Auto Industry News: Live Events Still Happening, Ultimate Adventure 2020, and Quarantine Vehicle Debuts

Really, who doesn’t love a good comeback story? As the world begins to reopen and businesses get back on track, so does the Engine Block. Powered by a passion for all things automotive, the blog returns to the spotlight refueled and ready for action. Readers can expect updated listings for their favorite auto events, detailed breakdowns on the latest trends and industry happenings, as well as highlights of exciting vehicle debuts, new aftermarket products, and remarkable shops.

Keep On, Keepin’ On

SEMA, PRI, CES, and a hoard of other acronym-heavy industry events have either canceled or gone virtual for 2020. However, there remains plenty of live action entertainment for enthusiasts and professionals to enjoy, proving you can have fun safely during a pandemic.

Many events are starting to take place again, such as the Daytona Truck Meet, which roared into Volusia County, FL over Labor Day Weekend. Billed as the “largest truck show in the world,” the event drew hundreds of vendors and thousands of spectators—not to mention loads of custom lifted trucks.

Even in California, where the COVID restrictions are arguably stricter and wildfires continue to rage, hundreds of truck fans braved the elements to show off their vintage beauties at the 2020 C10 Intervention.

This past weekend, the O’Reilly Auto Parts 4-Wheel Jamboree hit Indianapolis, Indiana. More than 2,000 rigs came from across the country to take part in America’s largest 4×4 series, checking out custom builds, new off-road trends, and mud-flinging antics.

FourWheeler’s Ultimate Adventure

Also wrapping up this weekend was Ultimate Adventure 2020, a hardcore off-road trip covering 1200 miles of extreme trails in one week. An annual event since 2000, this year’s UA2020 kicked off September 13 in the ruggedly beautiful Kalispell, Montana, passed through Cody, Wyoming via Yellowstone, and ended in the Black Hills of South Dakota. According to FourWheeler Network, the locations aren’t the only “epic” features of UA2020; attendance is at its highest, with 46 participants and 26 vehicles along for the ride.

The magazine’s official project vehicle this year is a refitted and custom Jeep TJ Unlimited, powered by a Cummins R2.8 turbodiesel. Sponsored by go-to brands like Dana, Falken Tire, Skyjacker, WARN and more, the UA2020 “Long Range Jeep” aims to serve as “an ode to the Special Air Service Jeeps that troubled, harassed, and beat up on the Axis forces in North Africa during World War II,” says FourWheeler Network.

Click here to enjoy a written recap of UA2020, complete with a gallery of photos and daily video. FourWheeler reports five full-length video episodes and complete event coverage will be coming later in the year.

Those itching to get away on their own off-road excursion should check out Jeep Jamboree USA. Wait Llsts are still open for upcoming October and November trips to Kentucky, West Virginia, Utah, and California. To ensure everyone stays healthy, the Jeep Jamboree USA Team has implemented a number of enhanced safety measures, so all you need is your Jeep and sense of adventure.

Quarantine Car Cruise

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right? SoCal hot rodders took that old adage to heart, developing a grassroots car cruise for enthusiasts bummed out by a litany of canceled auto events.

Spearheaded by MotorTrend Tech Center manager Jason Scudellari, Hek Valdez of The Tattoo Gallery in Huntington Beach, and Keystone Automotive social media manager Patrick Wagenbrenner, turnout for Quarantine Cruise has grown from 35 cars over the summer to a whopping 2,500 earlier this month. Participants cruise the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, then park at the Newland Center retail hub for some socially-distanced custom car appreciation.

“Enthusiasts are craving the connection live events bring forth, and content marketers are craving the content. So, Quarantine Cruise became a win-win,” explains Wagenbrenner.

Interested? Text “CRUISE” to 21000 to join the fun or check out @qruisinpch on Instagram to follow along.

NASCAR

On the speed side, NASCAR returned to the track in May and after a summer of racing, the 2020 playoffs have arrived. This weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway trimmed the postseason field from 16 drivers to 12.

Saturday night’s Cup Series win went to Kevin Harvick, who held off Kyle Busch for a tight finish and celebrated his series-best ninth victory of the season. Rounding out the top five were Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, and Aric Almirola.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff filled its final position on Friday night, as Chase Briscoe beat Ross Chastain for the regular-season finale win. Behind Briscoe and Chastain were Austin Cindric, Harrison Burton and Justin Allgaier.

The series’ playoffs begin next Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Click here for up-to-date standings.

NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ playoff opener on Thursday night awarded victory to 17-year-old Sam Mayer, making him the youngest driver to win a truck race at Bristol. Finishing ahead of GMS Racing teammate Brett Moffitt, this marks Mayer’s first career win.

