MONTICHIARI, ITALY (09.24.26) – The 2026 dB Drag Racing Euro Finals brought two days of intense car audio competition to Montichiari, Italy. Some of the loudest and largest builds were in the lanes at Centro Fiera del Garda, in conjunction with Festival dei Motori car show. For those unfamiliar with dB Drag Racing, it is a competition where competitors compete against one another with their car stereo systems.

Attendees traveled from across Europe to push their systems to the ultimate test in pursuit of being becoming the 2026 Euro Finals champion. With 78 entries across five formats of competition, the exhibit hall was jam packed with activity all weekend long.

And the scores were impressive. Team GZ Pezi Frank of Germany recorded the highest score of the weekend with an incredible 184.3 dB in the Extreme division of competition. Several World Records were also set during the event, making this year’s Euro Finals a memorable weekend for competitors, spectators and car audio enthusiasts.

2026 EURO FINALS CHAMPIONS

dB DRAG RACING

Street Stock 1K
Nemanja Veselinovic — North Macedonia

Pro Stock 2K
Team LW Audio Nymans — Sweden

Pro Stock 5K
Team Livin Loud – Pavel — Czech Republic

Pro Stock Wall 5K
Team Legend — Italy

Pro Stock NL
Team Raf — Italy

Super Street NW
dB Team Praskaton Rozy — Slovenia

Super Street 1-2
Team Koukakis Terra — Greece

Super Street 3-4
Team Ground Zero – Chris — Germany

Super Street 5+
Team Nikolaidis — Greece

Super Street X
Team Ground Zero Gregory — France

Extreme NL
Team GZ Pezi Frank — Germany

BASS RACE

120.0–129.9 dB
Riddler Autoshow Dvc — Italy

130.0–139.9 dB
Alessio Barrovecchio — Italy

140.0–149.9 dB
Team Performance – Gavras — Greece

150.0–159.9 dB
Team Ground Zero – Gregory — France

TOP DOG

Gabriele Boccolucci Hifi Car — Italy

PSYCHLONE

Demo No Wall
Squalo Autoshow Dvc — Italy

Demo Wall
Team Takers – Kingpin — USA

Demo Extreme
Team Ivo Pennacchi — Italy

FREESTYLE

1K NW
Nemanja Veselinovic — North Macedonia

5K NW
Team LW Audio Nymans — Sweden

5K Wall
Team Baudio Gasper — Slovenia

NL
Team Powermusic – Junior — Greece

NW
Giorgio Martelli — Italy

Wall
Cristian Gradassi

INTERNATIONAL JUDGES & STAFF

The Euro Finals brought together an international team of judges and staff representing several countries, adding experience from across the global dB Drag Racing community.

Yiannis Lekkas — Greece
Bine Zupan — Slovenia
Maxx Grassi — Italy
Ray Choy — Canada
Vlad Vana — Romania
Lorena — Italy
Alessandro Murabito — Italy
Feiyunn Choy — Canada
Wayne Harris — USA
Celise Harris — USA

A huge thank you to everyone who traveled to Montichiari and put in the time and effort required to run a Finals event. From judging to event operations and everything happening behind the scenes, the staff played a critical role in making the weekend happen.

THANK YOU TO THE 2026 EURO FINALS SPONSORS

The 2026 Euro Finals would not be possible without the companies that continue to support the competitors and the sport.

FOR-X
Ground Zero
B² Audio
GS Audio
Term-LAB
TRF Audio
DSZ Sound of Emotion

Thank you for supporting dB Drag Racing and the competitors who put their time, money and countless hours into their builds.

A special thank you also goes to Festival dei Motori and Centro Fiera del Garda for providing an outstanding facility and giving us the opportunity to bring the Euro Finals to Montichiari, Italy.

COMPLETE EVENT RESULTS:

https://www.termpro.com/asp/officialevent.asp?EventID=22258&Method=1

COSTA MESA, CA (09.23.26) – The Sand Sport Super Show 2026 by all accounts was a record setter with a wide range of products showcased in vendor booths and nonstop activity from enthusiast. KICKER had a very large presence at the SSSS and the Elite Car Stereo CHUG BUS was spotlighted in the large KICKER booth area.

The Elite Car Stereo CHUG BUS in reality was a traditional yellow school bus now with so many upgrades from body wrap to aftermarket upgrades in the interior and exterior that made the CHUG BUS and experience to remember. A large array of KICKER Car Audio products were placed inside, outside and underneath the CHUG BUS.

