With not a rain cloud in the sky, the last Trifecta competition before Finals at SEMA took place on October 1st at Extreme Autofest. San Diego's reputation for perfect weather did not disappoint, so despite the acres of hot asphalt at the Coors Amphitheater, competitors and judges alike enjoyed cool breezes.
Weighing each vehicle for overall aesthetics/build quality, sound quality and peak SPL, our team of judges spanned the car audio spectrum. Judging overall build quality and aesthetics were Gary Bell, Chris Yato, Mike Vu, Matthew Valbuena, and Pimp My Ride's Mad Mike. Judging sound quality were Matthew Valbuena, Keith Turner, Ed Ng, Eric Fitzgerald and CA&E's own Casey Thorson.
Getting the judging sheets altogether wasn't always easy with fans stopping Mad Mike every five seconds, but when we finally got all the scores together, 16-year-old James Moe took home first place with his Chevy Brookwood. We've seen this ride before and did a feature of it in our October issue. He won $500 and a trip to the Finals in November.
Second place went to James Ngim (AKA, Junior) with his Honda Civic. Strangely enough, this "show car" serves as Ngim's daily driver! He's going to SEMA, too, and took home $250. Taking home third was Larry Stevens with his Ford Expedition. He went reptilian on a theme that pervades the inner cabin to the engine compartment.
The judges don't get a breather yet. In addition to Chris Yato, Gary Bell, and the rest, celebrity judges like Chip Foose and Troy Sumitomo will lend their expertise at the Finals in November. For more information on the Finals at SEMA, check out www.caraudiomag.com.