The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) recently held their first ever SEMA Custom Car Camp. July 18-22, kids were introduced to the world of aftermarket customization at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, California.

“The car camp demonstrates how you can start with RC cars and use them as a stepping stone to an actual car,” said Nathan Ridnouer, SEMA Vice President of Councils and Membership. The idea behind it was to get kids hooked with the car bug.

Campers were given Traxxas RC cars to disassemble, modify and rebuild. Later, the cars were raced and jumped to show the relations between modifications and performance. Getting the kids hands on with the little offroad trucks will hopefully lead to them getting their own full-size offroad rigs in a few years.

The Traxxas trucks are a perfect introduction to the offroad world. The scale designs are easily relatable to real-world applications. Shock tuning, tire compounds, and weight balancing all play a major role both in full-size vehicles and RC cars. After modifications, the kids tested out their rigs to see how they perform. At the end of the week, a big race was held. Featuring jumps, turns, and obstacles, the little racers pushed their machines to the max.

Additionally, the kids were able to experience 3D modeling first hand, a major component of the future of automotive aftermarket designing. The kids spent time in shops as well. Able to talk with and ask questions with mechanics and designers. The kids also got a chance to use real tools, impact drills, wrenches, and more.

The kids are our future. As the saying goes, get a kid hooked on off-roading and they’ll never have money or time for drugs. Check out the SEMA website to see more of what the organization is doing for kids and the automotive world.