Elite CarStereo owner JT Pina has been working on the school bus project for 10 years. In the beginning, the school bus was a project of a friend who attended a lot of the events around the area and utilized it to take friends to concerts and events. Through the years that friend wanted to do all kinds of upgrades from sound to lighting and much more. Each year JT would be making upgrades that his friend was looking to make… more speakers, more amplifiers, more batteries and battery chargers that would allow the CHUG BUS rock for a full day.

A few years ago, JT actually acquired the bus from his friend and then the upgrades went into high gear and the school bus became the CHUG BUS that is utilized for store promotions including community parades and events along with store events.

Recently, KICKER’s Steve Irby was in the territory for meetings and making dealer stops. When Steve saw the CHUG BUS it was an instant decision to invite the CHUG BUS to be a part of the KICKER set up at the Sand Sport Super Show. The plan was set for that to happen.

JT related, “Once we set up on one side of the KICKER booth and when the gates opened the CHUG BUS was an instant magnet. People stopping at the KICKER booth to check out demos and the XRV migrated to the CHUG BUS. When families were walking through the area, their children all of a sudden started running to the CHUG BUS and were followed by their parents. Traffic inside the CHUG BUS was non-stop!”

The first two days of this week, following the SSSS event, our phones have been ringing off the hook and customers stopping at our store to make arrangements for system conversations we had at the event” JT concluded.

KICKER participates in many consumer events across the country that engage with enthusiast for car, bike, powersports and marine enthusiast. Over the next 10 years young people at this year‘s SSSS will be running into Elite Car Stereo in Redlands CA.

For more see kicker.com and elitecarstereo.com

SHREVEPORT, LA (09.22.26) – Our custom Whiskey Biz build that was on display at the SDI booth at the Sand Sports Super Show, was stolen from our semi trailer while it was headed home from the show.

What to look for: 2026 Polaris Ranger XD1500 with a chopped custom cage and custom paint

Where: Empty lot next to the Chevron station in Newberry Springs, CA

When: Early morning of Monday, 9/21, between roughly midnight and 8 AM while the driver was asleep in the cab.

This is a one-of-a-kind build, so it should be easy to spot. If you’ve seen it, or hear anything about it on the road, in the dunes, online, or anywhere else, please reach out.

Barstow Sheriff’s Department: (760) 256-4838
Or contact SuperATV or Whiskey Biz directly

Please SHARE this post far and wide. The UTV community looks out for each other, and every share gets us closer to bringing it home.

Shreveport office 800-699-0947

For more see hilifter.com

COSTA MESA, CA (09.21.26) – KICKER Performance Audio showcased multiple UTVs and vehicles at the world’s biggest sand show – the Sand Sports Super Show. The Orange County Fair & Event Center hosted the colossal event September 18-20 on the Center’s 150-acre grounds. KICKER’s display area was by the East entrance of the event grounds, anchored by the KICKER XRV and its Boom Room, which blasted 40,000 watts of epic sound all weekend long.

The Sand Sports Super Show opened to the public Friday afternoon, and all was set in the expansive KICKER booth that stretched more than a football field. Enthusiasts stopped throughout the weekend to check out a wide selection of vehicles available for live demos.

Lorin Morrell rolled in from Lake Havasu with the KICKER pickup and trailer. “There is nothing that compares to the Sand Sports Super Show to showcase the latest for UTV enthusiasts. From aftermarket mobile electronics upgrades, to lift kits, to wheels, to graphics… it’s all here. Once again this year KICKER led the pack with audio upgrades and eye appeal” Morrell relayed.

Jeremy Wynn, KICKER Events & Promotions Manager, added, “It was another great year at the Sand Sports Super Show. Traffic in the booth was up from previous years, which resulted in a lot of good consumer interactions. The temp was in the 70s, making the show days very enjoyable under a blue sky. Overall, it was truly a great event as we continue to grow the KICKER brand in the Powersports community.”

For more information, visit kicker.com and sandsportssupershow.com.

FLOWER MOUND, TX (09.18.26) – SSR Distributors and DOW Technologies teamed up for a successful Compustar dealer training event Wednesday evening at the Firstech facility in Flower Mound TX drawing more than 70 dealers for an evening of education, product knowledge, and industry networking. Dealers came from as far away as Houston and Austin.

The joint training came together through Tracy Farr, VP of Sales and Operations for SSR Distributors, and Justin Roberts, Territory Manager for DOW Technologies. Both companies are members of the Elite Distributor Alliance (EDA). Farr and Roberts saw an opportunity to partner to provide dealers with valuable training and direct access to the Compustar team.

The event was held inside Firstech’s impressive 61,000-square-foot facility, which features the latest technology supporting research and development, new-product planning, technical support, and customer service operations.

