Now in its 11th year, SEMA Battle of the Builders is the industry’s leading vehicle competition, providing an international platform for SEMA Show builders to showcase their ingenuity. 

Registration for the 2024 SEMA Battle of the Builders is now open.

“We’re excited to launch the second decade of Battle of the Builders and continue to spotlight the most innovative vehicle builds at the SEMA Show,” said RJ de Vera, SEMA vice president of marketing.

“The vehicles entered into the competition highlight the talent that prevails in our industry. We look forward to seeing builders use the latest parts and showcase their fabrication skills.”  

The 2024 SEMA Battle of the Builders will recognize class champions as the best in four categories — Hot Rod & Hot Rod Truck; 4 Wheel Drive & Off-Road; Sport Compact, Import Performance, Luxury & Exotic; and Young Guns — and one of these four will be crowned the overall BOTB champion. Industry experts serve as judges and review all qualifying applications, including vehicle descriptions and photos, before walking the SEMA Show floor to review builds in-person and selecting the Top 10 finalists in each category. The finalists are then narrowed down to the Top 3 in each category, and these 12 finalists become the judges and select the winner of each category and the overall champion. 

Canadian builders have figures strongly in the competition, particularly in the Young Guns category. Cole Marten and Chelsie Lesnoski, owners of Throttle Thrashers Garage in Penticton, B.C., both had projects selected in the Young Guns Category in 2021. Marten built a one-of-a-kind high horsepower, AWD Nissan Skyline. Lesnoski entered a 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD.

Edmonton’s Matteo Medoro was one of two Canadian Battle of the Builders Young Gun finalists, winning “the golden ticket” invitation in 2019 at the Seattle Drift regional SEMA competition with his ’51 Ford rat rod. In 2020 he qualified again with another build.

“Battle of the Builders has opened the door for builders on an international level, providing a world stage for their custom cars and trucks,” said Cam Miller, Hot Rod & Hot Rod Truck judge and former Battle of the Builders Overall Champion. “The uniqueness of the builds and how builders use the industry’s finest parts is always one of the most exciting parts of the contest.” 

A special element of SEMA Battle of the Builders is the Young Guns category, which is open to builders who are 29 years and younger at the time of the SEMA Show. As part of SEMA’s initiative to support the next generation of builders, Young Guns entries can compete in one or more virtual Golden Ticket competitions for the chance to win a prize package that includes transportation of the vehicle to the SEMA Show along with travel and hotel accommodations. 

“Battle of the Builders has helped launch the careers of dozens of builders by bringing both established and up-and-coming modifiers to the forefront of the global automotive stage,” said de Vera. “The vehicles that are entered into the competition are truly iconic builds that take the world of customization to new levels.” 

For more information on the 2024 SEMA Battle of the Builders competition or to register, visit www.semabotb.com. The deadline to register is October 18. 

The 2024 SEMA Show, taking place November 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is the ultimate gathering for the automotive specialty equipment industry. It is the place to discover new products and trends, make new business connections, strengthen existing ones, and help professionals take their careers and their businesses from good to great. Attendees can maximize their ROI by registering early and taking advantage of housing and travel discounts. Registration is $40 for qualified attendees who register by June 28. To learn more or to register to attend the 2024 SEMA Show, visit www.semashow.com.