NMRA/NMCA

On the grassroots end, both NMRA and NMCA returned to racing in late June after a prolonged break. Now, the drag racing series enter their final races, with NMCA prepping for the World Street Finals September 24-27, 2020 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana and NMRA readying its World Finals + Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival, the biggest Ford motorsport event of the year, October 1-4, 2020 at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Both events promise action-packed weekends full of heads-up drag racing and hot competition. Those unable to attend can tune in to flosports.tv for live coverage.

For wide open throttle, racers all around the world swear by Holley-style units. I say “style” because there are a lot of brands selling this type of carburetor. Why? Because it works. If you’re familiar with modern performance, you may be surprised to find that Jet Performance is one of the brands offering these types of carburetors. What may set you even further back in your seat is that they offer the coveted mechanical secondary style unit in a wide range of CFM. This means, pretty much whatever the application is calling for, one or more 4-barrel Holley carburetors can take advantage of this brand’s offerings.

There’s more to getting ready for race day than slapping a performance carb in place and taking off. You must be able to tune it at the track. While the most important thing to bring along is a mentor to help you dial it in, you also need to help them help you. Bring along a selection of jets, power valves, nozzles, spare accelerator pumps, and extra gaskets. The good news about running a Jet model of the Holley means you still have access to all of these goodies from Holley as they are the same platform, making your life easier.

What’s New in Debuts?

As live events slowly crept back onto the schedule, so did new vehicle debuts.

Ford Bronco

While Ford was betting big on the Bronco reveal, teasing audiences for what felt like an eternity, the resurrected 4×4 finally debuted on July 13 in a very contemporary promo-video-media-spree across multiple channels. Unfortunately, fans of the Bronco will have to wait just a little longer. Reservations cannot be converted into full-fledged orders until December, with deliveries set to begin in Spring 2021. Stay tuned for some in-depth coverage on The Engine Block, where we’ll detail everything you need to know about this new Wrangler competitor, so you’ll be ready to order your own.

Jeep Wrangler 4Xe

Speaking of Wranglers, the new breed of Jeep, dubbed 4xe, is also available for ordering in December and delivery in early 2021. The all-new plug-in hybrid Wrangler promises 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of instant torque, while the manufacturer estimates a 50 MPG rating. Whether it can promise to convince traditional Jeep enthusiasts to purchase an EV-minded rig remains to be seen.

GM SUVs

On the traditional SUV front, GM hit consumers with several new models, including the next-gen Suburban, Tahoe, and Yukon/XL as well as the reimagined, sub-$20,000 Chevy Trailblazer. Additionally, reservations are now open for the next-gen Cadillac Escalade, set to go on sale later this year.

The automaker also plans to reveal its all-new electric Hummer next month, complete with “crab mode,” i.e. the ability to move diagonally, thanks to four-wheel steering. Available in both truck and SUV formats, the new Hummer will be available for reservation on its reveal date with deliveries planned for Fall 2021.

RAM Rebel TRX

Rounding out the Detroit players, RAM’s new Rebel TRX launched earlier this month—and the supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat Hemi V8 engine-powered beast of a pickup looks like it’s ready to straight-up eat a Ford Raptor, never mind compete with one.

With 702-hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, RAM claims the TRX is the most powerful production, street-legal, half-ton pickup ever built. It’ll cost you, though. All that power starts at $71,690—roughly $13k more than a comparably built Raptor.

Stay tuned for more detailed coverage on these models and more, including the 2021 BMW i4, new F-150, and 2021 Genesis GV80.

Truck Hero Headed to Barrett-Jackson

Acquisitions/mergers and strategic partnerships are more frequent in recent years, as manufacturers navigate ballooning operational expenses associated with, for example, advanced product development. That already-present trend became essential to survival during these “uncertain times.” As Keystone Automotive will detail in an upcoming Sponsored Content feature with The SHOP Magazine, many businesses scaled resources, collaborated where it made sense, and forged new partnerships that will extend past the pandemic.

As a result of COVID, demand is high, inventory is low, and unlikely folks are buddying up to satiate the industry’s immense enthusiast support—which only seemed to grow stronger over quarantine. Specifically, we’ve seen industry players from across market segments pitch in to liven up the auction scene, which had to cancel quite a few big events this year.

Truck Hero will feature its SEMA Ultimate Tailgate Ford F350 next month at the Barrett-Jackson car auction in Scottsdale, AZ. According to the company, 100% of the hammer price will go to Building Homes For Heroes, a national non-profit that builds or modifies homes, and gifts them, mortgage-free, to veterans and their families.

Learn more about this unique ride in the video below.