Leading the evening’s training was Josh Woodie, Firstech’s head training manager, who oversees a team of approximately 10 technical staff members. Dealers remained highly engaged throughout the presentation, asking numerous questions and discussing real-world applications they could take back to their businesses.
“The goal was for every dealer in the room to walk away having learned something new that they could take back to their store and apply—whether that’s with the consumer, on the sales floor, or in the installation bay” said Farr. “Based on the engagement and the number of questions throughout the evening, I believe we accomplished the goals.”

Also in attendance was Jimmy Bradfield of Momentum Marketing, the area manufacturer’s representative, along with Justin Roberts and Taylor from DOW Technologies. Representing SSR Distributors were Tracy Farr, Rostom, Arturo, and Mike.

The evening concluded with numerous prize giveaways and every attendee left with a Firstech hat.
For SSR and DOW, the turnout demonstrated what can be accomplished when two EDA distributors work together to support and educate their dealer base.

“This was truly a joint effort between DOW and SSR,” Farr added. “We’re both EDA members, we’re both committed to supporting our dealers and partnering on an event like this simply made sense. More than 70 dealers showed up ready to learn and the night went off without a hitch. There is power in numbers.”

The successful Flower Mound event reinforced the companies’ shared commitment to dealer education, technical training and continued investment in the 12-volt industry.

For more see ssrdistributors.com and dowtechnologoes.com

NORTH BRANCH, MN (09.17.26) – The Sno Barons Snowmobile Club welcomed a strong crowd to the 59th Hay Days event that happened in September 12 and 13. The exhilarating event is the largest snowmobile event in the world and a premier Powersports show. During the event there was a swap meet, grass drags, freestyle expo and UTVs participating in mud events.

On the massive grounds there were hundreds of vendors set up under tents. Trail Star Audio was one of those vendors that returned for a very exciting event.

Chuck Holey related “Once again this was a terrific event and was a very, very busy day for my wife, family and friends. We had great support from D-Source Distributing with Josh Burris as they provided assistance in the booth as well as inventory. During the event we sold a lot of PowerBass powerbars and portable Bluetooth speakers along with SSV Works, JBL, ExoGear Sunglasses and LED whip products and more.

Josh Burris related “Working with Chuck and his team is important to connect enthusiast with products vendors across the 12volt industry offer. In the Trail Star Audio both D-Source brands included PowerBass, Rockford Fosgate, SSV Works and Let Freedom Ride 605 that offers a UTV window protective screen ideal for transporting UTVs on a trailer. Once again it was a fun event and we look forward to next year.”

Some of the products we had on display attendees were not aware of and that helped us drive sales for other products. Our decked out Trail Star Audio UTV was loaded and drew a lot of attention during the event. Our store in Eagan is about 50 miles from North Branch and we set a lot of appointments for installations and the phone has been ringing off the hook this week.”

For more see trailstaraudio.com.

STILLWATER, OK (09.16.26) – After 41 years at KICKER^®/Stillwater Designs^®, Vice President of Finance and Administration Jeanne Snyder recently announced her retirement from the company to enjoy more time with friends and family.

“There are so many aspects of our company today that have her fingerprints on them, that it’s hard to count them all,” said KICKER President and founder Steve Irby.  “Jeanne is truly at the very heart and soul of this company.”

Snyder began in 1985 as the company bookkeeper and eventually led the eight-member KICKER Administration Department in charge of all things financial and human resources. Over time, she also inherited and oversaw the 18-member Customer Service Department and the five-member IT (Information Technology) Department.

“My first meeting with her was her interview, and she showed up at lunchtime,” Irby said.  “I was just leaving, so I asked her if she would join me.  I actually interviewed her as I was eating lunch.  We were very informal in those days – probably still are, but everything worked out just fine.”

She quickly became a key person in KICKER finance and soon moved into the position of Office Manager, acquiring duties that at the time were more like those of a General Manager.  She was the backbone of KICKER financial and administrative operations for several years following.

“Jeanne gave her all to KICKER for over 41 faithful years,” remarked Jay Ralston, KICKER GM.  “I met her the day she hired me almost 40 years ago, so we both grew up at KICKER.

“The company would look much different without all her contributions through the years.  She literally had a hand in almost every aspect of KICKER and our successes.”

Snyder will remain on the company corporate Board of Directors.

Visit kicker.com for more.

OCEAN CITY MD (09.15.26) – The OC Rock and Ride was Ocean City’s ultimate motorcycle and music experience bringing live music, vendors, bikes, entertainment and more to town September 9-12, 2026.

