Car builders and the passion that drives them featured in upcoming TV special, ‘SEMA: Battle of the Builders’

If you weren’t able to attend the 2018 SEMA Show—or if you were there but too occupied doing business to be able to spend enough time checking out the amazing works of automotive art and craftsmanship of the car builders in the SEMA Battle of the Builders (BOTB) competition—here’s a second chance.

For what is probably an even more in-depth perspective than you could get on-site during SEMA 2018 at the cars, the car builders, and the passion that drives them, check out the all-new, one hour television program SEMA: Battle of the Builders, premiering Monday, January 7, 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, on the Motor Trend Network and the Motor Trend app.

Hosted by race-car driver Tanner Foust along with Adrienne “AJ” Janic of TV’s Overhaulin’,the special gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the SEMA Show and the stunning array of vehicles that were on display. The hosts also interview automotive industry experts and leading car builders as they share stories about their personal SEMA Show journeys.

SEMA’s BOTB showcases the remarkable talent and skill of car builders who have created some of the world’s most distinctive custom vehicles, in a competition judged by automotive experts RJ De Vera from Meguiar’s, David Freiburger from MotorTrend’s Roadkill, and Fred Williams from MotorTrend’s Dirt Every Day.

Also featured on the SEMA: Battle of the Builders television show is SEMA’s expanded Young Guns program, a regional competition that gave 14 car builders age 27 and younger a chance to showcase their work at the 2018 SEMA Show.

SEMA provided Young Guns winners, selected from emerging car builders across the country, with all-expenses-paid travel to SEMA, along with a featured display location at the show, transportation for their show cars, and an entry into the BOTB competition.

Among other contributors to the special are social media influencers within the automotive space, including:

• YouTuber Sarah Raegan Greenwood of Sarah -n- Tuned
• Emelia Hartford, owner of the car-focused @ms.emelia Instagram profile
• Jack Milne of DURTYMAX JACK, a YouTube channel for auto enthusiasts
• Automotive cinematographer Chris Petruccio of the Krispy Media YouTube channel
• Chris Steinbacher of B is for Build, a YouTube channel featuring “Chris and his friends” as they fix, break, buy, sell, and trade cars, “all with the ultimate goal of having fun”
• Dustin Williams of Legends Media, a Southern-California-based company focused on automotive content

SEMA: Battle of the Builders is a production for Motor Trend of Brentwood Communications International, Inc. (BCII), under the leadership of executive producers Bud Brutsman of BCII and David Lee of Motor Trend.