corzine for this month’s issue with and Ashley Corzine for this month’s issue witha focus on some of the women in our great
industry. Following last year’s inaugural
women’s issue, this year we put more focus
on those women who are in the driver’s
seat, pushing the limits of motorsport. From
the dragstrip to monster truck stadiums to
Daytona and the classic tractor pull, we got a
chance to talk to some great women this year.
Of course, we also spoke to a few women
who are holding it down inside engine shops,
on the corporate side of the industry and
the classroom too. We even feature one who the classroom too. We even feature one who
is in the limelight entertaining automotive
enthusiasts to help them learn more about all
kinds of vehicles.
While we may not have a SEMA Show or
an AAPEX Show in-person this November – the
jury is still out on PRI, though it doesn’t look
promising – at least we still have plenty of
ways to communicate with one another.
Whether it’s a classic phone call or text, or a
Zoom or Teams video chat, we’re finding ways
to keep giving you great content. We hope you
enjoy the August issue! EBThe Hits Just Keep on Coming
04 eb.aug20 Revved Up.indd 4 8/7/20 8:40 AM
Naresh Jariwala