Sound of Tri-State returned to the Ocean City Inlet for the 10th year. Sound of Tri-State team members on site included Store Manager Scott McKinnon from the Wilmington DE location along with Techs AJ Rivera, Erick Frias and Scott Rettig who were joined by Bruno Berg and Ian Worrall from The Progressive Group helping to drive sales and onsite installs at the event.

“This year’s event was terrific with a great turnout of bikers and traffic in the booth driving business with Rockford Fosgate and Hertz sales and installs. Several bikers set appointments for this week. Bruno Berg and Ian Worrall from Team Progressive helped throughout the event. Bruno made some social media posts also. All in all a super event, in spite of last day rain, and we look forward to 2027” McKinnon related.

Bruno Berg added “It was an amazing event and special for Ian and myself to be onsite at the event. Sound of Tri-State is a a shining example of a proactive 12volt retailer attending an event and connecting with enthusiasts, in this case bikers. Bikers will remember seeing the Rockford and Hertz products in the booth plus the custom work the Sound of Tri-State team added to bikes. Strong sales added to the success Sound of Tri-State earned at this year’s event.”

OC Rock and Ride 2027 is tentatively scheduled September 8-12.

For more see soundoftristate.com.

NORTHRIDGE, CA (09.11.26) – All are excited to welcome Rich Vreeland to the Harman Consumer North America Aftermarket Audio Sales team, effective August 24, 2026. Rich is located in Texas and will report directly to Shawn Spedding.

Rich will be responsible for driving sales growth across the Western region, strengthening relationships with current dealers and distributors, and identifying opportunities to expand our dealer network. He will also play an important role in product education and training, sales presentations and demonstrations, dealer and industry events, and supporting new product launches across HARMAN’s mobile aftermarket portfolio.

Rich brings more than 30 years of experience in the automotive electronics, consumer electronics, and aftermarket audio industries, with an extensive background in regional sales leadership, dealer development, training, and business growth. Most recently, he served as Regional Sales Manager at Garmin, managing a territory of approximately 190 retailers and helping integrate JL Audio dealers and programs into Garmin. Prior to Garmin, Rich spent six years as Area Sales Director for JL Audio, where he managed the Western region across 18 states and worked closely with mobile and home audio representative firms and key dealers.

Rich is located in Flower Mound TX. Email Rich.vreeland@harman.com

“Please join us in welcoming Rich and providing your full support” Shawn Spedding Director of Sales, Mobile Audio Aftermarket Consumer Audio, Americas Lifestyle Audio stated.

CONCORD, NC (09.10.26) – 3 Phases Marketing, with partner Greg Wallace in attendance with Hertz/Audison, supported the IASCA Worldwide 2X competition hosted by Freemans Car Stereo on September 6th at their Concord NC location.

Travis Grimm, Concord Store Manager, orchestrated the event. “We decided earlier this year to look at hosting IASCA events and this was our second successful event which was maybe 20% better than the first. We are looking at maybe 3 events next year” Grimm stated.

​Over 15 competitors flocked to Freeman’s from neighboring states as far as West Virginia to compete in the event. Registration opened at 9 a.m. and judging started at 10 a.m. with the honorable Richard Clark presiding over the evaluation of the competitor’s vehicles. Awards included 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category as well as Best Overall Demo. Richard kicked it up a notch and threw $200 of his own money that went to the contestant that he felt gave the best demo of the day. Mr. Clark has been judging IASCA sound quality competitions for decades so his approval was a very prestigious award!

In addition to the competitors over 70 local music lovers were in the crowd. During the event members of the crowd were invited to take a seat and experience demos in competitor’s cars. Virtually all crowd members who took a seat said they had never heard music sound that amazing in a car. During the event the store was open for all to check out the showroom. dough, made 20 fresh pizzas and at the end of the show 2 pieces were left. We put 240 bottles of water into coolers and had 4.

​”Not only did the contestants and spectators in attendance get to experience incredible sound systems but the handmade pizza supplied by Freeman’s and cooked by Ronnie Cochrane was best in show and kept everyone’s bellies full. Ronnie, who is into handmade pizza bottles left. A big hats off to our team members Ronnie Cochrane, Robert Palmer, Jason Ballard, Chad West, Mike Oechsner, Tim Delarosa, and Willi Matava who enjoyed the IASCA event” Grimm related.

​”There was even a special guest appearance from the Buc-ee’s Beavers that showed up to surprise their biggest fan. Chris McNulty of Hertz/Audison! A great time was had by all and 3 Phases Marketing was honored to be invited to support Hertz/Audison and Freeman’s Car Stereo at their event” Greg Wallace, who supplied this article, relayed.

For more see 12voltnews.com.