The premiere of Trifecta at the Fort Washington Expo Center during SEMA's Auto Salon, April 8-9th, featured some of the best rides on the aftermarket scene. It only stood to reason that when you have top cars you should have top judges to evaluate them. We gathered some of the best builders and automotive-related designers in the country to judge about 25 of the most modded-out vehicles on the East Coast. These guys judged not only the overall car in terms of aesthetics and build quality, but also the sound quality of the audio systems. And just for fun (and some bonus points), we measured the SPL as well.
While the specific event had cash prize payouts of $500, $250 and $125 for first through third, the ultimate prize was an invite to the SEMA Show in Vegas for a final showdown and a chance to win $1,500 and the adulation of car and audio enthusiasts everywhere. Justin Efkowitz and his Chrysler 300M and Dave Hary with an SQ Audi S4 finished first and second to earn their spots at SEMA. Both are featured in this issue; just check out the following pages.
Beyond the winners, the diverse field of competitors had something for everyone, from incredible imports such as Billy Hoang's Subaru and Mark Paline's Skyline to Mark Abate's extreme Saturn Ion and John Williams' superbly designed Eclipse. In addition to the competitor vehicles at the Trifecta invitational, we also had some high-end demo vehicles such as Rob Ida's Tucker, Dave Fowlkes' '69 Buick Riviera and Dave Johnson's Cobra.
The breakdown for scoring was as follows. Out of a possible 135 points, 95 were for aesthetics and build quality and 40 for audio. In the end, the winner was no surprise. Justin Efkowtiz and his 300M packed with Focal and Audison gear was the clear winner. Second place went to a bit of sleeper, Dave Hary's Audi S4 with Rockford Fosgate amps and subs. Third place went to Ryan Shutt's Civic with a Polk Audio-equipped system. Those in the top 10 will be ranked and have the opportunity to work on their mods and systems and compete again to move up the chain.
Honorable mentions go to Gary Herndon with the top average for SQ: 21.5, Dave Trudel for his SPL monster, a Ford F350, and Fred Weiss for the best daily driven vehicle, a Subaru WRX. V
Next stop: The Denver Coliseum in Colorado, where Trifecta will be held in conjunction with a Lowrider Show, July 9th. Then Extreme Autofest in San Diego, October 1st.
| 1. JUSTIN EFKOWITZ | Chrysler 300M |
| 127.6 pts | |
| 2. DAVE HARY | Audi S4 | 116.0 pts |
| 3. RYAN SHUTT | Honda Civic | 111.1 pts |
| 4. MARK ABATE | Saturn Ion | 108.8 pts |
| 5. JOHN WILLIAMS | Mitsubishi Eclipse | 104.0 pts |
| 6. CHRIS ZITKEVITZ | Mazda6 | 103.1 pts |
| 7. KEITH LOSIER | Chevy Cobalt | 102.3 pts |
| 8. GARY HERNDON | chevyFirebird | 101.5 pts |
| 9. MARK PALINES | Nissan Skyline | 96.9 pts |
| 10. EDDIE HABECK | Toyota Camry | 90.3 pts |
Competitors gallery
Profile of judges
Troy Sumitomo, Five AxisBuilder of the xB, tC and xA, featured on TV and in SuperStreet and Car Audio
Mark Eldridge, currently with JL AudioBuilder of the 4Runner, featured in Car Audio
Sound Quality Expert
Mike Vu, Mike Vu Designz (formerly w/ Alpine)
Builder of Alpine's Mini and Ultimate Listening Machine, Featured in Car Audio and on cable TV's Rides
Dave Johnson, Acoustic Edge
Builder of the Cobra featured at the event
Rob Ida, Rob Ida Concepts
Builder of the Tucker, Winner of the 2005 SEMA Design Excellence Award
David Fowlkes,President of Davin Wheels
Wheel designer, co-builder on the Riviera featured at the event
Gary Bell, Alpine
Builder of the Sinister Six, Best of Show winner at the Auto Salon, featured in the June issue of Car Audio
Cabe Sipes, MTV's Pimp My Ride
New builder on this season's show
Ed Ng, Rolling Thunder
Sound quality judge
Don Whitmire, Ai Design
Builder of the Ultimate Van featured in the April issue of Car Audio mag
Keith Turner
Sound quality judge